Prenatal acoustic communication programs offspring for high posthatching temperatures in a songbird

In many species, embryos can perceive and learn external sounds. Yet, the possibility that parents may use these embryonic capacities to alter their offspring's developmental trajectories has not been considered. Here, we demonstrate that zebra finch parents acoustically signal high ambient tem...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Science (American Association for the Advancement of Science) 2016-08, Vol.353 (6301), p.812-814
Main Authors: Mariette, Mylene M., Buchanan, Katherine L.
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Acclimatization
Acoustics
Adaptation
Adults
Ambient temperature
Animals
Australia
Birds
Embryo, Nonmammalian - physiology
Embryos
Endothermic reactions
Female
Finches - physiology
Hot Temperature
Male
Nesting Behavior - physiology
Parents
Plasticity
Prenatal care
Programming
Reproduction - physiology
Taeniopygia guttata
Temperature effects
Vocalization, Animal
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Summary:In many species, embryos can perceive and learn external sounds. Yet, the possibility that parents may use these embryonic capacities to alter their offspring's developmental trajectories has not been considered. Here, we demonstrate that zebra finch parents acoustically signal high ambient temperatures (above 26°C) to their embryos. We show that exposure of embryos to these acoustic cues alone adaptively alters subsequent nestling begging and growth in response to nest temperature and influences individuals' reproductive success and thermal preferences as adults. These findings have implications for our understanding of maternal effects, phenotypic plasticity, developmental programming, and the adaptation of endothermic species to a warming world.
ISSN:0036-8075
1095-9203
DOI:10.1126/science.aaf7049