海南昌江家燕(Hirundo rustica)种群的卵色及其窝内窝间变异

量化鸟类的卵色及其窝内、窝间变异,对于理解鸟类卵色的进化及其适应性具有重要意义。具有较小的卵色窝内变异和较大的窝间变异,有利于寄主反寄生行为对策的进化。最近的研究表明,除了同种寄生,家燕(Hirundo rustica)同时也是杜鹃(Cuculus spp.)的重要寄主之一。本研究利用光纤光谱仪,对海南昌江家燕种群的卵色进行量化分析。结果表明:家燕卵背景色的反射光谱明显高于斑点色,斑点色在长波光部分有较高的波峰和波谷,表明在黄色和红色光上具有较高的色彩饱和度;虽然肉眼看到的家燕卵的背景和斑点颜色截然不同,但基于鸟类视觉模型的统计分析表明,两者的色调的可见光部分(RGB)并无显著差异,而在人眼无法探测的紫外光(UV)部分及色度和亮度上均存在极显著差异;家燕卵色的窝内、窝间变异分析结果表明,家燕卵的背景色和斑点的窝内变异不显著;而在窝间变异上,UV、色度和亮度均无显著差异,但色调RGB具有显著差异,斑点的窝间变异大于背景色。本研究是家燕卵色定量化分析的首次报道。     

高寒草甸常见雀形目鸟类的卵壳特征

作为胚胎发育的屏障,卵壳特征如卵壳厚度和气孔密度具有重要的生态学意义。本文研究了高寒草甸繁殖的7种代表性雀形目鸟类角百灵（Eremophila alpestris）、小云雀（Alauda gulgula）、黄头鹡鸰（Motacilla citreola）、树麻雀（Passer montanus）、粉红胸鹨（Anthus roseatus）、黄嘴朱顶雀（Carduelis flavirostris）、赭红尾鸲（Phoenicurus ochruros）的卵与卵壳特征,以探索在高寒缺氧环境下,不同科鸟类的适应性调节。结果发现,7种鸟类中,除小云雀和角百灵之外,其他鸟类的卵与卵壳特征均有显著的种间差异（除卵壳厚度和气孔直径之外）;对7种鸟类卵壳厚度、气孔密度、卵体积、卵重之间的线性拟合显示,卵壳厚度、卵体积与气孔密度均无显著相关性（卵壳厚度：P = 0.11,卵体积：P = 0.09）,卵重、卵体积与卵壳厚度呈显著正相关（卵重：r2 = 0.46,P ＜ 0.001;卵体积：r2 = 0.44,P ＜ 0.001）;对7种鸟类卵的数据与繁殖期雌鸟平均体重的线性拟合结果显示：平均卵重、卵壳厚度的差异与雌鸟体重成正相关（卵重：r2 = 0.66,P = 0.03;卵壳厚度：r2 = 0.92,P ＜ 0.01）;对6种鸟类（缺乏粉红胸鹨窝卵数数据）卵的数据与孵卵相关变量的线性拟合结果显示：卵壳厚度及气孔率与窝卵数成负相关（卵壳厚度：r2 = 0.64,P = 0.056;气孔率：r2 = 0.87,P ＜ 0.01）,6种鸟类（缺乏树麻雀巢杯指数数据）气孔率与巢杯指数或巢型无显著相关性（巢杯指数：P = 0.49,巢型：P = 0.435）。卵表面积和总气孔数解释了大部分气孔率差异（87%）,卵重和气孔率与孵卵期无显著相关（P = 0.77）,气孔率显著低于预期气孔率（P＜0.001）。这些结果表明,种间的遗传性（如成鸟的形态、窝卵数等）决定了大部分卵与卵壳特性的差异,但是为适应高寒低氧的气候特征,不同种的鸟都具有相对厚的卵壳和低的气孔率特征,说明环境因素同样影响卵的进化。另外,单纯的卵特性（卵体积和气孔率）并不能决定孵卵期的长短,亲鸟的孵卵行为同样具有重要的影响,角百灵虽然离巢频率相对较高,但是孵卵期却相对较短,这可能与其较高的气孔率有关。     

