High atmospheric temperatures and ‘ambient incubation’ drive embryonic development and lead to earlier hatching in a passerine bird
Tropical and subtropical species typically experience relatively high atmospheric temperatures during reproduction, and are subject to climate-related challenges that are largely unexplored, relative to more extensive work conducted in temperate regions. We studied the effects of high atmospheric an...
| Main Authors: | , , , |
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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The Royal Society
2016-01-01
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| Series: | Royal Society Open Science |
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| Online Access: | https://royalsocietypublishing.org/doi/pdf/10.1098/rsos.150371 |
| _version_ | 1818242180410507264 |
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| author | Simon C. Griffith Mark C. Mainwaring Enrico Sorato Christa Beckmann |
| author_facet | Simon C. Griffith Mark C. Mainwaring Enrico Sorato Christa Beckmann |
| author_sort | Simon C. Griffith |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Tropical and subtropical species typically experience relatively high atmospheric temperatures during reproduction, and are subject to climate-related challenges that are largely unexplored, relative to more extensive work conducted in temperate regions. We studied the effects of high atmospheric and nest temperatures during reproduction in the zebra finch. We characterized the temperature within nests in a subtropical population of this species in relation to atmospheric temperature. Temperatures within nests frequently exceeded the level at which embryo’s develop optimally, even in the absence of parental incubation. We experimentally manipulated internal nest temperature to demonstrate that an average difference of 6°C in the nest temperature during the laying period reduced hatching time by an average of 3% of the total incubation time, owing to ‘ambient incubation’. Given the avian constraint of laying a single egg per day, the first eggs of a clutch are subject to prolonged effects of nest temperature relative to later laid eggs, potentially increasing hatching asynchrony. While birds may ameliorate the negative effects of ambient incubation on embryonic development by varying the location and design of their nests, high atmospheric temperatures are likely to constitute an important selective force on avian reproductive behaviour and physiology in subtropical and tropical regions, particularly in the light of predicted climate change that in many areas is leading to a higher frequency of hot days during the periods when birds breed. |
| first_indexed | 2024-12-12T13:41:08Z |
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| id | doaj.art-4819b273ebd046908fa12bbae21c8c86 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2054-5703 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-12-12T13:41:08Z |
| publishDate | 2016-01-01 |
| publisher | The Royal Society |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Royal Society Open Science |
| spelling | doaj.art-4819b273ebd046908fa12bbae21c8c862022-12-22T00:22:48ZengThe Royal SocietyRoyal Society Open Science2054-57032016-01-013210.1098/rsos.150371150371High atmospheric temperatures and ‘ambient incubation’ drive embryonic development and lead to earlier hatching in a passerine birdSimon C. GriffithMark C. MainwaringEnrico SoratoChrista BeckmannTropical and subtropical species typically experience relatively high atmospheric temperatures during reproduction, and are subject to climate-related challenges that are largely unexplored, relative to more extensive work conducted in temperate regions. We studied the effects of high atmospheric and nest temperatures during reproduction in the zebra finch. We characterized the temperature within nests in a subtropical population of this species in relation to atmospheric temperature. Temperatures within nests frequently exceeded the level at which embryo’s develop optimally, even in the absence of parental incubation. We experimentally manipulated internal nest temperature to demonstrate that an average difference of 6°C in the nest temperature during the laying period reduced hatching time by an average of 3% of the total incubation time, owing to ‘ambient incubation’. Given the avian constraint of laying a single egg per day, the first eggs of a clutch are subject to prolonged effects of nest temperature relative to later laid eggs, potentially increasing hatching asynchrony. While birds may ameliorate the negative effects of ambient incubation on embryonic development by varying the location and design of their nests, high atmospheric temperatures are likely to constitute an important selective force on avian reproductive behaviour and physiology in subtropical and tropical regions, particularly in the light of predicted climate change that in many areas is leading to a higher frequency of hot days during the periods when birds breed.https://royalsocietypublishing.org/doi/pdf/10.1098/rsos.150371nest temperatureambient incubationnest architecturenest microclimatetaeniopygia guttatazebra finch |
| spellingShingle | Simon C. Griffith Mark C. Mainwaring Enrico Sorato Christa Beckmann High atmospheric temperatures and ‘ambient incubation’ drive embryonic development and lead to earlier hatching in a passerine bird Royal Society Open Science nest temperature ambient incubation nest architecture nest microclimate taeniopygia guttata zebra finch |
| title | High atmospheric temperatures and ‘ambient incubation’ drive embryonic development and lead to earlier hatching in a passerine bird |
| title_full | High atmospheric temperatures and ‘ambient incubation’ drive embryonic development and lead to earlier hatching in a passerine bird |
| title_fullStr | High atmospheric temperatures and ‘ambient incubation’ drive embryonic development and lead to earlier hatching in a passerine bird |
| title_full_unstemmed | High atmospheric temperatures and ‘ambient incubation’ drive embryonic development and lead to earlier hatching in a passerine bird |
| title_short | High atmospheric temperatures and ‘ambient incubation’ drive embryonic development and lead to earlier hatching in a passerine bird |
| title_sort | high atmospheric temperatures and ambient incubation drive embryonic development and lead to earlier hatching in a passerine bird |
| topic | nest temperature ambient incubation nest architecture nest microclimate taeniopygia guttata zebra finch |
| url | https://royalsocietypublishing.org/doi/pdf/10.1098/rsos.150371 |
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