Sex-dependent effects of nutrition on telomere dynamics in zebra finches (Taeniopygia guttata)

At a cellular level, oxidative stress is known to increase telomere attrition, and hence cellular senescence and risk of disease. It has been proposed that dietary micronutrients play an important role in telomere protection due to their antioxidant properties. We experimentally manipulated dietary micronutrients during early life in zebra finches (Taeniopygia guttata). We found no effects of micronutrient intake on telomere loss during chick growth. However, females given a diet high in micronutrients during sexual maturation showed reduced telomere loss; there was no such effect in males. These results suggest that micronutrients may influence rates of cellular senescence, but differences in micronutrient requirement and allocation strategies, probably linked to the development of sexual coloration, may underlie sex differences in response.     

Neural correlates of singing behavior in male zebra finches (Taeniopygia guttata)

This study examined the relationship between the volumes of four song control nuclei: the high vocal center (HVC), the lateral part of the magnocellular nucleus of the anterior neostriatum (lMAN), Area X, and the robust nucleus of the archistriatum (RA), as well as syrinx mass, with several measures of song output and song complexity in male zebra finches (Taeniopygia guttata). Male zebra finches' songs were recorded in standardized recording sessions. The syrinx and brain were subsequently collected from each bird. Volumes of the song control nuclei were reconstructed by measuring the cross-sectional area of serial sections. Syrinx mass was positively correlated with RA volume. The volume of lMAN was negatively related to element repertoire size and the number of elements per phrase. We found no other correlations between brain and behavioral measures. This study, combined with others, indicates that the evidence for a general relationship among songbirds between HVC volume and song complexity is equivocal. There are clear species differences in this brain-behavior correlation. © 1998 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. J Neurobiol 36: 421–430, 1998     

Brood size and immunity costs in zebra finches Taeniopygia guttata

Birds rearing experimentally enlarged broods have lower antibody responses to a novel antigen, and we tested three hypotheses that could explain this result. We used zebra finches Taeniopygia guttata inoculated with sheep red blood cells (SRBC) as a study system, for which this trade-off was previously demonstrated. 1. Compensatory cellular immunity: The humoral immune response is slow, and removal of SRBC through up-regulated cellular immunity could pre-empt an antibody response. However, cellular immune response to PHA decreased with increasing brood size, allowing rejection of this hypothesis. 2. Costs of antibody-production: Chicks in large broods grow less well, and birds with large broods may allocate resources to chicks instead of antibodies when these are costly. Compared to saline controls, SRBC suppressed metabolic rate in the hours following immunisation, but there was no effect in the following night, or at any time 4 and 8 days later. Fitness costs were measured by repeatedly immunising parents with SRBC while rearing young. Chick growth, parental condition, and subsequent reproduction of the parents were not affected by SRBC. We conclude that the costs of antibody formation cannot explain the trade-off between brood size and antibody responsiveness. 3. Costs of immune system maintenance: Maintaining a system enabling antibody-formation may be very costly, and birds rearing large broods may have down-regulated this system. Based on this hypothesis we predicted that antibody formation would still be reduced in parents rearing large broods when immunised after rearing the chicks. Our results confirmed this prediction, and we suggest that birds rearing large broods have lower antibody responses because they economised on the maintenance costs of the immune system.     

Genetic variation and differentiation in captive and wild zebra finches (Taeniopygia guttata)

The zebra finch (Taeniopygia guttata) is a small Australian grassland songbird that has been domesticated over the past two centuries. Because it is easy to breed in captivity, it has become a widely used study organism, especially in behavioural research. Most work has been conducted on domesticated populations maintained at numerous laboratories in Europe and North America. However, little is known about the extent to which, during the process of domestication, captive populations have gone through bottlenecks in population size, leading to inbred and potentially genetically differentiated study populations. This is an important issue, because (i) behavioural studies on captive populations might suffer from artefacts arising from high levels of inbreeding or lack of genetic variation in such populations, and (ii) it may hamper the comparability of research findings. To address this issue, we genotyped 1000 zebra finches from 18 captive and two wild populations at 10 highly variable microsatellite loci. We found that all captive populations have lost some of the genetic variability present in the wild, but there is no evidence that they have gone through a severe bottleneck, as the average captive population still showed a mean of 11.7 alleles per locus, compared to a mean of 19.3 alleles/locus for wild zebra finches. We found significant differentiation between the captive populations (F(ST) = 0.062). Patterns of genetic similarity closely match geographical relationships, so the most pronounced differences occur between the three continents: Australia, North America, and Europe. By providing a tree of the genetic similarity of the different captive populations, we hope to contribute to a better understanding of variation in research findings obtained by different laboratories.     

