Does extra corticosterone elicit increased begging and submissiveness in subordinate booby (Sula nebouxii) chicks?

General and Comparative Endocrinology
A VallarinoH Drummond

Abstract

We tested whether in two-chick broods of the blue-footed booby (Sula nebouxii) elevated circulating corticosterone in the socially subordinate broodmate facilitates submissive behavior and/or enhances food solicitation. Implanting corticosterone in 17 subordinate chicks (experimental broods) produced changes in the behavior of chicks and parents over the first two days, relative to 17 matched families (control broods) where subordinate chicks were implanted with empty capsules. Experimental broods showed increased activity/wakefulness of the dominant broodmate and, consequently, increased simultaneous activity of both broodmates, but there was scant evidence that subordinates submitted more readily when attacked. Implanted subordinates increased their rate of spontaneous submission over the total observation time, but this increase was mostly explained by the additional time when both broodmates were simultaneously active. There was little sign that extra corticosterone induced more begging, except possibly by eliciting increased activity. Experimental broods increased their rate of feeding, and most if not all of the increase was due to the increased activity and increased feeding rate of dominant broodmates. On the third and ...Continue Reading

References

Jan 1, 1991·Journal of Comparative Physiology. B, Biochemical, Systemic, and Environmental Physiology·W A ButtemerJ C Wingfield
Dec 16, 1998·Animal Behaviour·H Drummond, C Canales
Jul 27, 2001·Hormones and Behavior·E M TarlowD J Anderson
Apr 11, 2006·The Quarterly Review of Biology·Hugh Drummond
Jul 1, 2002·Integrative and Comparative Biology·John C Wingfield, Alexander S Kitaysky

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Citations

Feb 8, 2011·General and Comparative Endocrinology·J D Ibáñez-ÁlamoM Soler
Feb 2, 2010·General and Comparative Endocrinology·Amnon KatzBarney A Schlinger
Nov 3, 2009·Hormones and Behavior·Michelle A RenselStephan J Schoech
Aug 25, 2009·General and Comparative Endocrinology·John H BrewerC Loren Buck
Jul 15, 2009·General and Comparative Endocrinology·Michelle A RenselStephan J Schoech
Dec 9, 2017·General and Comparative Endocrinology·Emily K ElderbrockStephan J Schoech

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