Date of Award
7-11-2015
Publication Type
Master Thesis
Degree Name
M.Sc.
Department
Biological Sciences
Keywords
conservation, corticosterone, feather, glucocorticoid, integument, stress
Supervisor
Love, Oliver
Rights
info:eu-repo/semantics/openAccess
Creative Commons License
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-No Derivative Works 4.0 International License.
Abstract
The measurement of stress through glucocorticoid levels in feathers has been proposed as a key physiological tool useful to the investigation of mechanistic linkages of ecological and conservation problems. However, a number of details of the method are not well-understood, limiting the current interpretation and applications of this tool. Here we investigate the pattern and repeatability of corticosterone levels in naturally-grown feathers, assess the long-term stability of these levels and their resistance to external change, and evaluate their ability to respond to a long-term stressor during breeding using feathers from a wild population of tree swallows (Tachycineta bicolor). Our results indicate gaps in the current understanding of feather corticosterone and provide important guidance on the future measurement of stress in feathers and its use in assessing natural and anthropogenic impacts in the wild.
Recommended Citation
Harris, Christopher Mark, "Corticosterone in Feathers as a Biomarker: Biological Relevance, Considerations and Cautions" (2015). Electronic Theses and Dissertations. 5293.
https://scholar.uwindsor.ca/etd/5293