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Physiological conditions of parent and offspring Black-browed Albatrosses Thalassarche melanophris |
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| Authors: | Miguel Ferrer Virginia Morandini Lynelle Perry Marc Bechard |
| Affiliation: | 1. Applied Ecology Group, Estación Biológica de Do?ana (CSIC), Seville, Spainmferrer@ebd.csic.es;3. Applied Ecology Group, Estación Biológica de Do?ana (CSIC), Seville, Spain;4. Department of Biological Sciences, Raptor Research Center, Boise State University, Boise, ID, USA |
| Abstract: | Capsule: In Black-browed Albatrosses Thalassarche melanophris nutritional condition is correlated between parents and their offspring. Aims: To test resource allocation hypotheses analysing the relationship between parental and offspring nutritional condition. Methods: We measured blood chemistry parameters related with nutritional condition in 24 parents and their nestlings in a colony of Black-browed Albatrosses. Results: There were no significant differences in blood parameters between sexes or location of the nest within the colony, neither among adults nor among nestlings. We found a significant positive correlation between parents and the nutritional condition of their offspring, measured as urea, uric acid and beta-hydroxybutyrate concentrations in blood. Discussion: These relationships demonstrate that condition of the young seems to be merely a reflection of parental condition. An interesting relationship between alkaline phosphatase concentration in adults and nutritional condition of their nestlings was found, suggesting that age of the parents would be a key factor explaining quality of the nestling. |
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