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Title: Laying sequence interacts with incubation temperature to influence rate of embryonic development and hatching synchrony in a precocial bird

Journal Article · · PLoS ONE
ORCiD logo [1];  [2]
  1. Auburn Univ., AL (United States)
  2. Savannah River Site (SRS), Aiken, SC (United States). Savannah River Ecology Lab. (SREL)

Incubation starts during egg laying for many bird species and causes developmental asynchrony within clutches. Faster development of late-laid eggs can help reduce developmental differences and synchronize hatching, which is important for precocial species whose young must leave the nest soon after hatching. In this study, we examined the effect of egg laying sequence on length of the incubation period in Wood Ducks (Aix sponsa). Because incubation temperature strongly influences embryonic development rates, we tested the interactive effects of laying sequence and incubation temperature on the ability of late-laid eggs to accelerate development and synchronize hatching. We also examined the potential cost of faster development on duckling body condition. Fresh eggs were collected and incubated at three biologically relevant temperatures (Low: 34.9°C, Medium: 35.8°C, and High: 37.6°C), and egg laying sequences from 1 to 12 were used. Length of the incubation period declined linearly as laying sequence advanced, but the relationship was strongest at medium temperatures followed by low temperatures and high temperatures. There was little support for including fresh egg mass in models of incubation period. Estimated differences in length of the incubation period between eggs 1 and 12 were 2.7 d, 1.2 d, and 0.7 d at medium, low and high temperatures, respectively. Only at intermediate incubation temperatures did development rates of late-laid eggs increase sufficiently to completely compensate for natural levels of developmental asynchrony that have been reported in Wood Duck clutches at the start of full incubation. Body condition of ducklings was strongly affected by fresh egg mass and incubation temperature but declined only slightly as laying sequence progressed. Our findings show that laying sequence and incubation temperature play important roles in helping to shape embryo development and hatching synchrony in a precocial bird.

Research Organization:
Univ. of Georgia, Athens, GA (United States)
Sponsoring Organization:
USDOE Office of Environmental Management (EM)
Grant/Contract Number:
FC09-07SR22506
OSTI ID:
1418194
Alternate ID(s):
OSTI ID: 1506647
Journal Information:
PLoS ONE, Vol. 13, Issue 1; ISSN 1932-6203
Publisher:
Public Library of ScienceCopyright Statement
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English
Citation Metrics:
Cited by: 4 works
Citation information provided by
Web of Science

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Effects of Habitat use and Movement Patterns on Incubation Behavior of Female Wood Ducks (Aix Sponsa) in Southeast Alabama journal October 2003
Data from: Laying sequence interacts with incubation temperature to influence rate of embryonic development and hatching synchrony in a precocial bird dataset January 2019
Data from: Laying sequence interacts with incubation temperature to influence rate of embryonic development and hatching synchrony in a precocial bird dataset January 2019
Egg viability as a constraint on hatching synchrony at high ambient temperatures journal September 1999
Periodic Cooling of Bird Eggs Reduces Embryonic Growth Efficiency journal September 2006
Egg size matching by an intraspecific brood parasite journal January 2011
Patterns of Nest Attendance in Female Wood Ducks journal May 2000
Early Onset of Incubation by Wood Ducks journal February 2004
Balancing between costs and benefits of maternal hormone deposition in avian eggs journal March 2005
Correlated evolution of maternally derived yolk testosterone and early developmental traits in passerine birds journal July 2005
Pre-fledgling oxidative damage predicts recruitment in a long-lived bird journal August 2011
Long-term consequences of high incubation temperature in a wild bird population journal April 2016
High atmospheric temperatures and ‘ambient incubation’ drive embryonic development and lead to earlier hatching in a passerine bird journal February 2016
Maternal androgens in black-headed gull ( Larus ridibundus ) eggs: consequences for chick development journal April 2001
Embryo development and ageing in birds and mammals journal April 2006
Experimental cooling during incubation leads to reduced innate immunity and body condition in nestling tree swallows journal February 2010
Oxidative stress as a mediator of life history trade-offs: mechanisms, measurements and interpretation journal January 2009
Date of Nest Initiation Mediates Incubation Costs of Wood Ducks (Aix Sponsa) journal April 2011
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Reproductive Implications of Egg-Size Variation in the Black Brant journal October 1992

Cited By (2)



Figures / Tables (6)