Juvenile Starlings Exposed To Embryonic Corticosterone Have Enhanced Flight Performance

Main Category: Veterinary
Also Included In: Biology / Biochemistry
Article Date: 08 Oct 2008 - 7:00 PDT

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Exposure to maternal stress is commonly thought to be bad for offspring, but is it always? Researchers experimentally increased yolk levels of the stress hormone corticosterone in European starling eggs to mimic the 'signal' offspring receive that they will be raised in a low quality environment.

Surprisingly, exposed fledglings actually left the nest with increased flight performance which was driven by larger, more mature flight muscles, lower wing-loading and elevated flight performance enzymes.

Positive effects on this survival-related trait may balance associated 'negative' developmental costs of corticosterone and suggests that offspring may adaptively use 'negative' stimuli from their mother to prepare for their own future environment.

Proceedings of the Royal Society B: Biological Sciences

Proceedings B is the Royal Society's flagship biological research journal, dedicated to the rapid publication and broad dissemination of high-quality research papers, reviews and comment and reply papers. The scope of journal is diverse and is especially strong in organismal biology.

Proceedings of the Royal Society B: Biological Sciences