丹顶鹤弃卵和正常卵卵壳超微结构及 化学元素含量的比较分析

为研究繁殖丹顶鹤（Grus japonensis）弃卵原因,对其弃卵与正常卵壳超微结构及化学元素含量进行比较。以2014至2020年在扎龙保护区收集到丹顶鹤弃卵和正常孵化的卵各6枚为研究对象,利用电子扫描电镜观察比较其超微结构,采用电感偶合等离子体光谱仪测量其化学元素含量,并对其卵壳厚度和密度进行测量和比较。弃卵壳厚度、密度分别为正常卵壳厚度、密度的68.0%(P <0.01)和71.5%(P <0.01);弃卵卵壳表面晶体层厚度不均,与栅栏层之间界限不明显,外表皮层有龟裂和条形两种裂纹,栅栏锥体层晶体中有微小球状中空结构和类似溶洞的腔室结构,壳膜层纤维表面的片状突起较少,这些结构均与正常卵壳不同。检测卵壳23种化学元素中,弃卵卵壳Ca、Na、P、Mg和K元素含量显著低于正常孵卵卵壳（P <0.05）。从卵壳结构和元素分析,卵壳元素含量异常、结构和功能缺陷有可能是导致其亲鸟弃卵的原因之一,这与亲鸟占据生境资源情况、与其他鸟类间繁殖压力、食物可获得性和生存对策等交互作用的影响有关。     

海南临高和澄迈池鹭种群的卵色光谱分析

2009年4-7月,利用光纤光谱仪和鸟类视觉模型对海南临高和澄迈2个池鹭(Ardeola bacchus)种群的卵色进行量化分析.结果表明:池鹭卵的反射光谱波峰位于中波区域,最高峰位于绿色光区域,卵色为以绿色为主的蓝绿色,这种卵色可能是对捕食、营巢生境或雄鸟性选择的适应.基于鸟类视觉模型的分析表明,2个种群池鹭的卵在色度、亮度和色调UV上无显著差异,但在色调RGB上存在极显著差异.罗宾逊(Robinson)投射分析表明,澄迈种群的池鹭,其卵的色调RGB变异明显大于临高种群,这种变异可能与2个种群的巢寄生压力或营巢生境的差异有关.     

新疆石河子棉蚜越冬卵的发育规律

棉蚜雌性蚜交配个体平均产卵量为 6 3± 1 1粒 ;未交配个体也产卵 ,卵亦变色 ,但卵量极少。越冬卵经 5 %NaOH浸泡 2 4h后卵壳透明 ,镜下观察可见受精卵胚胎发育到体躯分节期开始越冬。冬后胚胎发育仅处在颗粒团状的饱满卵应为无效卵 ,不会孵化 ;颜色发亮的卵处理后胚胎外貌清晰可见 ,此种卵当天即可破壳。棉蚜卵为滞育卵 ,春季降水对孵化有促进作用 ;室外棉蚜卵的饱满率和饱满卵的孵化率较低。该地区秋冬气候特点可能是石河子地区棉蚜卵低温条件下安全越冬的重要因素     

贡嘎蝠蛾卵的扫描电镜和生物学观察

贡嘎蝠蛾卵呈椭圆形,在扫描电镜下卵壳表面分为一般卵壳区和受精孔区：一般卵壳区密布颗粒状突起;受精孔区位于卵端部,呈不规则梨形垫状,精孔开口于突起内侧凹陷上部。贡嘎蝠蛾在6月下旬—7月产卵,散产。在平均温度8－10℃、相对湿度80％－90％,卵的发育历期为50天左右,孵化率75％以上。卵常遭受霉菌和寄生蜂天敌危害。     

鸟类卵色的进化

鸟类学家提出了多种假说用于解释鸟类卵色的多态性,然而,不同学者的观点和研究结果不尽相同。本文从捕食者、警戒色、太阳辐射和巢寄生角度综述了各种假说和研究,探讨鸟类卵色的进化。     

以鸟类视觉模型揭示中杜鹃对冠纹柳莺的卵色模拟(英文)

于2009年4—7月,采用光谱仪量化卵色和建立鸟类视觉模型的方法,在贵州宽阔水自然保护区对中杜鹃(Cuculus saturatus)寄生冠纹柳莺(Phylloscopus reguloides)的卵色模拟进行了研究。中杜鹃产白色卵带极少数而微小的棕色斑,明显大于宿主卵,重2.06g,体积1.91cm3。从人眼看,中杜鹃卵对宿主卵在很大程度上是模拟的,但视觉模型表明,两者的卵色在色调和色度上都完全分离,揭示了人眼探测不到的卵色模拟情况。该文首次对中杜鹃的雏鸟特征进行描述,在4日龄以后雏鸟嘴裂中出现三角形黑斑,并随着日龄的增长而更加明显,这种特征在霍氏中杜鹃(C.optatus)的雏鸟中也存在,但未见于其他种类的杜鹃雏鸟。     

小杜鹃对强脚树莺的巢寄生及其卵色模拟

于1999-2009年的鸟类繁殖季(4-8月)对贵州宽阔水自然保护区内的强脚树莺(Cettia fortipes)的繁殖进行监测,并采用光纤光谱仪,通过主成分分析、反射光谱、罗宾逊投射等方法对强脚树莺的卵色与小杜鹃(Cuculus poliocephalus)对其寄生的卵色模拟程度进行分析。研究结果表明,强脚树莺的繁殖成效在不同年份间均无显著差异,但其巢被捕食率和巢被寄生率都较高,分别为49.26%和9.18%。通过反射光谱分析,表明小杜鹃卵在色调和色度上高度模拟强脚树莺的卵,但其亮度高于宿主卵,而且在人眼无法探测的紫外光部分存在差异。     

利用光纤光谱仪量化和分析鸟类的卵色

在国内首次利用光纤光谱仪对鸟卵的颜色进行量化和分析。通过对灰林鵖（Saxicola ferrea）和矛纹草鹛（Babax lanceolatus）2种鸟的卵色300～700 nm的光谱测量,表明这2种鸟除蓝色色度外,二者卵色在亮度、绿色、黄色以及红色色度上均存在显著差异。灰林鵖和矛纹草鹛卵色的可见光反射光谱反射比值呈现很相似的平行关系,拥有共同的高峰和低峰;而其卵色的紫外光部分呈现从差异大到差异小的变化。用主成分分析光谱的反射和形状,结果对于灰林鵖和矛纹草鹛,前3个主成分分别解释了99.9%和99.8%的光谱变量,其中代表鸟卵亮度的第1主成分分别解释了93.7%和89.3%的变量,代表卵色饱和度的第2主成分分别占总变量的5.5%和9.1%。利用光纤光谱仪对鸟卵的颜色进行定量分析,可为鸟类的区系分类、系统进化和行为生态学等方面的研究提供更客观和科学的数据,同时也拓展了新的研究领域和视角。     

Egg color as an adaptation for thermoregulation

ABSTRACT.   Avian embryos are incubated at temperatures only 2–6 °C below that at which hyperthermia begins to influence survival. In habitats where sunlight directly strikes the eggs, even for short periods, heat gain may be a substantial threat to survival, and reflective pigmentation may reduce the rate of heat gain. The results of previous studies suggest that light-colored eggs acquire heat slower than dark eggs, but artificial pigments were used to create differences in egg coloration. This approach is problematic because natural eggshell pigments have low absorbance in the near-infrared waveband that encompasses about half of incident solar radiation. We used naturally-pigmented eggs to measure the influence of egg coloration on heat gain. Triads ( N = 18) of eggs from Brewer's ( Euphagous cyanocephalus ), Red-winged ( Agelaius phoeniceus ), and Yellow-headed ( Xanthocephalus xanthocephalus ) blackbirds were crossed with six nests of each species and either exposed to full sunlight or placed under a diffusing umbrella. Thermisters recorded internal egg temperature every minute until an asymptotic temperature was reached. Eggs in full sunlight acquired heat more rapidly than eggs in the shaded environment, but heat gain did not vary with egg color in either environment. Eggs placed in Yellow-headed Blackbird nests took longer to reach asymptotic temperature, but there was no significant egg-by-nest interaction. Thus, it appears that differences in reflectivity of eggshell pigments in the visible range (400–700 nm) do not result in different rates of heat acquisition. The thermoregulation hypothesis was not supported.     

