Maternal effects can adaptively modulate offspring developmental trajectories in variable but
predictable environments. Hormone synthesis is sensitive to environmental factors, and …

Highlights•Prenatal environment has organizing effects on developmental trajectories.•Data
on prenatal hormone-mediated maternal effects are inconsistent.•Hormonal effects should …

Background In egg-laying animals, mothers can influence the developmental environment
and thus the phenotype of their offspring by secreting various substances into the egg yolk …

Recent studies have shown that the egg yolk maternal components, which are a mixture of
substances that can affect the developing embryo, do not act separately but are …

Avian eggs contain a large number of molecules deposited by the mother that provide the
embryo with energy but also potentially influence its development via the effects of …

Mothers can shape the developmental trajectory of their offspring through the transmission
of resources such as hormones, antioxidants or immunoglobulins. Over the last two …

In ovo corticosterone (CORT) exposure reportedly reduces growth and alters body
composition traits in meat-type chickens. However, the mechanisms governing alterations in …

Variation in the concentration of antioxidants and hormones of maternal origin in the eggs of
birds can have a profound influence on offspring phenotype both prenatally and postnatally …

Organismal aging, or senescence, can be defined as a progressive, irreversible loss of
function that results in declines in fertility and survival (Holmes and Martin 2009). This …

Genetic variation is one of the key concepts in evolutionary biology and an important
prerequisite of evolutionary change. However, we know very little about processes that …