Artificially Increased Yolk Hormone Levels and Neophobia in Domestic Chicks
In birds there is compelling evidence that the development and expression of behavior is affected by maternal factors, particularly via variation in yolk hormone concentrations of maternal origin. In the present study we tested whether variation in yolk hormone levels lead to variation in the expres...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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MDPI AG
2015-11-01
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| Series: | Animals |
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| Online Access: | http://www.mdpi.com/2076-2615/5/4/0408 |
| _version_ | 1818562830750711808 |
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| author | Aline Bertin Cécile Arnould Chantal Moussu Maryse Meurisse Paul Constantin Christine Leterrier Ludovic Calandreau |
| author_facet | Aline Bertin Cécile Arnould Chantal Moussu Maryse Meurisse Paul Constantin Christine Leterrier Ludovic Calandreau |
| author_sort | Aline Bertin |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | In birds there is compelling evidence that the development and expression of behavior is affected by maternal factors, particularly via variation in yolk hormone concentrations of maternal origin. In the present study we tested whether variation in yolk hormone levels lead to variation in the expression of neophobia in young domestic chicks. Understanding how the prenatal environment could predispose chicks to express fear-related behaviors is essential in order to propose preventive actions and improve animal welfare. We simulated the consequences of a maternal stress by experimentally enhancing yolk progesterone, testosterone and estradiol concentrations in hen eggs prior to incubation. The chicks from these hormone-treated eggs (H) and from sham embryos (C) that received the vehicle-only were exposed to novel food, novel object and novel environment tests. H chicks approached a novel object significantly faster and were significantly more active in a novel environment than controls, suggesting less fearfulness. Conversely, no effect of the treatment was found in food neophobia tests. Our study highlights a developmental influence of yolk hormones on a specific aspect of neophobia. The results suggest that increased yolk hormone levels modulate specifically the probability of exploring novel environments or novel objects in the environment. |
| first_indexed | 2024-12-14T01:08:53Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-db40b814501d460b9efeaff3e036b564 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2076-2615 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-12-14T01:08:53Z |
| publishDate | 2015-11-01 |
| publisher | MDPI AG |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Animals |
| spelling | doaj.art-db40b814501d460b9efeaff3e036b5642022-12-21T23:22:50ZengMDPI AGAnimals2076-26152015-11-01541220123210.3390/ani5040408ani5040408Artificially Increased Yolk Hormone Levels and Neophobia in Domestic ChicksAline Bertin0Cécile Arnould1Chantal Moussu2Maryse Meurisse3Paul Constantin4Christine Leterrier5Ludovic Calandreau6Physiologie de la Reproduction et des Comportements, Institut National de la Recherche Agronomique (INRA), UMR85, Nouzilly 37380, FrancePhysiologie de la Reproduction et des Comportements, Institut National de la Recherche Agronomique (INRA), UMR85, Nouzilly 37380, FrancePhysiologie de la Reproduction et des Comportements, Institut National de la Recherche Agronomique (INRA), UMR85, Nouzilly 37380, FrancePhysiologie de la Reproduction et des Comportements, Institut National de la Recherche Agronomique (INRA), UMR85, Nouzilly 37380, FrancePhysiologie de la Reproduction et des Comportements, Institut National de la Recherche Agronomique (INRA), UMR85, Nouzilly 37380, FrancePhysiologie de la Reproduction et des Comportements, Institut National de la Recherche Agronomique (INRA), UMR85, Nouzilly 37380, FrancePhysiologie de la Reproduction et des Comportements, Institut National de la Recherche Agronomique (INRA), UMR85, Nouzilly 37380, FranceIn birds there is compelling evidence that the development and expression of behavior is affected by maternal factors, particularly via variation in yolk hormone concentrations of maternal origin. In the present study we tested whether variation in yolk hormone levels lead to variation in the expression of neophobia in young domestic chicks. Understanding how the prenatal environment could predispose chicks to express fear-related behaviors is essential in order to propose preventive actions and improve animal welfare. We simulated the consequences of a maternal stress by experimentally enhancing yolk progesterone, testosterone and estradiol concentrations in hen eggs prior to incubation. The chicks from these hormone-treated eggs (H) and from sham embryos (C) that received the vehicle-only were exposed to novel food, novel object and novel environment tests. H chicks approached a novel object significantly faster and were significantly more active in a novel environment than controls, suggesting less fearfulness. Conversely, no effect of the treatment was found in food neophobia tests. Our study highlights a developmental influence of yolk hormones on a specific aspect of neophobia. The results suggest that increased yolk hormone levels modulate specifically the probability of exploring novel environments or novel objects in the environment.http://www.mdpi.com/2076-2615/5/4/0408yolk hormonesmaternal effectsneophobiafearbehavioral development |
| spellingShingle | Aline Bertin Cécile Arnould Chantal Moussu Maryse Meurisse Paul Constantin Christine Leterrier Ludovic Calandreau Artificially Increased Yolk Hormone Levels and Neophobia in Domestic Chicks Animals yolk hormones maternal effects neophobia fear behavioral development |
| title | Artificially Increased Yolk Hormone Levels and Neophobia in Domestic Chicks |
| title_full | Artificially Increased Yolk Hormone Levels and Neophobia in Domestic Chicks |
| title_fullStr | Artificially Increased Yolk Hormone Levels and Neophobia in Domestic Chicks |
| title_full_unstemmed | Artificially Increased Yolk Hormone Levels and Neophobia in Domestic Chicks |
| title_short | Artificially Increased Yolk Hormone Levels and Neophobia in Domestic Chicks |
| title_sort | artificially increased yolk hormone levels and neophobia in domestic chicks |
| topic | yolk hormones maternal effects neophobia fear behavioral development |
| url | http://www.mdpi.com/2076-2615/5/4/0408 |
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