Heat‐induced maternal effects shape avian eggshell traits and embryo development and phenotype at high incubation temperatures
Abstract Phenotypic plasticity is an important avenue by which organisms may persist in the face of rapid environmental change. Environmental cues experienced by the mother can also influence the phenotype of offspring, a form of plasticity called maternal effects. Maternal effects can adaptively pr...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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Wiley
2023-09-01
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| Series: | Ecology and Evolution |
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| Online Access: | https://doi.org/10.1002/ece3.10546 |
| _version_ | 1797542888057339904 |
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| author | Alexander J. Hoffman Leslie Dees Haruka Wada |
| author_facet | Alexander J. Hoffman Leslie Dees Haruka Wada |
| author_sort | Alexander J. Hoffman |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Abstract Phenotypic plasticity is an important avenue by which organisms may persist in the face of rapid environmental change. Environmental cues experienced by the mother can also influence the phenotype of offspring, a form of plasticity called maternal effects. Maternal effects can adaptively prepare offspring for the environmental conditions they will likely experience; however, their ability to buffer offspring against environmental stressors as embryos is understudied. Using captive zebra finches, we performed a maternal‐offspring environmental match‐mismatch experiment utilizing a 2 × 2 × 2 factorial design. Mothers were exposed to a mild heat conditioning (38°C) or control (22°C) treatment as juveniles, an acute high heat (42°C) or control (22°C) treatment as adults, then paired for breeding. The eggs produced by those females were incubated at a hyperthermic (38.5°C) or optimal temperature (37.2°C). We found that when mothers were exposed to a mild heat conditioning as juveniles, their embryos exhibited reduced water loss, longer development times, and produced hatchlings with heavier pectoralis muscles when incubated at high incubation temperatures, compared to embryos from control mothers. Mothers exposed to both the mild heat conditioning as juveniles and a high heat stressor as adults produced eggs with a higher density of shell pores and embryos with lower heart rates during development. However, there was a cost when there was a mismatch between maternal and embryo environment. Embryos from these conditioned and heat‐stressed mothers had reduced survival at control incubation temperatures, indicating the importance of offspring environment when interpreting potential adaptive effects. |
| first_indexed | 2024-03-10T13:36:53Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-86c3c544b069463cb7c4acfc8ce6917b |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2045-7758 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-03-10T13:36:53Z |
| publishDate | 2023-09-01 |
| publisher | Wiley |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Ecology and Evolution |
| spelling | doaj.art-86c3c544b069463cb7c4acfc8ce6917b2023-11-21T07:26:25ZengWileyEcology and Evolution2045-77582023-09-01139n/an/a10.1002/ece3.10546Heat‐induced maternal effects shape avian eggshell traits and embryo development and phenotype at high incubation temperaturesAlexander J. Hoffman0Leslie Dees1Haruka Wada2Department of Biological Sciences Auburn University Auburn Alabama USAAuburn High School Auburn Alabama USADepartment of Biological Sciences Auburn University Auburn Alabama USAAbstract Phenotypic plasticity is an important avenue by which organisms may persist in the face of rapid environmental change. Environmental cues experienced by the mother can also influence the phenotype of offspring, a form of plasticity called maternal effects. Maternal effects can adaptively prepare offspring for the environmental conditions they will likely experience; however, their ability to buffer offspring against environmental stressors as embryos is understudied. Using captive zebra finches, we performed a maternal‐offspring environmental match‐mismatch experiment utilizing a 2 × 2 × 2 factorial design. Mothers were exposed to a mild heat conditioning (38°C) or control (22°C) treatment as juveniles, an acute high heat (42°C) or control (22°C) treatment as adults, then paired for breeding. The eggs produced by those females were incubated at a hyperthermic (38.5°C) or optimal temperature (37.2°C). We found that when mothers were exposed to a mild heat conditioning as juveniles, their embryos exhibited reduced water loss, longer development times, and produced hatchlings with heavier pectoralis muscles when incubated at high incubation temperatures, compared to embryos from control mothers. Mothers exposed to both the mild heat conditioning as juveniles and a high heat stressor as adults produced eggs with a higher density of shell pores and embryos with lower heart rates during development. However, there was a cost when there was a mismatch between maternal and embryo environment. Embryos from these conditioned and heat‐stressed mothers had reduced survival at control incubation temperatures, indicating the importance of offspring environment when interpreting potential adaptive effects.https://doi.org/10.1002/ece3.10546avian eggshellembryo physiologyhormesismaternal effectsphenotypic plasticitythermal stress |
| spellingShingle | Alexander J. Hoffman Leslie Dees Haruka Wada Heat‐induced maternal effects shape avian eggshell traits and embryo development and phenotype at high incubation temperatures Ecology and Evolution avian eggshell embryo physiology hormesis maternal effects phenotypic plasticity thermal stress |
| title | Heat‐induced maternal effects shape avian eggshell traits and embryo development and phenotype at high incubation temperatures |
| title_full | Heat‐induced maternal effects shape avian eggshell traits and embryo development and phenotype at high incubation temperatures |
| title_fullStr | Heat‐induced maternal effects shape avian eggshell traits and embryo development and phenotype at high incubation temperatures |
| title_full_unstemmed | Heat‐induced maternal effects shape avian eggshell traits and embryo development and phenotype at high incubation temperatures |
| title_short | Heat‐induced maternal effects shape avian eggshell traits and embryo development and phenotype at high incubation temperatures |
| title_sort | heat induced maternal effects shape avian eggshell traits and embryo development and phenotype at high incubation temperatures |
| topic | avian eggshell embryo physiology hormesis maternal effects phenotypic plasticity thermal stress |
| url | https://doi.org/10.1002/ece3.10546 |
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