文章基本信息

标题：Incubation temperature affects the expression of young precocial birds’ fear-related behaviours and neuroendocrine correlates
本地全文：下载
作者：Aline Bertin ; Ludovic Calandreau ; Maryse Meurisse 等
期刊名称：Scientific Reports
电子版ISSN：2045-2322
出版年度：2018
卷号：8
期号：1
页码：1857
DOI：10.1038/s41598-018-20319-y
语种：English
出版社：Springer Nature
摘要：The influence of embryonic microclimate on the behavioural development of birds remains unexplored. In this study, we experimentally tested whether chronic exposure to suboptimal temperatures engendered plasticity in the expression of fear-related behaviours and in the expression of the corticotropin-releasing factor in the brains of domestic chicks (Gallus g. domesticus). We compared the neurobehavioural phenotypes of a control group of chicks incubated in an optimal thermal environment (37.8 °C) with those of a group of experimental chicks exposed chronically in ovo to suboptimal temperatures (27.2 °C for 1 hour twice a day). Chronic exposure to a suboptimal temperature delayed hatching and decreased growth rate and experimental chicks had higher neophobic responses than controls in novel food and novel environment tests. In addition, experimental chicks showed higher expression of corticotropin-releasing factor than did controls in nuclei of the amygdala, a structure involved in the regulation of fear-related behaviours. In this study, we report the first evidence of the strong but underappreciated role of incubation microclimate on the development of birds' behaviour and its neurobiological correlates.