Within clutch co-variation of egg mass and sex in the black-headed gull

Female birds of several species have control over the production of daughters and sons. However, most studies failed to find a relationship between egg size and sex. This is intriguing as adjustment of egg size would constitute a powerful tool for the female to meet different resource demands of the sexes, particularly in size dimorphic species. Our results show that, within clutches of black-headed gulls (Larus ridibundus) the proportion of males was positively associated with egg mass. This applied for all three laying positions, independently of the absolute egg mass. There was a significant relationship between the distribution of the sexes over the laying sequence and the egg mass change. When egg mass decreased over the sequence, first-laid eggs were male biased and last-laid eggs female biased, and vice versa. The potential adaptive value of this allocation strategy is evaluated with regard to male sensitivity to egg quality and competitive differences between the sexes.     

Experimental evidence that egg color indicates female condition at laying in a songbird

The signaling hypothesis of eggshell coloration in birds isbased on the assumption that females of species with blue-greeneggs signal their phenotypic quality to their mates throughdeposition of the antioxidant biliverdin as pigment. Egg pigmentationmay be an expression of the condition of females at laying orof genetic linkages between egg color and female performancevariables. We have supplemented 16 pied flycatcher, Ficedulahypoleuca, females with mealworms before and during laying andcompared the mass and color of their eggs as measured on theday of laying to those of 16 control females with the same nestconstruction and laying dates and clutch sizes. Supplementedfemales laid significantly heavier and more intensely blue-greeneggs than control females. Egg blue-green chroma was significantlyassociated with the amount of biliverdin in eggshells. Egg color,and thus biliverdin content, is an expression of female conditionat laying.     

Egg yolk antioxidant deposition as a function of parental ornamentation,age, and environment in great tits Parus major

Females can modify phenotype of their offspring through the deposition of biologically active compounds into eggs, including carotenoids, vitamins and other antioxidants. Understanding patterns of deposition is critical for better insight into the significance of maternal effects. Here we investigated how egg yolk antioxidants (lutein, zeaxanthin, β‐carotene, vitamin A and E) related to environmental conditions and parental characteristics in great tits Parus major using data from three breeding seasons. Male and female traits included condition, age and multiple feather ornaments, both carotenoid‐ and melanin‐based (carotenoid and UV chroma of yellow breast feathers, area of black breast band, white cheek immaculateness). Yolk mass increased with ambient temperature during laying, laying date, and the area of male black breast band. Lutein, zeaxanthin, and vitamin E increased with laying date. Total antioxidants increased with female age, immaculateness of female white cheek patch, and UV chroma of carotenoid‐based yellow breast feathers of the social mate. These patterns were thus consistent with 1) environmental effects on yolk mass and composition, 2) higher quality females depositing more antioxidants, and 3) differential allocation of resources in females in relation to male ornamentation. Overall, environmental factors, female traits, and male traits all had an influence on egg yolk characteristics in this socially monogamous songbird.     

Egg laying rather than host quality or host feeding experience drives habitat estimation in the parasitic wasp Nasonia vitripennis

In variable environments, sampling information on habitat quality is essential for making adaptive foraging decisions. In insect parasitoids, females foraging for hosts have repeatedly been shown to employ behavioral strategies that are in line with predictions from optimal foraging models. Yet, which cues exactly are employed to sample information on habitat quality has rarely been investigated. Using the gregarious parasitoid Nasonia vitripennis (Walker; Hymenoptera: Pteromalidae), we provided females with different cues about hosts to elucidate, which of them would change a wasp's posterior behavior suggesting a change in information status. We employed posterior clutch size decisions on a host as proxy for a female's estimation of habitat quality. Taking into account changes in physiological state of the foraging parasitoid, we tested whether different host qualities encountered previously change the subsequent clutch size decision in females. Additionally, we investigated whether other kinds of positive experiences—such as ample time to investigate hosts, host feeding, or egg laying—would increase a wasp's estimated value of habitat quality. Contrary to our expectations, quality differences in previously encountered hosts did not affect clutch size decisions. However, we found that prior egg laying experience changes posterior egg allocation to a host, indicating a change in female information status. Host feeding and the time available for host inspection, though correlated with egg laying experience, did not seem to contribute to this change in information status.     

