Prenatal Testosterone Levels and Mortality Patterns in House Sparrows
Dr. Beehner
A review of ‘Embryonic Exposure to Maternal Testosterone Influences Age-Specific Mortality Patterns in a Captive Passerine Bird’
- Hubert Schwabl, Donna Holmes, Rosemary Strasser, Alex Scheuerlein -
Introduction
This study investigated the effects of embryonic exposure to
maternal testosterone on age-specific mortality patterns
Developmental Programming - The process when conditions
experienced during early development result in lifelong
influences on adult phenotype and health
Embryonic Hormone levels have been linked to aging rates
related to speed of growth
Previous studied have been done relating other hormones such
as growth hormone and insulin like growth factor to these
adult phenotypes
Maternal androgens have been shown to influence offspring
development and growth, metabolic rate, behavior and
immune function
House sparrows usually live an average lifespan of 3 years
References
Schwabl, H., Holmes, D., Strasser, R., & Scheuerlein, A.
(2011). Embryonic exposure to maternal testosterone
influences age-specific mortality patterns in a captive
passerine bird. Age, 34(1), 87-94. doi:10.1007/
s11357-011-9222-8
Christopher Martinak
University of Michigan
Psych 337
Methods
Sparrow eggs were injected with 200ng of testosterone in
5 μl of sesame oil or 5 μl of oil as a control
Hatched birds were placed in an aviary modeling the
species natural habitat conditions
Birds were monitored for 3.5 years and their mortality was
mapped based on the variables of gender and treatment
Statistical analysis of data was computed
House Sparrow (Passer Domesticus)
Results
Hatch rates between treatment groups were similar (p= 0.68)
Survival rate at 10 day mark was also similar
T treatment decreased overall hazard of death for both sexes
Conclusions & Discussion (p= 0.045)
T treatment affected females with greater effect than male
counterparts
According to this study, the effects of hormones during
prenatal development do on average increase the lifespan of
the sparrow
The most likely cause of this phenomenon is the increase in
body growth early in life.
This study did not take into consideration the predation of
the Sparrows in their natural habitat
This study did not examine the relationship between
prenatal testosterone levels and reproductive fitness