The social environment is one of the primary sources of challenging stimuli that can induce a
stress response in animals. It comprises both short-term and stable interactions among …

Zebra finches are an important model for vocal learning and avian mate choice. The two are
contingent on each other: males' learned songs are addressed at females with learned …

Developmental stressors often have long-term fitness consequences, but linking offspring
traits to fitness prospects has remained a challenge. Telomere length predicts mortality in …

The interrelationship between wild animal, domestic animals and human health is
appreciated now more than ever before. This is because of the recognition of the …

Mate choice studies routinely assume female preferences for indicators of high quality in
males but rarely consider developmental causes of within-population variation in mating …

Stress during early life can profoundly influence an individual's phenotype. Effects can
manifest in the short-term as well as later in life and even in subsequent generations …

Publisher Summary This chapter discusses the physiology, ecology, and behavior of
hormones in avian eggs. The main source of hormones found in avian eggs is the maturing …

Sexual conflict over parental care relies on the fundamental assumption that parents do not
share the cost of their partner's effort on future reproduction. However, this is unlikely to be …

Many vertebrates grow up in the company of same or different-age siblings, and relations
among them can be expected to significantly influence individual life histories and the …

The developmental stress hypothesis proposes that the honesty of bird song as a signal may
be maintained by costs incurred during development. That is, song complexity or other …