Posthatch Oral Estrogen Exposure Impairs Adult Reproductive Performance of Zebra Finch in a Sex-Specific Manner

Millam, James R.; Craig-Veit, C.B.; Quaglino, Allison; Erichsen, A; Famula, Thomas R.; Fry, D. Michael

doi:10.1006/hbeh.2001.1724

Cited by 30 publications

(11 citation statements)

References 53 publications

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“…Consistent with previous studies in zebra finches, we find that even in a captive colony with minimal foraging demands, there is a great deal of variability in breeding success [12]. This degree of variability is especially remarkable in a species with high-mortality and fast development, where there is expected to be very strong selection against high failure rate in reproduction.…”

Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 90%

See 1 more Smart Citation

Breeding Experience, Alternative Reproductive Strategies and Reproductive Success in a Captive Colony of Zebra Finches (Taeniopygia guttata)

Baran

Adkins‐Regan

2014

PLoS ONE

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Birds exhibit a remarkable diversity of different reproductive strategies both between and within species. Species such as the zebra finch (Taeniopygia guttata) may evolve the flexible use of alternative reproductive strategies, as well as benefit from prior breeding experience, which allows them to adaptively respond to unpredictable environments. In birds, the flexible use of alternative reproductive strategies, such as extra-pair mating, has been reported to be associated with fast reproduction, high mortality and environmental variability. However, little is known about the role of previous breeding experience in the adaptive use of alternative reproductive strategies. Here we performed an in-depth study of reproductive outcomes in a population of domesticated zebra finches, testing the impact of prior breeding experience on the use of alternative reproductive strategies and reproductive success. We provide evidence that older females with prior breeding experience are quicker to initiate a clutch with a new partner and have increased success in chick rearing, even in a captive colony of zebra finches with minimal foraging demands. We also find evidence that the breeding experience of other females in the same social group influences reproductive investment by female zebra finches. Furthermore, we demonstrate that the use of alternative reproductive strategies in female zebra finches is associated with previous failed breeding attempts with the same pair partner. The results provide evidence that age and breeding experience play important roles in the flexible use of both facultative and adaptive reproductive strategies in female zebra finches.

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Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 90%

“…It is plausible that, if an individual survives to adulthood, it may live for several years and have many breeding opportunities. Nevertheless, zebra finches have a high rate of clutch failure, both in natural and captive populations [7], [11], [12].…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Breeding Experience, Alternative Reproductive Strategies and Reproductive Success in a Captive Colony of Zebra Finches (Taeniopygia guttata)

Baran

Adkins‐Regan

2014

PLoS ONE

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“…Interestingly, the administration of octylphenol, methoxychlor, and dicofol in the doses given had no effect on fertility. Male zebra finches, however, did show deficits in mating behavior if they received posthatch treatment with estrogen, as Adkins-Regan and colleagues have shown (Adkins-Regan and Ascenzi, 1987), a finding also supported by Millam et al (2001). Administration of perchlorate by oral gavage affected various developmental behaviors, but did not alter song-control nuclei size (Rainwater et al, 2007), while methoxychlor diminished fertility and hatching success (Gee et al, 2004).…”

Section: Birds Reptiles and Amphibiansmentioning

confidence: 57%

“…Millam and colleagues focused most of their efforts on the zebra finch, demonstrating that oral administration (to mimic parental feeding) of exogenous estradiol benzoate administered shortly after hatching not only reduced fertility but masculinized the song system in the female (but not in males; Millam et al, 2001;Quaglino et al, 2002). Interestingly, the administration of octylphenol, methoxychlor, and dicofol in the doses given had no effect on fertility.…”

Section: Birds Reptiles and Amphibiansmentioning

confidence: 93%

Environmental Endocrine Disruption of Brain and Behavior

Gore¹,

Crews

2009

Hormones, Brain and Behavior

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“…Males showed reduced fertility as adults and females showed impaired egg production and an increased incidence of broken eggs. The combination of these effects leads to complete reproductive failure when estrogen-treated males and females are mated with each other [17]. Because oral exposure is a natural route of exposure for altricial nestlings fed by parents in the wild, the possibility exists that exposure to environmental estrogens could masculinize female brains and impair reproductive performance.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

An Avian Bioassay for Environmental Estrogens: The Growth Response of Zebra Finch (Taeniopygia Guttata) Chick Oviduct to Oral Estrogens

Millam¹,

Craig-Veit²,

Batchelder³

et al. 2002

Environ Toxicol Chem

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The rat uterotrophic assay is a recommended tier 1 screening assay for environmental estrogens, but no comparable assay exists for altricial birds. We orally dosed zebra finch chicks daily during their linear growth phase (days 5-11) with estradiol benzoate (EB), genistein, methoxychlor, or octylphenol, all dissolved or suspended in canola oil, or canola oil alone, as a vehicle control. On day 12, oviducts were removed, weighed and examined histologically. All doses of EB (0.1-1,000 nmol/g body wt), genistein at 100 nmol/g. and methoxychlor and octylphenol at 1,000 nmol/g, markedly increased oviduct weight, with the highest dose of EB inducing a 60-fold increase over controls. Oviducts were differentiated in a dose-depedent manner to the point of having tubular glands and a pseudostratified, ciliated epithelium at the higher doses of EB. Our earlier results show that EB at 100 and 1,000 nmol/g impairs reproductive performance of zebra finches. Thus, the zebra finch oviduct bioassay measures estrogenicity over a wide dose range and, for EB exposure, can predict impairment in adult reproductive performance. The responsiveness of chick oviducts to estrogen stimulation may serve as a useful marker of estrogen exposure in wild populations of songbirds.

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Posthatch Oral Estrogen Exposure Impairs Adult Reproductive Performance of Zebra Finch in a Sex-Specific Manner

Cited by 30 publications

References 53 publications

Breeding Experience, Alternative Reproductive Strategies and Reproductive Success in a Captive Colony of Zebra Finches (Taeniopygia guttata)

Breeding Experience, Alternative Reproductive Strategies and Reproductive Success in a Captive Colony of Zebra Finches (Taeniopygia guttata)

Environmental Endocrine Disruption of Brain and Behavior

An Avian Bioassay for Environmental Estrogens: The Growth Response of Zebra Finch (Taeniopygia Guttata) Chick Oviduct to Oral Estrogens

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