Parental physiological condition and reproductive success in chinstrap penguins ( Pygoscelis antarctica )

摘要: Recent studies suggest that parental resource allocation may be the most important factor explaining differences in reproductive output among parents. That said at least two different hypotheses of balance between foraging effort and have been proposed. First, parents with high success. Second, higher resources to offspring We tested second hypothesis using chinstrap penguins (Pygoscelis antarctica) as a model. evaluated nutritional condition blood urea, uric acid, creatine kinase, cholesterol levels. success according total mass brood asymmetries inside brood. measured degree asymmetry weight culmen length. Generalized linear models were used examine relationships adult plasma urea levels year, nest position, chicks. Our results demonstrate lighter broods more asymmetric associated lower values kinase. interpret these findings evidence birds allocate fewer their chicks than adults symmetric are.