Age-specific patterns of maternal investment in common gull egg yolk

• Published in: Biology Letters
• Main Authors: Urvik, Janek, Rattiste, Kalev, Giraudeau, Mathieu, Okuliarová, Monika, Hõrak, Peeter, Sepp, Tuul
• Other Authors: Eesti Teadusagentuur, H2020 Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions, Scientific Grant Agency of the Slovak Republic, Estonian Ministry of Education
• Format: Article in Journal/Newspaper
• Language: English
• Published: The Royal Society 2018
• Subjects: Larus canus
• Online Access: http://dx.doi.org/10.1098/rsbl.2018.0346; https://royalsocietypublishing.org/doi/pdf/10.1098/rsbl.2018.0346; https://royalsocietypublishing.org/doi/full-xml/10.1098/rsbl.2018.0346

While the general patterns of age-specific changes in reproductive success are quite well established in long-lived animals, we still do not know if allocation patterns of maternally transmitted compounds are related to maternal age. We measured the levels of yolk testosterone, carotenoids and vitamins A and E in a population of known-aged common gulls ( Larus canus ) and found an age-specific pattern in yolk lutein and vitamin A concentrations. Middle-aged mothers allocated more of these substances to yolk compared to young and old mothers. These results can be explained through differences in age-specific foraging, absorption or deposition patterns of carotenoids and vitamins into yolk. If these molecules play a role in antioxidant defence and immune modulation, our results suggest a possible physiological pathway underlying the age-specific changes in reproductive success of long-lived birds in the wild.