Immunoglobulin plasma concentration in relation to egg laying and mate ornamentation of female barn swallows (Hirundo rustica)
- 1 January 2001
- journal article
- research article
- Published by Oxford University Press (OUP) in Journal of Evolutionary Biology
- Vol. 14 (1) , 95-109
- https://doi.org/10.1046/j.1420-9101.2001.00252.x
Abstract
In vertebrates, offspring have a relatively inefficient immune system soon after birth. Female birds transmit immunoglobulins to the egg, which can confer protection against parasites to their offspring after hatching, but allocation of immune factors can depend on the reproductive value of the offspring as affected, for example, by the quality of their father. We analyse the variation in immunoglobulin levels of female barn swallows (Hirundo rustica) during the breeding cycle in relation to the expression of a secondary sexual character of their mates. Circulating immunoglobulins peaked on approximately the day before that of laying of their first egg, but postlaying concentration was similar to the concentration well before laying. Immunoglobulin levels per unit volume of plasma were lower for females breeding late compared with those breeding early. Haematocrit of females reached an absolute minimum on the day of laying of the third egg. In males, concentration of immunoglobulins relative to other plasma proteins did not change in relation to the breeding stage. Smaller relative concentrations of immunoglobulins and haematocrit were observed in males breeding late in the season. Immunoglobulin concentration of females was positively correlated with the level of ornamentation of their mates. These results suggest that females alter their immune profile to transmit humoral factors providing immune defence against pathogens to their offspring after hatching. This enhancement of immune protection is larger when the offsprings are of relatively large reproductive value as when sired by high quality males. Alternatively, females with relatively large immunoglobulin concentration preferentially mate with the most ornamented males.Keywords
This publication has 48 references indexed in Scilit:
- Biological signals as handicapsPublished by Elsevier ,2006
- The cost of honesty: Further Remarks on the Handicap PrinciplePublished by Elsevier ,2006
- Mate selection—A selection for a handicapPublished by Elsevier ,2004
- Haematocrit correlates with tail ornament size in three populations of the Barn Swallow (Hirundo rustica)Functional Ecology, 1997
- Experimental manipulation of tail ornament size affects the hematocrit of male barn swallows ( Hirundo rustica )Oecologia, 1997
- Transfer of IgA from Albumen into the Yolk sac during Embryonic Development in the Chicken*Journal of Veterinary Medicine Series A, 1996
- Sexual Selection and the Barn SwallowJournal of Animal Ecology, 1996
- Maternal transfer of antibodies induced by infection withEimeria maximapartially protects chickens against challenge withEimeria tenellaParasitology, 1994
- The Evolution of Life-historiesJournal of Animal Ecology, 1993
- Interactions Between the Gonadal Steroids and the Immune SystemScience, 1985