Experimental (tamoxifen-induced) manipulation of female reproduction in zebra finches (Taeniopygia guttata)

Experimental manipulation of reproductive phenotype is a potentially powerful approach for understanding the fitness relationships of traits such as egg size, egg composition, and egg number. In this study, I investigated the effect of the antiestrogen tamoxifen on multiple, estrogen-dependent reproductive traits in female zebra finches (Taeniopygia guttata). Short-term tamoxifen treatment of egg-laying females (two daily injections before laying) had no effect on the timing or the pattern of egg laying compared to sham controls. However, tamoxifen treatment caused (1) a marked, but transient, decrease in egg size; (2) increased within-clutch egg-size variation; (3) a reduction in plasma vitellogenin (VTG) levels; and (4) lower dry yolk and yolk protein content of tamoxifen-treated females. Plasma levels of the second yolk precursor, very low density lipoprotein (VLDL), were not affected by tamoxifen, and tamoxifen appeared to have no effect on oviduct function in egg-laying females. These results are consistent with tamoxifen blocking estrogen receptors in the liver, suppressing VTG production, and decreasing the plasma pool of yolk precursors below a level required to maintain yolk formation at the normal rate. Tamoxifen treatment can therefore be used successfully to manipulate several components of the female reproductive phenotype (egg composition, intraclutch egg-size variation) to further explore the fitness consequences of these traits.     

Foraging zebra finches (Taeniopygia guttata) are public information users rather than conformists

Social learning enables adaptive information acquisition provided that it is not random but selective. To understand species typical decision-making and to trace the evolutionary origins of social learning, the heuristics social learners use need to be identified. Here, we experimentally tested the nature of majority influence in the zebra finch. Subjects simultaneously observed two demonstrator groups differing in relative and absolute numbers (ratios 1 : 2/2 : 4/3 : 3/1 : 5) foraging from two novel food sources (black and white feeders). We find that demonstrator groups influenced observers'' feeder choices (social learning), but that zebra finches did not copy the majority of individuals. Instead, observers were influenced by the foraging activity (pecks) of the demonstrators and in an anti-conformist fashion. These results indicate that zebra finches are not conformist, but are public information users.     

Pre-breeding diet affects the allocation of yolk hormones in zebra finches Taeniopygia guttata

The ability of mothers to modify offspring phenotype to match prevailing environmental conditions is an important component of reproductive success, especially in variable environments. Pre-breeding conditions, such as food abundance, may have significant consequences for both the number and quality of offspring a female produces as well as her ability to rear the offspring. In an experiment where pre-breeding diet was manipulated, we investigated if allocation of yolk androgens (testosterone and 5α-dihydrotestosterone) was related to the quality of diet experienced prior to breeding. Female zebra finches Taeniopygia guttata produced larger clutches on high quality diet than on low quality diet but with no differences in egg mass. Yolk androgen levels were repeatable within subsequent clutches of the same female and females did not change mean androgen content in eggs in relation to diet quality. However, within-in clutch pattern of yolk testosterone and DHT changed with diet treatment. Testosterone and DHT decreased with laying order on the low quality diet but remained constant on the high quality diet. Differential yolk androgen allocation within the clutch may alter the competitive differences between chicks and provide females the possibility to adjust reproductive investment and offspring phenotype already at the egg stage.     

Incubation effort in relation to male attractiveness in zebra finches Taeniopygia guttata

The division of labour in parental care between the two sexes varies between and within species. In birds, parents have been shown to invest more into egg production and nestling care when paired with an attractive rather than an unattractive mate, as predicted by the differential allocation hypothesis. Here we investigate variation in the female's and male's share of incubation behaviour, a vital, and costly, period of parental care during which the embryo is vulnerable to perturbations in developmental conditions. We manipulated the attractiveness of male zebra finches Taeniopygia guttata , using red or green leg-rings. To simulate their natural social environment we allowed them to breed in outdoor aviaries. All males within an aviary were given the same coloured ring to avoid ring-colour related assortative mating. Males within a colony, however, were still expected to show some variation in attractiveness with the earliest laying females possibly pairing with the most attractive males. Indeed we found that both factors played a role in explaining female incubation effort. Among females mated to red ringed males, earlier laying females contributed significantly more to incubation than late laying females, but no such pattern was found in females mated to green ringed males. Overall, there were no differences in the level of incubation provided by both parents between treatment groups, suggesting some compensation within the pair. Hatching success was correlated with a pair's total incubation effort. These results suggest that variation in the division of parental care between the sexes is in agreement with both increased effort of females mated with attractive males, and females compensating for the reduced effort of attractive males seeking further mating opportunities. These two factors can act at the same time in natural populations and both should be considered when explaining variation in division of labour between the sexes.     

