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Artificially increased yolk hormone levels and neophobia in domestic chicks
- Source :
- Animals (5), 1220-1232. (2015), Animals, Animals, MDPI, 2015, 5, pp.1220-1232. ⟨10.3390/ani5040408⟩, Volume 5, Issue 4, Pages 1220-1232, Animals : an Open Access Journal from MDPI, Animals; Volume 5; Issue 4; Pages: 1220-1232, Animals, Vol 5, Iss 4, Pp 1220-1232 (2015)
- Publication Year :
- 2015
-
Abstract
- In birds there is compelling evidence that the development and expression of behavior is affected by maternal factors, particularly via variation in yolk hormone concentrations of maternal origin. In the present study we tested whether variation in yolk hormone levels lead to variation in the expression of neophobia in young domestic chicks. Understanding how the prenatal environment could predispose chicks to express fear-related behaviors is essential in order to propose preventive actions and improve animal welfare. We simulated the consequences of a maternal stress by experimentally enhancing yolk progesterone, testosterone and estradiol concentrations in hen eggs prior to incubation. The chicks from these hormone-treated eggs (H) and from sham embryos (C) that received the vehicle-only were exposed to novel food, novel object and novel environment tests. H chicks approached a novel object significantly faster and were significantly more active in a novel environment than controls, suggesting less fearfulness. Conversely, no effect of the treatment was found in food neophobia tests. Our study highlights a developmental influence of yolk hormones on a specific aspect of neophobia. The results suggest that increased yolk hormone levels modulate specifically the probability of exploring novel environments or novel objects in the environment.
- Subjects :
- animal domestique
medicine.medical_specialty
[SDV.OT]Life Sciences [q-bio]/Other [q-bio.OT]
food.ingredient
neophobia
jaune d'oeuf
hormone
Novel food
behavioral development
Biology
Article
comportement animal
03 medical and health sciences
0302 clinical medicine
food
Internal medicine
Yolk
lcsh:Zoology
medicine
0501 psychology and cognitive sciences
050102 behavioral science & comparative psychology
lcsh:QL1-991
Incubation
peur
comportement social
Testosterone
lcsh:Veterinary medicine
General Veterinary
comportement alimentaire
05 social sciences
Neophobia
Maternal effect
yolk hormones
Embryo
medicine.disease
poussin
Endocrinology
yolk hormone
maternal effects
fear
embryonic structures
lcsh:SF600-1100
Animal Science and Zoology
030217 neurology & neurosurgery
néophobie
Hormone
Autre (Sciences du Vivant)
Subjects
Details
- Language :
- English
- ISSN :
- 20762615
- Database :
- OpenAIRE
- Journal :
- Animals (5), 1220-1232. (2015), Animals, Animals, MDPI, 2015, 5, pp.1220-1232. ⟨10.3390/ani5040408⟩, Volume 5, Issue 4, Pages 1220-1232, Animals : an Open Access Journal from MDPI, Animals; Volume 5; Issue 4; Pages: 1220-1232, Animals, Vol 5, Iss 4, Pp 1220-1232 (2015)
- Accession number :
- edsair.doi.dedup.....764710e904b9705b0885a2d2e3e75060