Traffic noise exposure alters nestling physiology and telomere attrition through direct, but not maternal, effects in a free-living bird
Abstract
Anthropogenic impacts, such as noise pollution from transportation networks, can serve as stressors to some wildlife species. For example, increased exposure to traffic noise has been found to alter baseline and stress-induced corticosterone levels, reduce body condition and reproductive success, and increase telomere attrition in free-living birds. However, it remains unknown if alterations in nestling phenotype are due to direct or indirect effects of noise exposure. For example, indirect (maternal) effects of noise may occur if altered baseline and stress-induced corticosterone in mothers results in differential deposition of yolk steroids or other components in eggs. Noise exposure may also alter nestling corticosterone levels directly, given that nestlings cannot escape the nest during development. Here, we examined maternal versus direct effects of traffic noise exposure on baseline and stress-induced corticosterone levels, and body condition (as measured by size-corrected mass) in nestling tree swallows (Tachycineta bicolor). We used a two-way factorial design and partially cross-fostered eggs between nests exposed to differing levels (i.e. amplitudes) of traffic noise. For nestlings that were not cross-fostered, we also...Continue Reading
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References
Effects of developmental conditions on growth, stress and telomeres in black-legged kittiwake chicks
Timing matters: traffic noise accelerates telomere loss rate differently across developmental stages
Citations
Telomere dynamics in the first year of life, but not later in life, predict lifespan in a wild bird.
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