Egg size, offspring sex and hatching asynchrony in zebra finches Taeniopygia guttata

Experimental synchronization of onset of incubation was employed in laboratory held zebra finches Taeniopygia guttata to study whether differential resource allocation and possible bias of offspring sex in subsequent eggs in the laying order could mitigate the effects of hatching asynchrony. We found that egg mass increased with laying order, but offspring sex was not related to laying order. Among synchronized clutches, eggs hatched more synchronously than eggs from control nests. Survival probability was related to egg mass, and as expected, this effect differed between experimental groups: it was positive among synchronized broods and not significantly related among asynchronous broods. This suggests that increase in egg mass with the laying order might reduce disparities between early and late hatching chicks. Female nestlings survived better than male nestlings. However their growth was impaired in synchronized broods, whilst growth of males was not affected by hatching synchronization.     

Differential effects of egg albumen content on barn swallow nestlings in relation to hatch order

In diverse animal taxa, egg mass variation mediates maternal effects with long-term consequences for offspring ontogeny and fitness. Patterns of egg mass variation with laying order differ considerably among birds, but no study has experimentally investigated the function of variation in albumen or yolk egg content in the wild. In barn swallows (Hirundo rustica), absolute and relative albumen mass increased with egg laying order. Experimental albumen removal delayed hatching, had larger negative effects on growth of late-hatched nestlings, and reduced nestling survival. Laying order positively predicted hatch order. Because nestling competitive ability depends on size, and albumen egg content influences hatchling size, present results suggest that by increasing albumen content of late eggs mothers reduce hatching asynchrony and enhance growth particularly of late-hatched nestlings. Thus, variation in albumen mass with laying order may function to mitigate the negative phenotypic consequences of hatching late in species that adopt a 'brood-survival' strategy.     

Egg quality and parental ornamentation in the blue tit Parus caeruleus

Components of avian egg quality often show remarkable variation between females and yet the causes of variation in this fitness-related trait remain poorly understood. We investigated the egg size and yolk carotenoid investment of blue tit Parus caeruleus females in relation to multiple parental traits. We show that females produce eggs with more colourful yolks when mated to ultraviolet (UV) attractive males. Since yolk carotenoids may enhance offspring fitness, but may be available to females in limiting amounts, the correlation we found suggests adaptive egg quality adjustment in response to mate attractiveness, but an experimental approach is required to rule out alternative explanations. Yolk colour was also correlated with laying date and yolk mass. Though the effect of laying date could not be explained by ambient temperature during egg formation, it suggests a proximate constraint of general carotenoid availability on yolk composition. Egg size was not affected by male attractiveness; however, females with a brighter crown produced larger eggs, suggesting that crown coloration might indicate individual quality in females too.     

Egg composition and reproductive investment in aphidophagous ladybird beetles (Coccinellidae: Coccinellini): egg development and interspecific variation

Abstract Most studies of insect reproductive allocation concentrate on propagule size and number and very few consider egg composition, which is likely to be equally important. In the present study, data are provided on changes in egg lipid, glycogen, free carbohydrate and protein during embryonic development of the aphidophagous ladybird Adalia bipunctata (L.) and the compositions of A. bipunctata, Adalia decempunctata and Anisosticta novemdecimpunctata eggs are compared. In A. bipunctata, egg mass, lipid and glycogen decline strongly during development and egg protein declines more weakly. Free carbohydrate declines early in egg development and increases at egg hatching. Lipid is energetically the most important developmental fuel, although approximately half of the initial egg lipid remains in the neonate larva. Across the three species, energy per unit egg mass is lowest in the least specialized species, A. bipunctata, which also has the largest eggs, and is highest in the most specialized, An. novemdecimpunctata, which has the smallest eggs. Two possible explanations for the observed pattern are discussed: (i) species laying smaller eggs may incur higher developmental costs per unit mass than species laying larger eggs and (ii) more specialized species, which reproduce at lower aphid densities, may provision neonate larvae better to facilitate location and capture of aphids.     

鸿雁卵、家鹅卵主要物理性状的比较研究

通过对鸿雁卵和家鹅卵的主要物理性状指标的测定、计算,获得它们的蛋型指数,蛋壳厚度,蛋白、蛋黄和蛋壳在总重量中各自所占比例等实际指标,经统计分析分别得出了蛋重和蛋黄重,蛋重与壳比例,蛋壳厚度与壳的比例等几对性状之间的相对系数。结果表明：家鹅卵重量大于鸿雁卵,鸿雁卵蛋壳厚度大于家鹅卵,而两者的其他物理性状的变化规律基本一致。