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Nutritional stress causes heterogeneous relationships with multi-trait FA in Lesser black-backed gull chicks: an aviary experiment
Gupta, T.; Santos, C.S.A.; Sotillo, A.; De Neve, L.; Stienen, E.W.M.; Müller, W.; Lens, L. (2016). Nutritional stress causes heterogeneous relationships with multi-trait FA in Lesser black-backed gull chicks: an aviary experiment. Symmetry 8(11): a133 [1-12]. https://dx.doi.org/10.3390/sym8110133
In: Symmetry. MDPI: Basel. ISSN 2073-8994; e-ISSN 2073-8994
Peer reviewed article  
Available in  Authors 
    Vlaams Instituut voor de Zee: Open access 296711 [ download pdf ]
Keywords
    Biomarkers
    Larus fuscus Linnaeus, 1758 [WoRMS]
    Marine/Coastal
Author keywords
    Fluctuating asymmetry; nutritional stress; energetic constraints
Authors  Top 
  • Gupta, T.
  • Santos, C.S.A.
  • Sotillo, A.
  • De Neve, L.
  • Stienen, E.W.M.
  • Müller, W.
  • Lens, L.
Abstract
    Environmental stressors have the potential to induce perturbations in the development of young individuals, leading to aberrant and unstable development. This may manifest as fluctuating asymmetry (FA; small, non-directional changes in the bilateral symmetry of morphological traits). Although widely regarded as a proxy for stress effects, the use of FA as a biomarker is still a topic of much debate. We investigated the applicability of FA as an indicator of nutritional stress (brought about by energetic constraints) by experimental manipulation of the diet composition and quantity during the growth of Lesser Black-backed Gull (Larus fuscus) chicks. FA as an endpoint was measured across the tarsus, wing and 10th primary feather when chicks reached 30 days of age. Although levels of asymmetry were found to increase with stress in the feather, relationships with tarsus and wing FA were mixed and mostly non-significant. Furthermore, we did not find any correlations in unsigned FA between traits, indicating the absence of organism-wide asymmetry. Our study was therefore unable to find unequivocal evidence in support of the application of FA as a reliable estimator of nutritional stress.
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