Metabolic Rates Predict Baseline Corticosterone and Reproductive Output in a Free-Living Passerine.

ABSTRACT: Organisms continuously face environmental fluctuations, and allocation of metabolic investment to meet changing energetic demands is fundamental to survival and reproductive success. Glucocorticoid (GC) hormones (e.g., corticosterone [CORT]) play an important role in energy acquisition and allocation in the face of environmental challenges, partly through mediation of energy metabolism. Although GCs and metabolic rate are expected to covary, surprisingly few empirical studies have demonstrated such relationships, especially in wild animals. Moreover, studies testing for associations between GCs and fitness generally do not account for among-individual differences in energy expenditure or energy allocation. We measured CORT (baseline and stress-induced) and metabolic traits (resting metabol

SUBMITTER: Jimeno B 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC7794023 | biostudies-literature | 2020

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature