Maternal modulation of natal dispersal in a passerine bird: An adaptive strategy to cope with parasitism?

Tschirren, Barbara; Fitze, Patrick; Richner, Heinz (2007). Maternal modulation of natal dispersal in a passerine bird: An adaptive strategy to cope with parasitism? The American naturalist, 169(1), pp. 87-93. Chicago, Ill.: University of Chicago Press 10.1086/509945

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The decision of how far to disperse from the natal territory has profound and long-lasting consequences for young animals, yet the optimal dispersal behavior often depends on environmental factors that are difficult or impossible to assess by inexperienced juveniles. Natural selection thus favors mechanisms that allow the adaptive and flexible adjustment of the offspring's dispersal behavior by their parents via either paternal or maternal effects. Here we show that different dispersal strategies maximize the reproductive success of young great tits (Parus major) originating from a parasite-infested or a parasite-free nest and demonstrate that differential transfer of maternal yolk androgens in response to parasitism can result in a modification of the offspring's dispersal behavior that appears adaptive. It demonstrates that prenatal maternal effects are an important yet so far neglected determinant of natal dispersal and highlights the potential importance of maternal effects in mediating coevolutionary processes in host-parasite systems.

Item Type:	Journal Article (Original Article)
Division/Institute:	08 Faculty of Science > Department of Biology > Institute of Ecology and Evolution (IEE) > Evolutionary Ecology
UniBE Contributor:	Richner, Heinz
ISSN:	0003-0147
Publisher:	University of Chicago Press
Language:	English
Submitter:	Factscience Import
Date Deposited:	04 Oct 2013 14:58
Last Modified:	05 Dec 2022 14:18
Publisher DOI:	10.1086/509945
Web of Science ID:	000243132100012
URI:	https://boris.unibe.ch/id/eprint/24877 (FactScience: 53487)