Colour bands,dominance, and body mass regulation in male zebra finches (Taeniopygia guttata)

The arbitrary assignment of different coloured leg bands to zebra finches (Taeniopygia guttata) has profound effects on mate preference, reproductive success, mortality rates, parental investment and sex ratio. Choice chamber experiments indicate that the effect is mediated by altered attractiveness to members of the opposite sex. Effects on intrasexual dominance are more equivocal. We present two experiments which demonstrate significant effects of band colour on behavioural dominance (red bands are more dominant than light green bands) and the resulting diurnal pattern of gain in mass, fat, and seeds stored in the crop. Consistent with the literature on dominance and strategic regulation of body mass in other species, subordinate (green-banded) birds maintain higher fat reserves at dawn, but dominant (red-banded) birds show the highest overall daily mass gains. The lack of obvious effects of band colour on dominance in previous studies may lie in the degree to which food can be monopolized by particular individuals.     

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.     

The interplay of within-species perceptual predispositions and experience during song ontogeny in zebra finches (Taeniopygia guttata)

Vocal acquisition in songbirds and humans shows many similarities, one of which is that both involve a combination of experience and perceptual predispositions. Among languages some speech sounds are shared, while others are not. This could reflect a predisposition in young infants for learning some speech sounds over others, which combines with exposure-based learning. Similarly, in songbirds, some sounds are common across populations, while others are more specific to populations or individuals. We examine whether this is also due to perceptual preferences for certain within-species element types in naive juvenile male birds, and how such preferences interact with exposure to guide subsequent song learning. We show that young zebra finches lacking previous song exposure perceptually prefer songs with more common zebra finch song element types over songs with less common elements. Next, we demonstrate that after subsequent tutoring, birds prefer tutor songs regardless of whether these contain more common or less common elements. In adulthood, birds tutored with more common elements showed a higher song similarity to their tutor song, indicating that the early bias influenced song learning. Our findings help to understand the maintenance of similarities and the presence of differences among birds'' songs, their dialects and human languages.     

A prezygotic transmission distorter acting equally in female and male zebra finches Taeniopygia guttata

The two parental alleles at a specific locus are usually inherited with equal probability to the offspring. However, at least three processes can lead to an apparent departure from fair segregation: early viability selection, biased gene conversion and various kinds of segregation distortion. Here, we conduct a genome‐wide scan for transmission distortion in a captive population of zebra finches (Taeniopygia guttata) using 1302 single‐nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) followed by confirmatory analyses on independent samples from the same population. In the initial genome‐wide scan, we found significant distortion at three linked loci on chromosome Tgu2 and we were able to replicate this finding in each of two follow‐up data sets [overall transmission ratio = 0.567 (95% CI = 0.536–0.600), based on 1101 informative meioses]. Although the driving allele was preferentially transmitted by both heterozygous females [ratio = 0.560 (95% CI = 0.519–0.603)] and heterozygous males [ratio = 0.575 (95% CI = 0.531–0.623)], we could rule out postzygotic viability selection and biased gene conversion as possible mechanisms. Early postzygotic viability selection is unlikely, because it would result in eggs with no visible embryo and hence no opportunity for genotyping, and we confirmed that both females and males heterozygous for the driving allele did not produce a larger proportion of such eggs than homozygous birds. Biased gene conversion is expected to be rather localized, while we could trace transmission distortion in haplotypes of several megabases in a recombination desert. Thus, we here report the rare case of a prezygotically active transmission distorter operating equally effectively in female and male meioses.     

Song as an honest signal of developmental stress in the zebra finch (Taeniopygia guttata)

In a wide range of bird species, females have been shown to express active preferences for males that sing more complex songs. Current sexual selection theory predicts that for this signal to remain an honest indicator of male quality, it must be associated with an underlying cost of development or maintenance. There has been considerable debate questioning the costs associated with song production and learning. Recently, the nutritional stress hypothesis proposed that song complexity could act as an indicator of early developmental history, since the song control nuclei in the brain are laid down early in life. Here we test the nutritional stress hypothesis, by investigating the effects of dietary stress on the quality of adult song produced. In addition, we tested the effects of elevated corticosterone during development on song production to test its possible involvement in mediating the effects of developmental stress. The results demonstrate that both dietary restriction and elevated corticosterone levels significantly reduced nestling growth rates. In addition, we found that experimentally stressed birds developed songs with significantly shorter song motif duration and reduced complexity. These results provide novel experimental evidence that complex song repertoires may have evolved as honest signals of male quality, by indicating early developmental rearing conditions.     

