Regulation of stress response is heritable and functionally linked to melanin-based coloration.

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State: Public
Version: Final published version
Serval ID
serval:BIB_5F9B1FBD338B
Type
Article: article from journal or magazin.
Collection
Publications
Institution
Title
Regulation of stress response is heritable and functionally linked to melanin-based coloration.
Journal
Journal of Evolutionary Biology
Author(s)
Almasi B., Jenni L., Jenni-Eiermann S., Roulin A.
ISSN
1420-9101[electronic], 1010-061X[linking]
Publication state
Published
Issued date
04/2010
Peer-reviewed
Oui
Volume
23
Number
5
Pages
987-996
Language
english
Notes
Publication types: JOURNAL ARTICLE
Abstract
Abstract Sexual selection theory posits that ornaments can signal the genetic quality of an individual. Eumelanin-based coloration is such an ornament and can signal the ability to cope with a physiological stress response because the melanocortin system regulates eumelanogenesis as well as physiological stress responses. In the present article, we experimentally investigated whether the stronger stress sensitivity of light than dark eumelanic individuals stems from differential regulation of stress hormones. Our study shows that darker eumelanic barn owl nestlings have a lower corticosterone release after a stressful event, an association, which was also inherited from the mother (but not the father) to the offspring. Additionally, nestlings sired by darker eumelanic mothers more quickly reduced experimentally elevated corticosterone levels. This provides a solution as to how ornamented individuals can be more resistant to various sources of stress than drab conspecifics. Our study suggests that eumelanin-based coloration can be a sexually selected signal of resistance to stressful events.
Keywords
barn owl, corticosterone, melanin, regulation, stress
Pubmed
Web of science
Open Access
Yes
Create date
10/02/2010 9:25
Last modification date
20/08/2019 14:17
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