A5012763497- Animal Behavior and Reproduction
- Avian ecology and behavior
- Plant and animal studies
- Animal Vocal Communication and Behavior
- Physiological and biochemical adaptations
- Bird parasitology and diseases
- Insect and Pesticide Research
- Wildlife Ecology and Conservation
- Animal Behavior and Welfare Studies
- Birth, Development, and Health
- Telomeres, Telomerase, and Senescence
- Thyroid Disorders and Treatments
- Neurobiology and Insect Physiology Research
- Animal Ecology and Behavior Studies
- Adipose Tissue and Metabolism
- Genetics, Aging, and Longevity in Model Organisms
- Spaceflight effects on biology
- Amphibian and Reptile Biology
- Mitochondrial Function and Pathology
- Genetic and phenotypic traits in livestock
- Circadian rhythm and melatonin
- Fish Ecology and Management Studies
- Antioxidant Activity and Oxidative Stress
- Reproductive Physiology in Livestock
- Toxic Organic Pollutants Impact
Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Biology
2023-2025
Max Planck Institute for Biological Intelligence
2023-2025
Max Planck Institute for Ornithology
2016-2024
Max Planck Institute for Intelligent Systems
2023
University of Antwerp
2014-2016
University of Groningen
2006-2012
University of Parma
2002-2012
University of Trieste
1993
Stress exposure can leave long-term footprints within the organism, like in telomeres (TLs), protective chromosome caps that shorten during cell replication and following to stressors. Short TLs are considered indicate lower fitness prospects, but why under stressful conditions is not understood. Glucocorticoid hormones (GCs) increase upon stress thought promote TL shortening by increasing oxidative damage. However, evidence GCs pro-oxidants causally linked attrition mixed . Based on new...
Telomeres are DNA structures that protect chromosome ends. However, telomeres shorten during cell replication and at critically low lengths can reduce replicative potential, induce senescence decrease fitness. Stress exposure, which elevates glucocorticoid hormone concentrations, exacerbate telomere attrition. This phenomenon has been attributed to increased oxidative stress generated by glucocorticoids ('oxidative hypothesis'). We recently suggested could increase attrition stressful...
Rapid reduction of body size in populations responding to global warming suggests the involvement temperature-dependent physiological adjustments during growth, such as mitochondrial alterations, efficiency producing metabolic energy, a process that is poorly explored, especially endotherms. Here, we examined metabolism and proteomic profile red blood cells relation cellular energetics nestling shearwaters (Calonectris diomedea) developing at different natural temperatures. We found...
In this study, we analysed the diet of breeding kestrels (Falco tinnunculus) in a Mediterranean area with aim to evaluate relative importance both hunting and individual feeding behaviour as factors affecting prey selection. Differently from populations middle northern Europe which primarily feed on voles, region showed wider composition. As expected, features influenced composition and, general, were what was locally more abundant. However, detected consistent differences between...
In the context of sexual selection carotenoid based signals are candidates for indicator traits: they have to be taken up in diet by animals, can indicate ability bearer accumulate a limited resource, and help maintaining health status. We investigated yellow‐orange colouration tarsi kestrel Falco tinnunculus relation sex, different aspects male reproductive behaviour. The (estimated as hue) was more intense males than females. Among males, hue associated with intake invertebrates; this true...
Abstract Nighttime light pollution is quickly becoming a pervasive, global concern. Since the invention and proliferation of light‐emitting diodes (LED), it has become common for consumers to select from range color temperatures with varying spectra. Yet, biological impacts these different spectra on organisms remain unclear. We tested if nighttime illumination LEDs, at two commercially available (3000 5000 K) ecologically relevant levels affected body condition, food intake, locomotor...
Metabolic rate is a key ecological variable that quantifies the energy expenditure needed to fuel almost all biological processes in an organism. rates are typically measured at whole-organism level (woMR) with protocols can elicit stress responses due handling and confinement, potentially biasing resulting data. Improved, non-stressful methodology would be especially valuable for measures of field metabolic rate, which free-living individuals. Recently, techniques measure cellular (cMR)...
Abstract Long‐distance migrants are time‐constrained as they need to incorporate many annual cycle stages within a year. Migratory passerines moult in the short interval between breeding and migration. To widen this interval, may start while still breeding, but results flying with moulting wings when food provisioning. We experimentally simulated wing gaps male pied flycatchers by plucking two primary feathers from both wings. quantified nest visitations of parents, proportion high‐quality...
There are serious concerns about the environmental and ecological degradation caused by modern agriculture its impact on animal populations. is therefore a need to assess reproductive performance of free‐living animals in agricultural landscapes. We undertook 4‐year study biology Eurasian Kestrel Falco tinnunculus Parma district Italy. Kestrels breeding areas intensive delayed egg‐laying their offspring were poorer condition compared with those temporary or permanent grasslands. However, egg...
Animals go through different life history stages such as reproduction, moult, or migration, of which some are more energy-demanding than others. Baseline concentrations glucocorticoid hormones increase during moderate, predictable challenges and thus expected to be higher when seasonal energy demands increase, reproduction. By contrast, stress-induced glucocorticoids prioritize a survival mode that includes reproductive inhibition. Thus, many species down-regulate the breeding season....
Glucocorticoids (GCs) are metabolic hormones that promote catabolic processes, which release stored energy and support high demands such as during prolonged flights of migrating birds. Dietary antioxidants (e.g. anthocyanins) metabolism by quenching excess reactive oxygen species produced aerobic also activating specific pathways. For example, similar to GCs' function, anthocyanins the energy, although extent complementarity between GCs dietary is not well known. If complement functions,...
Recent studies have demonstrated that carotenoid-based traits are under the control of testosterone (T) by up-regulation carotenoid carriers (lipoproteins) and/or tissue-specific uptake carotenoids. T can be converted to dihydrotestosterone (DHT) and estradiol (E2), variation in conversion rate may partly explain some contradictory findings literature. Moreover, most on effect sexual signals focused male sex only, while many species females show same signal, albeit a lesser extent. We...
The trade-off between reproductive investment and survival is central to life-history theory, but the relative importance complex interactions among physiological mechanisms mediating it are still debated. Here we experimentally tested whether baseline glucocorticoid hormones, redox system or their interaction mediate investment–survival trade-offs in wild great tits ( Parus major ). We increased workload of parental males by clipping three feathers on each wing, 5 days later determined...
Despite the appealing hypothesis that carotenoid-based colouration signals oxidative status, evidence supporting antioxidant function of these pigments is scarce. Recent studies have shown lutein, most common carotenoid used by birds, can enhance expression non-visual traits, such as birdsong. Nevertheless, underlying physiological mechanisms remain unclear. In this study we hypothesized male European starlings (Sturnus vulgaris) fed extra lutein increase their song rate a consequence an...