Publication details
Male Reproductive Traits, Oxidative Stress and Carotenoids in Context of Ornamentation: An Experimental Study in the Zebra Finch.
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| Year of publication | 2013 |
| Type | Conference abstract |
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| Description | Sexual traits are thought to be honest indicators of phenotypic quality in many vertebrate species, typically in males. Wide range of various carotenoid ornaments exists in birds, including passerines. Since there is a link between carotenoids, immune system and antioxidant function we can presume a possible impact of metabolism of carotenoids in sperm traits, because quality and male fertility are critically affected by oxidative stress. In other words, carotenoid-based colourful traits, have been proposed to depend on a male’s capacity to resist oxidative stress, and thus to signal sperm quality, and the assumed trade-off between ornamentation and these physiological functions makes carotenoid ornaments costly. In this study we tested the effect of dietary supplementation with carotenoids on sperm motility and beak colour as a main carotenoid ornament in the Zebra Finch (Taeniopygia guttata). We found significant effect of carotenoids treatment on several parameters of beak colouration, but there was no effect on sperm motility which is usually considered as one of the most important characteristic of sperm quality. These findings are being discussed in a poster. |