Contributions of the kidneys and intestines to water conservation, and plasma levels of antidiuretic hormone, during dehydration in house sparrows (Passer domesticus)

1988 ◽  
Vol 158 (3) ◽  
pp. 353-361 ◽  
Author(s):  
David L. Goldstein ◽  
Eldon J. Braun
Keyword(s):  
Antidiuretic Hormone ◽  
Water Conservation ◽  
Plasma Levels ◽  
Passer Domesticus ◽  
House Sparrows

scholarly journals Non-breeding feather concentrations of testosterone, corticosterone and cortisol are associated with subsequent survival in wild house sparrows

2011 ◽  
Vol 279 (1733) ◽  
pp. 1560-1566 ◽  
Author(s):  
Lee Koren ◽  
Shinichi Nakagawa ◽  
Terry Burke ◽  
Kiran K. Soma ◽  
Katherine E. Wynne-Edwards ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Stress Hormones ◽  
Passer Domesticus ◽  
House Sparrows ◽  
Long Term Study ◽  
Darwinian Fitness ◽  
Liquid Chromatography Tandem Mass ◽  
In The Wild ◽  
The Subject ◽  
As Stress

Potential mechanistic mediators of Darwinian fitness, such as stress hormones or sex hormones, have been the focus of many studies. An inverse relationship between fitness and stress or sex hormone concentrations has been widely assumed, although empirical evidence is scarce. Feathers gradually accumulate hormones during their growth and provide a novel way to measure hormone concentrations integrated over time. Using liquid chromatography–tandem mass spectrometry, we measured testosterone, corticosterone and cortisol in the feathers of house sparrows ( Passer domesticus ) in a wild population which is the subject of a long-term study. Although corticosterone is considered the dominant avian glucocorticoid, we unambiguously identified cortisol in feathers. In addition, we found that feathers grown during the post-nuptial moult in autumn contained testosterone, corticosterone and cortisol levels that were significantly higher in birds that subsequently died over the following winter than in birds that survived. Thus, feather steroids are candidate prospective biomarkers to predict the future survival of individuals in the wild.

Breeding House Sparrows, Passer domesticus in Captivity

1973 ◽  
pp. 39-48 ◽  
Author(s):  
Carl J. Mitchell ◽  
Richard O. Hayes
Keyword(s):  
Passer Domesticus ◽  
House Sparrows ◽  
In Captivity

Age- and sex-related morphological and physiological differences influence escape capacity in House Sparrows (Passer domesticus)

2010 ◽  
Vol 88 (10) ◽  
pp. 1021-1031 ◽  
Author(s):  
L. De Neve ◽  
J. D. Ibañez-Alamo ◽  
M. Soler
Keyword(s):  
Escape Response ◽  
Passer Domesticus ◽  
First Year ◽  
Cell Mediated Immunity ◽  
Animal Performance ◽  
House Sparrows ◽  
Factors Affecting ◽  
Age Related ◽  
Animal Populations ◽  
Age And Sex

Sexual dimorphism and age-related differences are sources that contribute to morphologic and physiologic variation within animal populations. Measurement of animal performance may indicate whether this variation is functionally relevant. Our study aimed to experimentally test this statement in a captive population of House Sparrows ( Passer domesticus (L., 1758)) by examining age- and sex-related differences in escape response and its relationship to several morphological (tarsus, wing, tail lengths, and body mass) and physiological traits (cell-mediated immunity, natural antibodies, complement activity, hematocrit, and stress response). Escape response from a predator is considered a good variable to measure animal performance, because natural selection clearly favours individuals that avoid predators successfully. Our experimental design also aimed to standardize possible confounding factors affecting escape behaviour under natural conditions. We exposed sparrows to short episodes of high predation risk by simulating the attack of a predator and assumed that the capture order of individuals was related to their escape capacity. The optimal strategy was the immediate escape response for all individuals. We found that first-year males were the best escapers. In support of the hypothesis, juvenile males gathered a better optimum of several morphological and physiological characters that related to capture order.

scholarly journals Telomere length in house sparrows increases in early-life and can be paternally inherited

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sophie Bennett ◽  
Antje Girndt ◽  
Alfredo Sánchez-Tójar ◽  
Terry Burke ◽  
Mirre J. P. Simons ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Telomere Length ◽  
Early Life ◽  
Passer Domesticus ◽  
Age Effects ◽  
Parental Age ◽  
House Sparrows ◽  
Older Parents ◽  
Individual Level ◽  
Ageing Rate ◽  
Insight Into

Offspring of older parents in many species display decreased longevity, a faster ageing rate and lower fecundity than offspring born to younger parents. Biomarkers, such as telomeres, that tend to shorten as individual age, may provide insight into the mechanisms of parental age effects. Parental age could determine telomere length either through inheritance of shortened telomeres or through indirect effects, such as variation in parental care with parent ages, which in turn might lead to variation in offspring telomere length. There is no current consensus as to the heritability of telomere length, and the direction and extent of parental age effects however. To address this, here we experimentally investigate how parental age is associated with telomere length at two time points in early life in a captive population of house sparrows (Passer domesticus). We experimentally separated parental age from sex effects by allowing the parent birds to only mate with young, or old partners. We found that telomere length of the offspring increased between the age of 0.5 and 3 months at the group and individual level, which has been reported previously predominantly in non-avian taxa. We further show that older fathers produced daughters with a greater early-life increase in telomere length, supporting sex-specific inheritance, and or sex-specific non-genetic effects. Overall, our results highlight the need for more studies testing early-life telomere dynamics and sex-specific heritability of telomere length.

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