Experimental facilitation of heat loss affects work rate and innate immune function in a breeding passerine bird
(2020) In Journal of Experimental Biology 223(8).- Abstract
- The capacity to get rid of excess heat produced during hard work is a possible constraint on parental effort during reproduction [heat dissipation limit (HDL) theory]. We released hard-working blue tits (Cyanistes caeruleus) from this constraint by experimentally removing ventral plumage. We then assessed whether this changed their reproductive effort (feeding rate and nestling size) and levels of self-maintenance (change in body mass and innate immune function). Feather-clipped females reduced the number of feeding visits and increased levels of constitutive innate immunity compared with unclipped females but did not fledge smaller nestlings. Thus, they increased self-maintenance without compromising current reproductive output. In... (More)
- The capacity to get rid of excess heat produced during hard work is a possible constraint on parental effort during reproduction [heat dissipation limit (HDL) theory]. We released hard-working blue tits (Cyanistes caeruleus) from this constraint by experimentally removing ventral plumage. We then assessed whether this changed their reproductive effort (feeding rate and nestling size) and levels of self-maintenance (change in body mass and innate immune function). Feather-clipped females reduced the number of feeding visits and increased levels of constitutive innate immunity compared with unclipped females but did not fledge smaller nestlings. Thus, they increased self-maintenance without compromising current reproductive output. In contrast, feather clipping did not affect the number of feeding visits or innate immune function in males, despite increased heat loss rate. Our results show that analyses of physiological parameters, such as constitutive innate immune function, can be important when trying to understand sources of variation in investment in self-maintenance versus reproductive effort and that risk of overheating can influence innate immune function during reproduction. (Less)
- Abstract (Swedish)
- The capacity to get rid of excess heat produced during hard work is a possible constraint on parental effort during reproduction [heat dissipation limit (HDL) theory]. We released hard-working blue tits (Cyanistes caeruleus) from this constraint by experimentally removing ventral plumage. We then assessed whether this changed their reproductive effort (feeding rate and nestling size) and levels of self-maintenance (change in body mass and innate immune function). Feather-clipped females reduced the number of feeding visits and increased levels of constitutive innate immunity compared with unclipped females but did not fledge smaller nestlings. Thus, they increased self-maintenance without compromising current reproductive output. In... (More)
- The capacity to get rid of excess heat produced during hard work is a possible constraint on parental effort during reproduction [heat dissipation limit (HDL) theory]. We released hard-working blue tits (Cyanistes caeruleus) from this constraint by experimentally removing ventral plumage. We then assessed whether this changed their reproductive effort (feeding rate and nestling size) and levels of self-maintenance (change in body mass and innate immune function). Feather-clipped females reduced the number of feeding visits and increased levels of constitutive innate immunity compared with unclipped females but did not fledge smaller nestlings. Thus, they increased self-maintenance without compromising current reproductive output. In contrast, feather clipping did not affect the number of feeding visits or innate immune function in males, despite increased heat loss rate. Our results show that analyses of physiological parameters, such as constitutive innate immune function, can be important when trying to understand sources of variation in investment in self-maintenance versus reproductive effort and that risk of overheating can influence innate immune function during reproduction. (Less)
Please use this url to cite or link to this publication:
https://lup.lub.lu.se/record/d9224922-a786-40a6-b1a9-88d08e48f191
- author
- Andreasson, Fredrik LU ; Hegemann, Arne LU ; Nord, Andreas LU and Nilsson, Jan-Åke LU
- organization
- publishing date
- 2020
- type
- Contribution to journal
- publication status
- published
- subject
- keywords
- bird, overheating, thermoregulation, heat dissipation, immune function, disease, bird, immune response, immune defense, overheating§, heat loss, thermoregulation, climate change
- in
- Journal of Experimental Biology
- volume
- 223
- issue
- 8
- article number
- jeb219790
- publisher
- The Company of Biologists Ltd
- external identifiers
-
- pmid:32179546
- scopus:85084761199
- ISSN
- 1477-9145
- DOI
- 10.1242/jeb.219790
- language
- English
- LU publication?
- yes
- id
- d9224922-a786-40a6-b1a9-88d08e48f191
- date added to LUP
- 2020-04-24 16:08:00
- date last changed
- 2024-04-03 05:29:40
@article{d9224922-a786-40a6-b1a9-88d08e48f191,
abstract = {{The capacity to get rid of excess heat produced during hard work is a possible constraint on parental effort during reproduction [heat dissipation limit (HDL) theory]. We released hard-working blue tits (Cyanistes caeruleus) from this constraint by experimentally removing ventral plumage. We then assessed whether this changed their reproductive effort (feeding rate and nestling size) and levels of self-maintenance (change in body mass and innate immune function). Feather-clipped females reduced the number of feeding visits and increased levels of constitutive innate immunity compared with unclipped females but did not fledge smaller nestlings. Thus, they increased self-maintenance without compromising current reproductive output. In contrast, feather clipping did not affect the number of feeding visits or innate immune function in males, despite increased heat loss rate. Our results show that analyses of physiological parameters, such as constitutive innate immune function, can be important when trying to understand sources of variation in investment in self-maintenance versus reproductive effort and that risk of overheating can influence innate immune function during reproduction.}},
author = {{Andreasson, Fredrik and Hegemann, Arne and Nord, Andreas and Nilsson, Jan-Åke}},
issn = {{1477-9145}},
keywords = {{bird; overheating; thermoregulation; heat dissipation; immune function; disease; bird; immune response; immune defense; overheating§; heat loss; thermoregulation; climate change}},
language = {{eng}},
number = {{8}},
publisher = {{The Company of Biologists Ltd}},
series = {{Journal of Experimental Biology}},
title = {{Experimental facilitation of heat loss affects work rate and innate immune function in a breeding passerine bird}},
url = {{https://lup.lub.lu.se/search/files/78826854/Andreassson_et_al._JEB_2020.pdf}},
doi = {{10.1242/jeb.219790}},
volume = {{223}},
year = {{2020}},
}