Tests of association between the humoral immune response of red-winged blackbirds (Agelaius phoeniceus) and male plumage, testosterone, or reproductive success

Behavioral Ecology and Sociobiology

Volumn 53, Issue 5, 2003, Pages 315-323

  Westneat, David F ^a   Hasselquist, Dennis ^b   Wingfield, John C ^c  

^a UNIVERSITY OF KENTUCKY   (United States)

^b LUND UNIVERSITY   (Sweden)

^c UNIVERSITY OF WASHINGTON   (United States)

Author keywords

Antibodies; Hormones; Immunocompetence handicap; Sexual selection; Signals

Indexed keywords

IMMUNE RESPONSE; IMMUNOCOMPETENCE; PASSERINE; PLUMAGE; REPRODUCTIVE SUCCESS; SEXUAL SELECTION; TESTOSTERONE;

AGELAIUS; AGELAIUS PHOENICEUS; PASSERIFORMES;

EID: 0038170367     PISSN: 03405443     EISSN: None     Source Type: Journal    
DOI: 10.1007/s00265-003-0579-2     Document Type: Article

References (59)

1. Andersson M (1994) Sexual selection. Cambridge University Press, Cambridge
2. Ball GF, Wingfield JC (1986) Changes in plasma levels of luteinizing hormone and sex steroids in relation to multiple broodedness and nest site density in male starlings. Phys Zool 60:191-199
3. Beletsky LD, Orians GW (1996) Red-winged blackbirds: Decision-making and reproductive success. Chicago University Press, Chicago
4. Beletsky LD, Orians GH, Wingfield, JC (1989) Relationships of steroid hormones and polygyny to territorial status, breeding experience, and reproductive success in male red-winged blackbirds. Auk 106:107-117
5. Beletsky LD, Orians GH, Wingfield, JC (1992) Year-to-year patterns of circulating levels of testosterone and corticosterone in relation to breeding density, experience, and reproductive success of the polygynous red-winged blackbird. Horm Behav 26:420-432
6. Christie AB (1980) Infectious disease: epidemiology and clinical practice, 3rdd edn. Churchill Livingstone, New York
7. Eckert CG, Weatherhead PJ (1987) Male characteristics, parental quality and the study of mate choice in the red-winged blackbird (Agelaius phoeniceus). Behav Ecol Sociobiol 20:35-42
8. Enquist M (1985) Communication during aggressive interactions with particular reference to variation in choice of behaviour. Anim Behav 33:1152-1161
9. Folstad I, Karter AJ (1992) Parasites, bright males, and the immunocompetence handicap. Am Nat 139:603-622
10. Getty T (2002) Signaling health versus parasites. Am Nat 159:363-371.
11. Gibbs HL, Miller P, Alderson G, Sealy SG (1997) Genetic analysis of brown-headed cowbirds Molothrus ater raised by different hosts: data from mtDNA and microsatellite DNA markers. Mol Ecol 6:189-193
12. Gonzalez G, Sorci G, de Lope F (1999) Seasonal variation in the relationship between cellular immune response and badge size in male house sparrows (Passer domesticus). Behav Ecol Sociobiol 46:117-122
13. Grafen A (1990) Biological signals as handicaps. J Theor Biol 144:517-546
14. Hamilton WD, Zuk M (1982) Heritable true fitness and bright birds: a role for parasites? Science 218:384-7
15. Hansen AJ, Rohwer S (1986) Coverable badges and resource defence in birds. Anim Behav 34:69-76
16. Hasselquist D, Marsh JA, Sherman PW, Wingfield JC (1999) Is avian humoral immunocompetence suppressed by testosterone? Behav Ecol Sociobiol 45:167-175
17. Hasselquist D, Wasson MF, Winkler DW (2001) Humoral immunocompetence predicts date of egg-laying and reflects work load in female tree swallows. Behav Ecol 12:93-97
18. Hermann GJ, Weaver RE (1970) Corynebacterium. In: Blair JE, Lennette EH, Truant JP (eds) Manual of clinical microbiology. American Society for Microbiology, Bethesda, Md., pp 88-94
19. Hillgarth N, Wingfield JC (1997) Parasite-mediated sexual selection: endocrine aspects. In: Clayton DH, Moore J (eds) Host-parasite evolution: general principles and avian models. Oxford University Press, Oxford, pp 78-104
20. Hoi-Leitner M, Romero Pujante M, Hoi H, Pavlova A (2001) Food availability and immune capacity in serin (Serinus serinus) nestlings. Behav Ecol Sociobiol 49:333-339
21. Hughes CR, Kavlie R, Johnson K (1998) Characterization of polymorphic trinucleotide microsatellite loci in the great-tailed grackle, Quiscalus mexicanus. Mol Ecol 7:783-784
22. Ilmonen P, Taarna T, Hasselquist D (2000) Experimentally activated immune defence in female pied flycatchers results in reduced breeding success. Proc R Soc Lond B 267:665-670
23. Johnsen TS (1998) Behavioural correlates of testosterone and seasonal changes of steroids in red-winged blackbirds. Anim Behav 55:957-965
24. Lochmiller RL, Vestey MR, Boren JC (1993) Relationship between protein nutritional status and immunocompetence in Northern Bobwhite chicks. Auk 110:503-510
25. McDonald DB, Potts WK (1994) Cooperative display and relatedness among males in a lek-mating bird. Science 266:1030-1032
26. Meanley B, Bond GM (1970) Molts and plumages of the red-winged blackbird with particular reference to fall migration. Bird Banding 41:22-27
27. Milks ML, Picman J (1994) Which characteristics might selection favor as cues of female choice of mate in red-winged blackbirds? Can J Zool 72:1616-1624