Acoustical variations in sexually dimorphic features of distance calls in domesticated zebra finches (Taeniopygia guttata castanotis)

Species-specific distance calls (DCs) were recorded from Zebra finches (Taeniopygia guttata castanotis) obtained from three different breeding stocks: Japanese breeders that use Bengalese finches as fostering parents, and Japanese and American breeders that let natural parents rear Zebra finches. These calls were analyzed for five acoustic parameters that were shown to be sexually dimorphic in wild Zebra finches. Male Zebra finches had DCs that were variable among breeding stocks and among individuals. Female DCs recorded from Bengalese-fostered birds were generally longer in duration and higher in pitch than those recorded from Zebra-finch-reared birds, males and females in each breeding stock differed in at least one acoustic parameter, but that parameter was unique in each of the breeding stocks. These results suggest that although sexual dimorphism in Zebra finch DCs has gradually disappeared during the process of domestication, at least one acoustic attribute which allows discrimination between the calls of the sexes has been preserved.     

New findings in body mass regulation in zebra finches (Taeniopygia guttata) in response to photoperiod and temperature

Small birds in temperate zones increase body mass in winter (Lehikoinen, 1987). We investigated daily and annual variation of body mass and fat reserves of locally-reared Australian zebra finches Taeniopygia guttata , by exposing them to different photoperiods, feeding periods, and temperatures.
Experiments with long and short photoperiods and long and short feeding periods, showed that long photoperiods increased body mass and fat reserves of the zebra finches, and readiness to breed, independently of the actual feeding period.
Furthermore, the zebra finches in indoor aviaries with constant temperature (22-24°C) and in outdoor aviaries with ambient temperature, both exposed to the natural daylength changes of Bielefeld, Germany (52 °N), had high dawn body mass in summer (12.9 and 12.0-12.4g, respectively) and low in winter (10.7 and 11.1 g, respectively). Thirty to sixty percent of these mass changes were related to changes in fat reserves, so that the finches had only 0.1-0.2g of metabolizable fat reserves in short photoperiods (or in winter), which increased up to 1.5g in long photoperiods (or in summer).
Indoor finches consumed more seeds in summer than in winter (3.3 vs. 2.7g/day), while outdoor finches consumed 4-5g of seeds per day throughout the year, which probably represented the limit of energy intake for a 11-13g bird (Kirkwood, 1983). Nightly mass loss, increasing from 0.7g in summer up to 2.0g in winter, was highly positively correlated with night length, not influenced by ambient temperature. Foraging before dawn and after dusk, roosting with well-filled crops, and decreasing body mass and fat reserves, seem to be adaptations of zebra finches for survival in winter. The summer fattening probably accelerates reproduction in this opportunistic breeder, by allocating more time to reproductive behaviour and more endogenous nutrients to egg-formation.     

Yolk testosterone modulates persistence of neophobic responses in adult zebra finches, Taeniopygia guttata

Individual differences in animal behavior can be attributed to genetic as well as non-genetic influences. One mechanism by which the behavioral phenotype of an individual can be shaped is via transmission of maternal sex steroids. In this study, we examined the role of yolk testosterone (T) in controlling neophobia in 9-month-old, sexually mature zebra finches (Taeniopygia guttata). Offspring hatched from either T-treated or control eggs were subjected to a sequential series of behavioral tests in which we measured the neophobic response and its persistence towards two unfamiliar stimuli. Birds from T-treated and control eggs did not differ in their latencies to approach and eat a novel food source during their first encounter. However, egg treatment affected subsequent habituation. Latencies decreased in both groups over a habituation period of 5 days, but considerably more so in T-offspring. Although males appeared to approach novel food faster than females, there was no overall sex effect during the habituation period. When a novel object was added in combination with the previously learned food stimulus, this caused an behavioral shift in approach latencies. In males, control offspring had significantly shorter latencies than T-offspring, whereas there was no difference among females. The latency to eat in the same test was not significantly affected by sex or egg treatment. Our results demonstrate long-term effects of prenatal T on neophobic responses in adult zebra finches. We hypothesize that prenatal T may be one underlying mechanism for individual differences routine formation.     

