Kidnapping of chicks in emperor penguins: a hormonal by-product?
The function and causes of kidnapping juveniles are little understood because individuals sustain some breeding costs to rear an unrelated offspring. Here we focus on the proximal causes of this behaviour in emperor penguins ( Aptenodytes forsteri ), whose failed breeders often kidnap chicks. We exp...
Published in: | Journal of Experimental Biology |
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fthighwire:oai:open-archive.highwire.org:jexbio:209/8/1413 2023-05-15T14:17:07+02:00 Kidnapping of chicks in emperor penguins: a hormonal by-product? Angelier, Frédéric Barbraud, Christophe Lormée, Hervé Prud'homme, François Chastel, Olivier 2006-04-15 00:00:00.0 text/html http://jeb.biologists.org/cgi/content/short/209/8/1413 https://doi.org/10.1242/jeb.02138 en eng Company of Biologists http://jeb.biologists.org/cgi/content/short/209/8/1413 http://dx.doi.org/10.1242/jeb.02138 Copyright (C) 2006, Company of Biologists Research Article TEXT 2006 fthighwire https://doi.org/10.1242/jeb.02138 2015-02-28T19:03:25Z The function and causes of kidnapping juveniles are little understood because individuals sustain some breeding costs to rear an unrelated offspring. Here we focus on the proximal causes of this behaviour in emperor penguins ( Aptenodytes forsteri ), whose failed breeders often kidnap chicks. We experimentally tested the hypothesis that kidnapping behaviour was the result of high residual levels of prolactin (PRL), a hormone involved in parental behaviour. Penguins with artificially decreased PRL levels by bromocriptine administration kidnapped chicks less often than control penguins. Within the bromocriptine treated group, kidnapping behaviour was not totally suppressed and the probability of kidnapping a chick was positively correlated to PRL levels measured before treatment. During breeding, emperor penguins have to forage in remote ice-free areas. In these birds, PRL secretion is poorly influenced by chick stimuli and has probably evolved to maintain a willingness to return to the colony after a long absence at sea. Therefore, penguins that have lost their chick during a foraging trip still maintain high residual PRL levels and this, combined with colonial breeding, probably facilitates kidnapping. We suggest that kidnapping in non-cooperative systems may result from a hormonal byproduct of a reproductive adaptation to extreme conditions. Text Aptenodytes forsteri Emperor penguins HighWire Press (Stanford University) Journal of Experimental Biology 209 8 1413 1420 |
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HighWire Press (Stanford University) |
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English |
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Research Article |
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Research Article Angelier, Frédéric Barbraud, Christophe Lormée, Hervé Prud'homme, François Chastel, Olivier Kidnapping of chicks in emperor penguins: a hormonal by-product? |
topic_facet |
Research Article |
description |
The function and causes of kidnapping juveniles are little understood because individuals sustain some breeding costs to rear an unrelated offspring. Here we focus on the proximal causes of this behaviour in emperor penguins ( Aptenodytes forsteri ), whose failed breeders often kidnap chicks. We experimentally tested the hypothesis that kidnapping behaviour was the result of high residual levels of prolactin (PRL), a hormone involved in parental behaviour. Penguins with artificially decreased PRL levels by bromocriptine administration kidnapped chicks less often than control penguins. Within the bromocriptine treated group, kidnapping behaviour was not totally suppressed and the probability of kidnapping a chick was positively correlated to PRL levels measured before treatment. During breeding, emperor penguins have to forage in remote ice-free areas. In these birds, PRL secretion is poorly influenced by chick stimuli and has probably evolved to maintain a willingness to return to the colony after a long absence at sea. Therefore, penguins that have lost their chick during a foraging trip still maintain high residual PRL levels and this, combined with colonial breeding, probably facilitates kidnapping. We suggest that kidnapping in non-cooperative systems may result from a hormonal byproduct of a reproductive adaptation to extreme conditions. |
format |
Text |
author |
Angelier, Frédéric Barbraud, Christophe Lormée, Hervé Prud'homme, François Chastel, Olivier |
author_facet |
Angelier, Frédéric Barbraud, Christophe Lormée, Hervé Prud'homme, François Chastel, Olivier |
author_sort |
Angelier, Frédéric |
title |
Kidnapping of chicks in emperor penguins: a hormonal by-product? |
title_short |
Kidnapping of chicks in emperor penguins: a hormonal by-product? |
title_full |
Kidnapping of chicks in emperor penguins: a hormonal by-product? |
title_fullStr |
Kidnapping of chicks in emperor penguins: a hormonal by-product? |
title_full_unstemmed |
Kidnapping of chicks in emperor penguins: a hormonal by-product? |
title_sort |
kidnapping of chicks in emperor penguins: a hormonal by-product? |
publisher |
Company of Biologists |
publishDate |
2006 |
url |
http://jeb.biologists.org/cgi/content/short/209/8/1413 https://doi.org/10.1242/jeb.02138 |
genre |
Aptenodytes forsteri Emperor penguins |
genre_facet |
Aptenodytes forsteri Emperor penguins |
op_relation |
http://jeb.biologists.org/cgi/content/short/209/8/1413 http://dx.doi.org/10.1242/jeb.02138 |
op_rights |
Copyright (C) 2006, Company of Biologists |
op_doi |
https://doi.org/10.1242/jeb.02138 |
container_title |
Journal of Experimental Biology |
container_volume |
209 |
container_issue |
8 |
container_start_page |
1413 |
op_container_end_page |
1420 |
_version_ |
1766289044305608704 |