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Parental prey selection affects risk-taking behaviour and spatial learning in avian offspring.

Kathryn E Arnold1, Scot L Ramsay, Christine Donaldson

  • 1Division of Environmental and Evolutionary Biology, Institute of Biomedical and Life Sciences, Graham Kerr Building, University of Glasgow, Glasgow G12 8QQ, UK. k.arnold@bio.gla.ac.uk

Proceedings. Biological Sciences
|August 19, 2007
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Summary

Parental provisioning of taurine-rich spiders to blue tit nestlings significantly enhances offspring cognitive function and risk-taking behavior. This early nutrition shapes key behavioral traits impacting fitness.

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Area of Science:

  • Behavioral Ecology
  • Developmental Biology
  • Nutritional Science

Background:

  • Early nutrition critically influences offspring development and life history traits in animals.
  • Parental provisioning strategies, particularly prey selection, can impact offspring nutrient intake.
  • A peak in spider consumption during chick-rearing is observed in many passerine species but remains poorly understood.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate the dietary significance of spider provisioning in blue tits (Cyanistes caeruleus).
  • To determine if spider consumption provides essential nutrients like taurine to nestlings.
  • To examine the effects of early taurine exposure on offspring stress responsiveness and cognitive abilities.

Main Methods:

  • Monitored spider proportion in blue tit nestling diets relative to chick age, breeding time, and spider availability.
  • Administered taurine supplements or control treatments to wild blue tit nestlings (ages 2-14 days).
  • Assessed behavioral phenotypes, including risk-taking and spatial learning, in supplemented and control juveniles.

Main Results:

  • Spider proportion in nestling diets varied significantly with chick age, providing high taurine levels.
  • Taurine-supplemented juveniles exhibited increased risk-taking behavior in novel object exploration.
  • Taurine-supplemented birds showed enhanced performance in a spatial learning task compared to controls.

Conclusions:

  • Parental selection of taurine-rich prey, like spiders, directly influences offspring behavioral development.
  • Early taurine availability impacts cognitive function and stress-related behaviors with potential fitness consequences.
  • Fine-scale parental prey selection is a mechanism for manipulating offspring behavioral phenotype.