TY - JOUR
T1 - Sex-dependent effects of maternal stress
T2 - Stressed moms invest less in sons than daughters
AU - Owen, D. A.S.
AU - Sheriff, M. J.
AU - Engler, H. I.
AU - Langkilde, T.
N1 - Funding Information:
We thank B. Assis and K. Wild for assistance in the field, and C. Tylan and J. Heppner for assistance with animal care and husbandry. We would also like to thank Land-Between-the-Lakes National Recreation Area, E. Raikes, Murray State University's Hancock Biological Field Station, and Standing Stone State Park for logistical support and access to land. The research presented here adheres to the Guidelines for the Use of Animals in Research and the Institutional Guidelines of Penn State University (IACUC #35780). Animal collection was permitted by the respective States. Funding was provided in part by the National Science Foundation (Grant No. DGE1255832 awarded to D.A.S.O.; IOS1456655 to T.L. and M.J.S.).
Funding Information:
would also like to thank Land-Between-the-Lakes National Recreation Area, E. Raikes, Murray State University's Hancock Biological Field Station, and Standing Stone State Park for logistical support and access to land. The research presented here adheres to the Guidelines for the Use of Animals in Research and the Institutional Guidelines of Penn State University (IACUC #35780). Animal collection was permitted by the respective States. Funding was provided in part by the National Science Foundation (Grant No. DGE1255832 awarded to D.A.S.O.; IOS1456655 to T.L. and M.J.S.).
Funding Information:
Division of Graduate Education, Grant/Award Number: 1255832; Division of Integrative Organismal Systems, Grant/Award Number: 1456655; National Science Foundation, Grant/Award Numbers: DGE1255832, IOS1456655
Publisher Copyright:
© 2018 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
PY - 2018/7/1
Y1 - 2018/7/1
N2 - Multigenerational effects can have important and sex-dependent effects on offspring. Sex allocation theory predicts that females should differentially invest in sons and daughters depending on sex-specific fitness returns and costs of investment. Maternal stress-relevant (glucocorticoid) hormones may be one mechanism driving this effect. We investigated how maternal stress hormones differentially affected sons and daughters by manipulating levels of the glucocorticoid, corticosterone (CORT), in gravid female eastern fence lizards (Sceloporus undulatus) and quantifying reproductive investment and sex ratio of resulting clutches, and the mass, snout-vent length, and body condition of sons versus daughters at hatching. We found no effect of maternal CORT-treatment on the number or size of eggs laid or on the sex ratio of resulting offspring, but sons of CORT-treated mothers were shorter, lighter, and of poorer body condition at hatching than were sons of control mothers. We found no difference in size or condition of daughters with maternal treatment. Our results suggest that maternal stress, mediated by elevations in maternal CORT concentrations, can have sex-specific effects on offspring manifesting as lower investment in sons.
AB - Multigenerational effects can have important and sex-dependent effects on offspring. Sex allocation theory predicts that females should differentially invest in sons and daughters depending on sex-specific fitness returns and costs of investment. Maternal stress-relevant (glucocorticoid) hormones may be one mechanism driving this effect. We investigated how maternal stress hormones differentially affected sons and daughters by manipulating levels of the glucocorticoid, corticosterone (CORT), in gravid female eastern fence lizards (Sceloporus undulatus) and quantifying reproductive investment and sex ratio of resulting clutches, and the mass, snout-vent length, and body condition of sons versus daughters at hatching. We found no effect of maternal CORT-treatment on the number or size of eggs laid or on the sex ratio of resulting offspring, but sons of CORT-treated mothers were shorter, lighter, and of poorer body condition at hatching than were sons of control mothers. We found no difference in size or condition of daughters with maternal treatment. Our results suggest that maternal stress, mediated by elevations in maternal CORT concentrations, can have sex-specific effects on offspring manifesting as lower investment in sons.
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=85050498984&partnerID=8YFLogxK
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/citedby.url?scp=85050498984&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1002/jez.2192
DO - 10.1002/jez.2192
M3 - Article
C2 - 29992777
AN - SCOPUS:85050498984
SN - 2471-5638
VL - 329
SP - 317
EP - 322
JO - Journal of Experimental Zoology Part A: Ecological and Integrative Physiology
JF - Journal of Experimental Zoology Part A: Ecological and Integrative Physiology
IS - 6-7
ER -