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Costs of reproduction and carry-over effects in breeding albatrosses

Part of: Antarctic Science International Bursary collection: Biosciences

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  29 November 2016

Glenn T. Crossin ,
richard A. Phillips ,
Christine R. Lattin ,
L. Michael Romero ,
Xavier Bordeleau ,
Christopher M. Harris ,
Oliver P. Love  and
Tony D. Williams
Glenn T. Crossin*
Affiliation:
Department of Biology, Dalhousie University, Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada
richard A. Phillips
Affiliation:
British Antarctic Survey, NERC, High Cross, Madingley Road, Cambridge CB3 0ET, UK
Christine R. Lattin
Affiliation:
Department of Biology, Tufts University, Medford, MA02155, USA
L. Michael Romero
Affiliation:
Department of Biology, Tufts University, Medford, MA02155, USA
Xavier Bordeleau
Affiliation:
Department of Biology, Dalhousie University, Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada
Christopher M. Harris
Affiliation:
Department of Biological Sciences and Great Lakes Institute for Environmental Research, University of Windsor, Windsor, Ontario, Canada
Oliver P. Love
Affiliation:
Department of Biological Sciences and Great Lakes Institute for Environmental Research, University of Windsor, Windsor, Ontario, Canada
Tony D. Williams
Affiliation:
Department of Biological Sciences, Simon Fraser University, Burnaby, British Columbia, Canada
*
gtc@dal.ca
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Abstract

We investigated the physiology of two closely related albatross species relative to their breeding strategy: black-browed albatrosses (Thalassarche melanophris) breed annually, while grey-headed albatrosses (T. chrysostoma) breed biennially. From observations of breeding fate and blood samples collected at the end of breeding in one season and feather corticosterone levels (fCort) sampled at the beginning of the next breeding season, we found that in both species some post-breeding physiological parameters differed according to breeding outcome (successful, failed, deferred). Correlations between post-breeding physiology and fCort, and links to future breeding decisions, were examined. In black-browed albatrosses, post-breeding physiology and fCort were not significantly correlated, but fCort independently predicted breeding decision the next year, which we interpret as a possible migratory carry-over effect. In grey-headed albatrosses, post-breeding triglyceride levels were negatively correlated with fCort, but only in females, which we interpret as a potential cost of reproduction. However, this potential cost did not carry-over to future breeding in the grey-headed albatrosses. None of the variables predicted future breeding decisions. We suggest that biennial breeding in the grey-headed albatrosses may have evolved as a strategy to buffer against the apparent susceptibility of females to negative physiological costs of reproduction. Future studies are needed to confirm this.

Keywords

feather corticosteroneglucocorticoidshaematocritmigrationtestosteronetriglycerides
Type
Biological Sciences
Information
Antarctic Science , Volume 29 , Issue 2 , April 2017 , pp. 155 - 164
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Copyright
© Antarctic Science Ltd 2016 

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