Corticosterone exposure during development improves performance on a novel foraging task in zebra finches

Developmental stress: evidence for positive phenotypic and fitness effects in birds

“…Although studies testing the developmental stress hypothesis provide compelling support that developmental stress has negative consequences on adult phenotype, recent studies examining the effects of developmental stress on non-song learning have revealed positive effects. For example, Crino et al (2014b) found that adult zebra finches fed CORT as nestlings learned a novel foraging task faster compared to siblings exposed to a control treatment (Fig. 2a).…”

“…Indeed, it is difficult to see how these effects are anything but negative. However, in recent years, studies have gone beyond examining the discrete phenotypic responses to developmental stress, to investigate how perturbations during development affect animals across life-history stages and in an ecological and evolutionary context (e.g., Crino et al 2014b;Williams 2008a, 2008b;Monaghan 2008;Monaghan et al 2012;Sheriff and Love 2013). These studies have revealed that, rather than acting as a purely negative force shaping phenotype and fitness, developmental stress can be a cue that sets animals on a developmental pathway that matches phenotype to the postnatal environment in order to maximize fitness (i.e.…”

Observational field studies reveal wild birds responding to early-life stresses with resilience, plasticity, and intergenerational effects

“…Interestingly and consistent with life history theory (Stearns 1992, Roff 2002, natally stressed tits, boobies, and kestrels neutralized fitness cost not by postponing but by bringing forward their schedules of reproductive effort. The mechanisms by which these adjustments occurred are unknown; early stress can extend lifespan in some animals (Sayer andCooper 2002, Gems andPartridge 2008) and is thought to evoke trade-offs between neural structures that enhance some cognitive functions while depressing others (Crino et al 2014), with potentially ramifying ecological and life history consequences. Thus, dosing Zebra Finches with corticosterone during the nestling/fledgling period enhanced their performance on a foraging task in adulthood by boosting one type of learning while probably diminishing song learning (Crino et al 2014).…”

“…The mechanisms by which these adjustments occurred are unknown; early stress can extend lifespan in some animals (Sayer andCooper 2002, Gems andPartridge 2008) and is thought to evoke trade-offs between neural structures that enhance some cognitive functions while depressing others (Crino et al 2014), with potentially ramifying ecological and life history consequences. Thus, dosing Zebra Finches with corticosterone during the nestling/fledgling period enhanced their performance on a foraging task in adulthood by boosting one type of learning while probably diminishing song learning (Crino et al 2014). The potential complexity of the causal routes from early stress to adult phenotypes was illustrated by observation of common lizards (Zootoca vivipara) largely maintained in socially complex 100 m 2 outdoor enclosures.…”

“…Adult female Zebra Finches raised on a low quality nestling diet outperformed controls on a behavioral test after 3-4.5 hr of food restriction, exploring for food more promptly and feeding sooner (Krause et al 2009); adult Zebra Finches that had been dosed twice daily with corticosterone at 12-28 days solved a novel foraging challenge more quickly than controls, apparently because they were better at learning rather than being more motivated (Crino et al 2014); adult Zebra Finches from enlarged broods sang more and showed stronger immune responses than those from reduced broods while showing no deficit in laying date or clutch characteristics (Tschirren et al 2009); and male Zebra Finch chicks that hatched later than their nest mates (implying disadvantage in nest mate competition) were more attractive to females (Mainwaring et al 2012). More significantly, although Zebra Finches from enlarged broods delayed reproduction by 15 days, their fecundity and longevity were unaffected, and their decrease in reproductive value with age was actually slower (Alonso-Alvarez et al 2006), arguably showing adaptive plasticity capable of nullifying fitness impact.…”