The specificity of sperm-mediated paternal effects in threespine sticklebacks.

ABSTRACT: Parental effects may help offspring respond to challenging environments, but whether parental exposure to different environmental challenges induces similar responses in offspring is largely unknown. We compared the offspring of threespine stickleback (Gasterosteus aculeatus) fathers who had been exposed to a potentially threatening stimulus (net), a native predator (sculpin), or who had been left unexposed (control). Relative to offspring of control fathers, offspring of sculpin-exposed fathers were more responsive (greater change in activity) to a simulated sculpin predator attack, while offspring of net-exposed fathers were less responsive (fewer antipredator behaviors) and showed altered stress responses compared to the control. To evaluate whether parental exposure primes offsp

SUBMITTER: Chen E 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC10241442 | biostudies-literature | 2021 Apr

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature