Avian scavengers living in anthropized landscapes have shorter telomeres and higher levels of glucocorticoid hormones

The Science of The Total Environment, Год журнала: 2021, Номер 782, С. 146920 - 146920

Опубликована: Апрель 6, 2021

Язык: Английский

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Proximity to roads, but not exposure to metal pollution, is associated with accelerated developmental telomere shortening in nestling great tits

Environmental Pollution, Год журнала: 2019, Номер 256, С. 113373 - 113373

Опубликована: Окт. 12, 2019

Язык: Английский

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Innate immune function and antioxidant capacity of nestlings of an African raptor covary with the level of urbanisation around breeding territories

Journal of Animal Ecology, Год журнала: 2022, Номер 92(1), С. 124 - 141

Опубликована: Ноя. 10, 2022

Urban areas provide breeding habitats for many species. However, animals raised in urban environments face challenges such as altered food availability and quality, pollution pathogen assemblages. These can affect physiological processes immune function antioxidant defences which are important fitness. Here, we explore how levels of urbanisation influence innate function, response to a mimicked bacterial infection capacity nestling Black Sparrowhawks Accipiter melanoleucus South Africa. We also the effect timing rainfall on physiology since both environmental condition under nestlings raised. Finally, because indirectly, use path analyses direct indirect associations between urbanisation, oxidative stress. obtained measures immunity (haptoglobin, lysis, agglutination, bactericidal capacity), indices (total non-enzymatic (tAOX) total glutathione from 2015 2019. In addition, 2018 2019, by injecting with lipopolysaccharide quantified their response. Increased cover was associated an increase lysis decrease tAOX, but not any other parameters. Furthermore, except no parameters were breeding. Lysis capacity, however, varied consistently annual pattern. Immune decreased nor rainfall. Our suggested some via tAOX results show that early-life development environment is variation functions. The association impact likely factor mediating urban-dwelling animals. Future studies should these linked fitness whether responses adaptive

Язык: Английский

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Physiological and morphological correlates of blood parasite infection in urban and non-urban house sparrow populations

PLoS ONE, Год журнала: 2020, Номер 15(8), С. e0237170 - e0237170

Опубликована: Авг. 19, 2020

In the last decade, house sparrow populations have shown a general decline, especially in cities. Avian malaria has been recently suggested as one of potential causes this and its detrimental effects could be exacerbated urban habitats. It was initially thought that avian parasites would not large negative on wild birds because their long co-evolution with hosts. However, it is now well-documented they can at both primo- chronical infection stages. study, we examined physiological morphological consequences four sparrows (2 2 rural). We did find any relationship between proportions infected individuals urbanisation score calculated for our populations. observed proportion increased during course season, juveniles were less than adults. detect strong effect physiological, condition indexes. Complex parasite dynamics presence confounding factors masked infection. Thus, longitudinal experimental studies are needed to understand evolutionary ecology very common, but still poorly understood, bird parasite.

Язык: Английский

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Parenting in the city: effects of urbanization on incubation behaviour and egg temperature in great tits, Parus major

Animal Behaviour, Год журнала: 2022, Номер 194, С. 1 - 11

Опубликована: Окт. 12, 2022

Язык: Английский

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