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Effects of increased begging and vitamin E supplements on oxidative stress and fledging probability

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  • Lea Maronde
  • Heinz Richner

Abstract

The evolution of conspicuous begging displays has been suggested as the outcome of a conflict where offspring attempt to manipulate food allocation beyond the parental optimum. One resolution for the conflict arises via costs of begging, and oxidative stress has been proposed as a major mechanism for causing begging-induced costs. Although begging can be a physically demanding activity, the evidence for causing oxidative stress is scarce. Great tit (Parus major) parents provide food at the nest mostly from 2 different locations, which in consequence relaxes nestling competition. Here, we manipulated nestling competition by forcing parents to feed from a single location and supplemented half of the nestlings in each brood with vitamin E to test if this major antioxidant can alleviate a potential oxidative cost of begging. The design increases the cost of begging without altering parental feeding rates. Begging intensity was significantly higher when parents fed from a single location. Body mass and antioxidant capacity were not affected by the increase in begging, but oxidative damage was lower in females of the increased begging group compared with those in the control group, independent of vitamin E supplementation. The results suggest that oxidative stress is rather a minor cost of begging. Vitamin E–supplemented nestlings had a higher probability to fledge, which underlines the important role of vitamin E during development, although this might not be due to its role as an antioxidant.

Suggested Citation

  • Lea Maronde & Heinz Richner, 2015. "Effects of increased begging and vitamin E supplements on oxidative stress and fledging probability," Behavioral Ecology, International Society for Behavioral Ecology, vol. 26(2), pages 465-471.
  • Handle: RePEc:oup:beheco:v:26:y:2015:i:2:p:465-471.
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    File URL: http://hdl.handle.net/10.1093/beheco/aru215
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    1. Samuel Neuenschwander & Martin W. G. Brinkhof & Mathias Ko¨lliker & Heinz Richner, 2003. "Brood size, sibling competition, and the cost of begging in great tits (Parus major)," Behavioral Ecology, International Society for Behavioral Ecology, vol. 14(4), pages 457-462, July.
    2. José C. Noguera & Judith Morales & Cristobal Pérez & Alberto Velando, 2010. "On the oxidative cost of begging: antioxidants enhance vocalizations in gull chicks," Behavioral Ecology, International Society for Behavioral Ecology, vol. 21(3), pages 479-484.
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    Cited by:

    1. Daniel Parejo-Pulido & Lorenzo Pérez-Rodríguez & Inmaculada Abril-Colón & Jaime Potti & Tomás Redondo, 2023. "Passive and active parental food allocation in a songbird," Behavioral Ecology, International Society for Behavioral Ecology, vol. 34(5), pages 729-740.

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