Effects of an anthropogenic diet on indicators of physiological challenge and immunity of white ibis nestlings raised in captivity
Abstract When wildlife forage and/or live in urban habitats, they often experience a shift in resource availability and dietary quality. Some species even use human handouts, such as bread, as well as human refuse, as a large part of their new diets; yet the influences of this nutritional shift on h...
| Main Authors: | , , , , , , , |
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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Wiley
2020-08-01
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| Series: | Ecology and Evolution |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | https://doi.org/10.1002/ece3.6548 |
| _version_ | 1818657004258852864 |
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| author | Caroline R. Cummings Sonia M. Hernandez Maureen Murray Taylor Ellison Henry C. Adams Robert E. Cooper Shannon Curry Kristen J. Navara |
| author_facet | Caroline R. Cummings Sonia M. Hernandez Maureen Murray Taylor Ellison Henry C. Adams Robert E. Cooper Shannon Curry Kristen J. Navara |
| author_sort | Caroline R. Cummings |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Abstract When wildlife forage and/or live in urban habitats, they often experience a shift in resource availability and dietary quality. Some species even use human handouts, such as bread, as well as human refuse, as a large part of their new diets; yet the influences of this nutritional shift on health and survival remain unclear. American white ibises are increasingly being seen in urban areas in Florida; they collect handouts, such as bread and other food items, from humans in parks, and are also found foraging on anthropogenic sources in trash heaps. We hypothesized that the consumption of these new anthropogenic food sources may trigger increases in indicators of physiological challenge and dampen immune responses. We tested this experimentally by raising 20 white ibis nestlings in captivity, and exposing 10 to a simulated anthropogenic diet (including the addition of white bread and a reduction in seafood content) while maintaining 10 on a diet similar to what ibises consume in more natural environments. We then tested two indicators of physiological challenge (corticosterone and heat shock protein 70), assessed innate immunity in these birds via bactericidal assays and an in vitro carbon clearance assay, and adaptive immunity using a phytohemagglutinin skin test. The anthropogenic diet depressed the development of the ability to kill Salmonella paratyphi in culture. Our results suggest that consuming an anthropogenic diet may be detrimental in terms of the ability to battle a pathogenic bacterial species, but there was little effect on indicators of physiological challenge and other immunological measures. |
| first_indexed | 2024-12-17T03:34:35Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-268cb2b6832440dc984d0b28db3e5992 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2045-7758 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-12-17T03:34:35Z |
| publishDate | 2020-08-01 |
| publisher | Wiley |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Ecology and Evolution |
| spelling | doaj.art-268cb2b6832440dc984d0b28db3e59922022-12-21T22:05:09ZengWileyEcology and Evolution2045-77582020-08-0110158416842810.1002/ece3.6548Effects of an anthropogenic diet on indicators of physiological challenge and immunity of white ibis nestlings raised in captivityCaroline R. Cummings0Sonia M. Hernandez1Maureen Murray2Taylor Ellison3Henry C. Adams4Robert E. Cooper5Shannon Curry6Kristen J. Navara7Department of Poultry Science The University of Georgia Athens GA USAWarnell School of Forestry and Natural Resources The University of Georgia Athens GA USADepartment of Poultry Science The University of Georgia Athens GA USADepartment of Poultry Science The University of Georgia Athens GA USADepartment of Poultry Science The University of Georgia Athens GA USADepartment of Poultry Science The University of Georgia Athens GA USAWarnell School of Forestry and Natural Resources The University of Georgia Athens GA USADepartment of Poultry Science The University of Georgia Athens GA USAAbstract When wildlife forage and/or live in urban habitats, they often experience a shift in resource availability and dietary quality. Some species even use human handouts, such as bread, as well as human refuse, as a large part of their new diets; yet the influences of this nutritional shift on health and survival remain unclear. American white ibises are increasingly being seen in urban areas in Florida; they collect handouts, such as bread and other food items, from humans in parks, and are also found foraging on anthropogenic sources in trash heaps. We hypothesized that the consumption of these new anthropogenic food sources may trigger increases in indicators of physiological challenge and dampen immune responses. We tested this experimentally by raising 20 white ibis nestlings in captivity, and exposing 10 to a simulated anthropogenic diet (including the addition of white bread and a reduction in seafood content) while maintaining 10 on a diet similar to what ibises consume in more natural environments. We then tested two indicators of physiological challenge (corticosterone and heat shock protein 70), assessed innate immunity in these birds via bactericidal assays and an in vitro carbon clearance assay, and adaptive immunity using a phytohemagglutinin skin test. The anthropogenic diet depressed the development of the ability to kill Salmonella paratyphi in culture. Our results suggest that consuming an anthropogenic diet may be detrimental in terms of the ability to battle a pathogenic bacterial species, but there was little effect on indicators of physiological challenge and other immunological measures.https://doi.org/10.1002/ece3.6548bactericidal assaycorticosteronephytohemagglutininurbanization |
| spellingShingle | Caroline R. Cummings Sonia M. Hernandez Maureen Murray Taylor Ellison Henry C. Adams Robert E. Cooper Shannon Curry Kristen J. Navara Effects of an anthropogenic diet on indicators of physiological challenge and immunity of white ibis nestlings raised in captivity Ecology and Evolution bactericidal assay corticosterone phytohemagglutinin urbanization |
| title | Effects of an anthropogenic diet on indicators of physiological challenge and immunity of white ibis nestlings raised in captivity |
| title_full | Effects of an anthropogenic diet on indicators of physiological challenge and immunity of white ibis nestlings raised in captivity |
| title_fullStr | Effects of an anthropogenic diet on indicators of physiological challenge and immunity of white ibis nestlings raised in captivity |
| title_full_unstemmed | Effects of an anthropogenic diet on indicators of physiological challenge and immunity of white ibis nestlings raised in captivity |
| title_short | Effects of an anthropogenic diet on indicators of physiological challenge and immunity of white ibis nestlings raised in captivity |
| title_sort | effects of an anthropogenic diet on indicators of physiological challenge and immunity of white ibis nestlings raised in captivity |
| topic | bactericidal assay corticosterone phytohemagglutinin urbanization |
| url | https://doi.org/10.1002/ece3.6548 |
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