Parental and first generation effects of exogenous 17beta-estradiol on reproductive performance of female zebra finches (Taeniopygia guttata)

Steroids hormones have numerous "activational" effects in adult birds, regulating sexual behavior, and more recently maternal androgens have been shown to have potentially important "organizational" effects in ovo, influencing offspring growth, development, and behavior. In this study I investigated parental and first-generation effects of exogenous estrogens on female reproduction in zebra finches (Taeniopygia guttata). 17beta-Estradiol (E2; 1.2 microg/g, 4 daily injections i.m.) elevated plasma levels of the yolk precursors, vitellogenin (VTG) and very low-density lipoprotein (VLDL), in nonbreeding females to levels similar to those of breeding females. However, E2-treatment of breeding females caused no significant change in plasma VTG or VLDL levels compared to control birds (measured at the 1-egg stage), and there was no difference in reproductive performance between groups (egg size, clutch size, timing of laying). E2-treated females produced significantly more daughters than sons (21F:8M) at fledging, compared to control females (18F:19M). Nestling mortality was significantly higher in broods of E2-treated females, suggesting that the skewed sex ratio may have resulted from differential mortality of male chicks. The pattern of chick mortality in E2-broods was not consistent with this being caused by estrogen-mediated changes in parental behavior (e.g., provisoning). Mean egg mass of daughters of E2-treated females was typical of experienced, adult breeders, and larger than normal, first-time breeders or control offspring (0.947 vs 0.850 g). There was no treatment effect on offspring clutch size or laying interval. These results suggest that early exposure to maternal estrogens in ovo might be involved in establishing intraindividual variation in female-specific phenotypic traits, as has previously been demonstrated for androgens and male behavioral traits (e.g., aggression).     

Laying-sequence-specific variation in yolk oestrogen levels, and relationship to plasma oestrogen in female zebra finches (Taeniopygia guttata)

We investigated the relationship between plasma and yolk oestrogens in laying female zebra finches (Taeniopygia guttata) by manipulating plasma oestradiol (E2) levels, via injection of oestradiol-17beta, in a sequence-specific manner to maintain chronically high plasma levels for later-developing eggs (contrasting with the endogenous pattern of decreasing plasma E2 concentrations during laying). We report systematic variation in yolk oestrogen concentrations, in relation to laying sequence, similar to that widely reported for androgenic steroids. In sham-manipulated females, yolk E2 concentrations decreased with laying sequence. However, in E2-treated females plasma E2 levels were higher during the period of rapid yolk development of later-laid eggs, compared with control females. As a consequence, we reversed the laying-sequence-specific pattern of yolk E2: in E2-treated females, yolk E2 concentrations increased with laying-sequence. In general therefore, yolk E2 levels were a direct reflection of plasma E2 levels. However, in control females there was some inter-individual variability in the endogenous pattern of plasma E2 levels through the laying cycle which could generate variation in sequence-specific patterns of yolk hormone levels even if these primarily reflect circulating steroid levels.     

Distribution of the nuclear receptor for vitamin D in female and male zebra finches,Taeniopygia guttata

In this study, we describe the distribution of high affinity binding sites for 1,25(OH)₂-vitamin D₃ (1,25-D₃) in the zebra finch (Taeniopygia guttata). Four hours following the injection of tritiated 1,25-D₃, binding of the steroid hormone was found primarily in the cell nuclei of a variety of differnt organs. Neurons in numerous discrete regions of the forebrain were labeled. These forebrain regions included the nucleus accumbens, nucleus dorsomedialis posterior thalami, lobus parolfactorius, nucleus septalis lateralis and medialis, nucleus septalis, lamina medullaris dorsalis, nucleus striae terminalis, palaeostriatum augmentatum, and stratum griseum. The choroid plexuses, however, remained clear. Labeled cells were seen in several organs of the alimentary canal, in both the exocrine and the endocrine pancreas, in the proximal tubules of the kidney, in the spleen, in the bursa of Fabricius, and in the heart. The basal cells of the uropygial gland were also labeled. No specific retention was evident in the gonads of either sex. Vitamin D is thus bound by cells in systems with widely different functions. Since several of the labeled tissues are not primarily involved in calcium homeostasis, the data support the concept that vitamin D-soltriol is a steroid hormone that acts as a seasonal neuroendocrine-endocrine regulator and somatotrophic modulator.