Effects of the Urban Environment on Oxidative Stress in Early Life: Insights from a Cross-fostering Experiment.

ABSTRACT: As urban areas expand rapidly worldwide, wildlife is exposed to a wide range of novel environmental stressors, such as increased air pollution and artificial light at night. Birds in highly polluted and/or urbanized habitats have been found to have increased antioxidant protection, which is likely important to avoid accumulation of oxidative damage, which can have negative fitness consequences. Yet, the current knowledge about the ontogeny of antioxidant protection in urban areas is limited; i.e., is the capacity to up-regulate the antioxidant defences already established during pre-natal development, or does it manifest itself during post-natal development? We cross-fostered great tit (Parus major) nestlings within and between urban and rural habitats, to determine if oxidative stress (me

SUBMITTER: Salmon P 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC6204991 | biostudies-literature | 2018 Nov

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature