Kidnapping of chicks in emperor penguins: a hormonal by-product?
International audience 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...
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Online Access: | https://hal.science/hal-00182539 https://hal.science/hal-00182539/document https://hal.science/hal-00182539/file/AJEB209.pdf https://doi.org/10.1242/jeb.02138 |
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ftunivnantes:oai:HAL:hal-00182539v1 2023-05-15T14:17:06+02:00 Kidnapping of chicks in emperor penguins: a hormonal by-product? Angelier, Frédéric Barbraud, Christophe Lormée, Hervé Prud'Homme, François Chastel, Olivier Centre d'Études Biologiques de Chizé (CEBC) Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS) Office National de la Chasse et de la Faune Sauvage (ONCFS) ONCFS 2006-01-31 https://hal.science/hal-00182539 https://hal.science/hal-00182539/document https://hal.science/hal-00182539/file/AJEB209.pdf https://doi.org/10.1242/jeb.02138 en eng HAL CCSD The Company of Biologists info:eu-repo/semantics/altIdentifier/doi/10.1242/jeb.02138 hal-00182539 https://hal.science/hal-00182539 https://hal.science/hal-00182539/document https://hal.science/hal-00182539/file/AJEB209.pdf doi:10.1242/jeb.02138 info:eu-repo/semantics/OpenAccess ISSN: 0022-0949 EISSN: 1477-9145 Journal of Experimental Biology https://hal.science/hal-00182539 Journal of Experimental Biology, 2006, 209, pp.1413-1420. ⟨10.1242/jeb.02138⟩ kidnapping hormones prolactin non-cooperative breeding seabird emperor penguin Aptenodytes forsteri [SDE.BE]Environmental Sciences/Biodiversity and Ecology [SDE.ES]Environmental Sciences/Environmental and Society [SDE.MCG]Environmental Sciences/Global Changes info:eu-repo/semantics/article Journal articles 2006 ftunivnantes https://doi.org/10.1242/jeb.02138 2023-02-08T08:32:39Z International audience 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. Article in Journal/Newspaper Aptenodytes forsteri Emperor penguins Université de Nantes: HAL-UNIV-NANTES Journal of Experimental Biology 209 8 1413 1420 |
institution |
Open Polar |
collection |
Université de Nantes: HAL-UNIV-NANTES |
op_collection_id |
ftunivnantes |
language |
English |
topic |
kidnapping hormones prolactin non-cooperative breeding seabird emperor penguin Aptenodytes forsteri [SDE.BE]Environmental Sciences/Biodiversity and Ecology [SDE.ES]Environmental Sciences/Environmental and Society [SDE.MCG]Environmental Sciences/Global Changes |
spellingShingle |
kidnapping hormones prolactin non-cooperative breeding seabird emperor penguin Aptenodytes forsteri [SDE.BE]Environmental Sciences/Biodiversity and Ecology [SDE.ES]Environmental Sciences/Environmental and Society [SDE.MCG]Environmental Sciences/Global Changes Angelier, Frédéric Barbraud, Christophe Lormée, Hervé Prud'Homme, François Chastel, Olivier Kidnapping of chicks in emperor penguins: a hormonal by-product? |
topic_facet |
kidnapping hormones prolactin non-cooperative breeding seabird emperor penguin Aptenodytes forsteri [SDE.BE]Environmental Sciences/Biodiversity and Ecology [SDE.ES]Environmental Sciences/Environmental and Society [SDE.MCG]Environmental Sciences/Global Changes |
description |
International audience 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. |
author2 |
Centre d'Études Biologiques de Chizé (CEBC) Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS) Office National de la Chasse et de la Faune Sauvage (ONCFS) ONCFS |
format |
Article in Journal/Newspaper |
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 |
HAL CCSD |
publishDate |
2006 |
url |
https://hal.science/hal-00182539 https://hal.science/hal-00182539/document https://hal.science/hal-00182539/file/AJEB209.pdf https://doi.org/10.1242/jeb.02138 |
genre |
Aptenodytes forsteri Emperor penguins |
genre_facet |
Aptenodytes forsteri Emperor penguins |
op_source |
ISSN: 0022-0949 EISSN: 1477-9145 Journal of Experimental Biology https://hal.science/hal-00182539 Journal of Experimental Biology, 2006, 209, pp.1413-1420. ⟨10.1242/jeb.02138⟩ |
op_relation |
info:eu-repo/semantics/altIdentifier/doi/10.1242/jeb.02138 hal-00182539 https://hal.science/hal-00182539 https://hal.science/hal-00182539/document https://hal.science/hal-00182539/file/AJEB209.pdf doi:10.1242/jeb.02138 |
op_rights |
info:eu-repo/semantics/OpenAccess |
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 |
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1766289039696068608 |