Social, not genetic, programming of development and stress physiology of a colonial seabird - Département Recherches Subatomiques
Journal Articles Proceedings of the Royal Society B: Biological Sciences Year : 2024

Social, not genetic, programming of development and stress physiology of a colonial seabird

Emilie Lefol
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  • PersonId : 1410867
Laureline Durand
  • Function : Author
  • PersonId : 1410868
Jean-Patrice Robin
Pierre Bize
  • Function : Author
  • PersonId : 1410869
Vincent A. Viblanc

Abstract

Phenotypic differences often stem from genetic/maternal differences and/or early-life adaptations to local environmental conditions. In colonial animals, little is known on how variation in the social environment is embedded into individual phenotypes, nor what the consequences are on individual fitness. We conducted an experimental cross-fostering study on king penguins (Aptenodytes patagonicus), exchanging eggs among 134 pairs breeding in high-density (67 pairs) or low-density (67 pairs) areas of the same breeding colony. We investigated differences in parent and chick phenotypes and survival in relation to the density of their origin and foster environment. Adults breeding in colony areas of high density exhibited decreased resting behavior and increased aggression and vigilance, increased hypometabolism during incubation fasts, and more moderate CORT responses to chronic stressors (e.g., constant aggression by neighbors). Chick phenotypes were more influenced by the environment in which they were reared than their genetic/maternal origin. Chicks reared in high-density colonial environments showed enhanced weight gain and survival rates regardless of the density of their genetic parents' breeding areas. Our study experimentally shows advantages to breeding in colonial areas of higher breeder densities in king penguins, and highlights the importance of social settings in shaping phenotype expression in colonial seabirds.

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Dates and versions

hal-04682487 , version 1 (30-08-2024)

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Camille Lemonnier, Quentin Schull, Antoine Stier, Rudy Boonstra, Brendan Delehanty, et al.. Social, not genetic, programming of development and stress physiology of a colonial seabird. Proceedings of the Royal Society B: Biological Sciences, 2024, 291, pp.20240853. ⟨10.1098/rspb.2024.0853⟩. ⟨hal-04682487⟩
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