Date of Award
2005
Degree Type
Thesis
Degree Name
Master of Science
Program
Biology
Supervisor
Liana Zanette
Second Advisor
Fred Longstaffe
Third Advisor
Scott MacDougall-Shackleton
Abstract
Offspring condition may predict a population’s future success. We studied the effects of nutritional stress on Δ N and Δ C in juvenile Song Sparrows (Melospiza melodia) handreared under ad libitum or food-stressed conditions, and compared them to conventional measures of condition. The degree of food stress significantly altered development, causing poor condition and increased corticosterone, glucose, and anemia. Despite this, we could not detect nutritional stress as measured by Δ N or Δ C and the birds did not display increased developmental instability. 15N enrichment may require greater levels of nutritional stress than used in this experiment. Δ C analysis may be complicated by differences in endogenous amino acid formation or by differential digestion of C3 and C# dietary components. We determined Δ N and Δ C tissue-diet fractionations for blood, feathers, liver, muscle, and excreta. Liver and muscle from which lipids had been removed were significantly enriched in both N and C.
Recommended Citation
Kempster, Bethany L., "Assessing the condition of juvenile Song Sparrows (Melospiza melodia) using stable nitrogen and carbon isotopes" (2005). Digitized Theses. 4624.
https://ir.lib.uwo.ca/digitizedtheses/4624