28. Møller AP, Christe P, Lux E (1999) Parasitism, host immune function, and sexual selection. Q Rev Biol 74:3-20
29. Nero RW (1984) Redwings. Smithsonian University Press, Washington, DC
30. Noordwijk AJ van, de Jong G (1986) Acquisition and allocation of resources: their influence on variation in life history tactics. Am Nat 128:137-142
31. Ohlsson T, Smith HG, Råberg L, Hasselquist D (2002) Pheasant sexual ornaments reflect nutritional conditions during early growth. Proc R Soc Lond B 269:21-27
32. Owens IPF, Short RV (1995) Hormonal basis of sexual dimorphism in birds: Implications for new theories of sexual selection. Trends Ecol Evol 10:44-47
33. Parmentier HK, Nieuwland MGB, Rijke E, Reilingh GD, Schrama JW (1996) Divergent antibody responses to vaccines and divergent body weights of chicken lines selected for high and low humoral responsiveness to sheep red blood cells. Avian Dis 40:634-644
34. Peters A (2000) Testosterone treatment is immunosuppressive in superb fairy-wrens, yet free-living males with high testosterone are more immunocompetent. Proc R Soc Lond B 267:883-889
35. Primmer CR, Moller AP, Ellegren H (1996) A wide-range survey of cross-species microsatellite amplification in birds. Mol Ecol 5:365-378
36. Råberg L, Grahn M, Hasselquist D, Svensson E (1998) On the adaptive significance of stress-induced immunosuppression. Proc R Soc Lond B 265:1637-1641
37. Råherg L, Nilsson J-Å, Ilmonen P, Stjernman M, Hasselquist D (2000) The cost of an immune response: vaccination reduces parental effort. Ecol Lett 3:382-386
38. Rohwer SA (1975) The social significance of avian winter plumage variability. Evolution 29:593-610
39. Røskaft E, Rohwer S (1987) An experimental study of the function of the red epaulettes and the black body colour of male red-winged blackbirds. Anim Behav 35:1070-1077
40. Saino N, Stradi R, Ninni P, Pini E, Møller AP (1999) Carotenoid plasma concentration, immune profile, and plumage ornamentation of male barn swallows (Hirundo rustica). Am Nat 154:441-448
41. Saino N, Incaglia M, Martinelli R, Møller AP (2002) Immune responses of male barn swallows in relation to parental effort, coticosterone plasma levels, and sexual ornamentation. Behav Ecol 13:169-174
42. Searcy WA, Yasukawa K (1995) Polygyny and sexual selection in red-winged blackbirds. Princeton University Press, Princeton, N.J.
43. Shone CC, Hambleton P (1989) Toxigenic clostridia. In: Minton NP, Clarke DJ (eds) Clostridia. Plenum Press, New York, pp 265-292
44. Stearns SC (1992) The evolution of life histories. Oxford University Press, Oxford
45. Verhulst S, Dieleman SJ, Parmentier HK (1999) A tradeoff between immunocompetence and sexual ornamentation in domestic fowl. Proc Natl Acad Sci USA 96:4478-4481
46. Weatherhead PJ (1990) Secondary sexual traits, parasites, and polygyny in red-winged blackbirds, Agelaius phoeniceus. Behav Ecol 1:125-130
47. Weatherhead PJ, Boag PT (1995) Pair and extra-pair mating success relative to male quality in red-winged blackbirds. Behav Ecol Sociobiol 37:81-91
48. Weatherhead PJ, Boag PT (1997) Genetic estimates of annual and lifetime reproductive success in male red-winged blackbirds. Ecology 78:884-896
49. Weatherhead PJ, Metz KJ, Bennett GF, Irwin RE (1993) Parasite faunas, testosterone and secondary sexual traits in male red-winged blackbirds. Behav Ecol Sociobiol 33:13-23
50. Webster MS, Pruett-Jones S, Westneat DF, Arnold SJ (1995) Measuring the effects of pairing success, extra-pair copulations and mate quality on the opportunity for sexual selection. Evolution 49:1147-1157
51. Wedekind C, Folstad I (1994) Adaptive or nonadaptive immunosuppression by sex hormones? Am Nat 143:936-938
52. Westneat DF (1993) Polygyny and extrapair fertilizations in eastern red-winged blackbirds (Agelaius phoeniceus). Behav Ecol 4:49-60
53. Westneat DF, Birkhead TR (1998) Alternative hypotheses linking the immune system and mate choice for good genes. Proc R Soc Lond B 265:1065-1073
54. Westneat DF, McGraw LA, Fraterrigo JM, Birkhead, TR, Fletcher F (1998) Patterns of courtship behavior and ejaculate characteristics in male red-winged blackbirds. Behav Ecol Sociobiol 43:161-171
55. Wingfield JC (1985) Short-term changes in plasma levels of hormones during establishment and defense of a breeding territory in male song sparrows, Melospiza melodia. Horm Behav 19:174-187
56. Wingfield JC, Hegner RE, Dufty AM Jr, Ball GF (1990) The "challenge hypothesis": theoretical implications for patterns of testosterone secretion, mating systems, and breeding strategies. Am Nat 136:829-846
57. Wingfield JC, Hegner RE, Lewis D (1991) Circulating levels of luteinizing hormone and steroid hormones in relation to social status in the cooperatively breeding white-browed sparrow weaver, Plocepasser mahali. J Zool 225:43-58
58. Yasukawa K (1981) Male quality and female choice of mate in the red-winged blackbird (Agelaius phoeniceus). Ecology 62:922-929
59. Zuk M, Johnsen TS (1998) Seasonal changes in the relationship between ornamentation and immune response in red jungle fowl. Proc R Soc Lond B 265:1631-1635