Brandl-et-al_2018_ProcB.pdf (378.41 kB)
Early-life social environment predicts social network position in wild zebra finches
journal contribution
posted on 2023-06-09, 17:35 authored by Hanja B Brandl, Damien R Farine, Caterina Funghi, Wiebke SchuettWiebke Schuett, Simon C GriffithEarly-life experience can fundamentally shape individual life-history trajectories. Previous research has suggested that exposure to stress during development causes differences in social behaviour later in life. In captivity, juvenile zebra finches exposed to elevated corticosterone levels were less socially choosy and more central in their social networks when compared to untreated siblings. These differences extended to other aspects of social life, with ‘stress-exposed’ juveniles switching social learning strategies and juvenile males less faithfully learning their father's song. However, while this body of research suggests that the impacts of early-life stress could be profound, it remains unknown whether such effects are strong enough to be expressed under natural conditions. Here, we collected data on social associations of zebra finches in the Australian desert after experimentally manipulating brood sizes. Juveniles from enlarged broods experienced heightened sibling competition, and we predicted that they would express similar patterns of social associations to stress-treated birds in the captive study by having more, but less differentiated, relationships. We show striking support for the suggested consequences of developmental stress on social network positions, with our data from the wild replicating the same results in 9 out of 10 predictions previously tested in captivity. Chicks raised in enlarged broods foraged with greater numbers of conspecifics but were less ‘choosy’ and more central in the social network. Our results confirm that the natural range of variation in early-life experience can be sufficient to predict individuals' social trajectories and support theory highlighting the potential importance of developmental conditions on behaviour.
History
Publication status
- Published
File Version
- Accepted version
Journal
Proceedings of the Royal Society B: Biological SciencesISSN
0962-8452Publisher
Royal Society, TheExternal DOI
Issue
1897Volume
286Page range
20182579 1-9Department affiliated with
- Evolution, Behaviour and Environment Publications
Full text available
- Yes
Peer reviewed?
- Yes
Legacy Posted Date
2019-04-15First Open Access (FOA) Date
2019-04-16First Compliant Deposit (FCD) Date
2019-04-16Usage metrics
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