High atmospheric temperatures and 'ambient incubation' drive embryonic development and lead to earlier hatching in a passerine bird.

ABSTRACT: Tropical and subtropical species typically experience relatively high atmospheric temperatures during reproduction, and are subject to climate-related challenges that are largely unexplored, relative to more extensive work conducted in temperate regions. We studied the effects of high atmospheric and nest temperatures during reproduction in the zebra finch. We characterized the temperature within nests in a subtropical population of this species in relation to atmospheric temperature. Temperatures within nests frequently exceeded the level at which embryo's develop optimally, even in the absence of parental incubation. We experimentally manipulated internal nest temperature to demonstrate that an average difference of 6°C in the nest temperature during the laying period reduced hatching ti

SUBMITTER: Griffith SC 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC4785966 | biostudies-literature | 2016 Feb

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature