Consequences of maternal effects and late developmental stress on sexually selected traits and behavior in zebra finches

个体在早期发育过程中所经历的条件对其发展轨迹和生命历史策略有着显著的影响。鸣禽一直是研究发育应激短期影响的关键模型。蛋的封闭环境以及蛋内和孵化后的快速发育过程为实验方法提供了独特的机会。这里提出的研究将测试在两个不同的关键发育期，即卵子内和青春期期间的条件对成年后性别选择特征和行为表达的影响。在两个不同的斑马雀繁殖实验中，计划(1)控制青春期的营养条件，即获得歌声和其他性选择特征的发展时期；(2)在第二个实验中控制鸡蛋中蛋黄睾丸素的水平，这是一个已知对发育有短期影响的因素。这些实验将提供对这些关键发育时期发育条件的长期影响的洞察，这一问题迄今尚未在鸟类身上得到很好的研究。这些结果将有助于更广泛地理解性别选择特征的进化以及导致它们表达的邻近因素。

The conditions indivuals experience during early development have marked effects on their developmental trajectory and life history strategies. Songbirds have been a key model in studies on short term effects of developmental stress. The closed environment of the egg and the fast developmental process within the egg and after hatching provides unique opportunities to experimental approaches. The research proposed here will test effects of condition during two different key developmental periods, i.e. within the egg, and during "puberty" on the expression of sexually selected traits and behavior in adulthood. In two separate breeding experiments with zebra finches (Taeniopygia guttata), it is planned (1) to manipulate the nutritional conditions during "puberty", i.e. the period in which song is acquired and other sexually selected traits develop and (2) in a second experiment to manipulate the levels of yolk testosterone in the egg, a factor that is wll know to have short term effects on development. These experiments will provide insights into long term effects of developmental conditions during these key periods of development, an issue that as yet has not been well studied in birds. The results will contributed to the broader understanding of the evolution of sexually selected traits and the proximate factors that lead to their expression.