Meeting Abstract

P1.74  Tuesday, Jan. 4  Development of stress response in fast (Coturnix japonica) versus slow (Callipepla gamelii) growing species. GASTECKI, M. L.*; REED, W. L. ; North Dakota State University; North Dakota State University michelle.gastecki@ndsu.edu

Life-history theory predicts that growing animals are constrained in the amount of energy available for systems that promote survival (i.e., stress response). Glucocorticoids are hormones responsible for the vertebrate stress response, and are involved in mobilization of energy reserves needed for individuals to meet the immediate energetic demand of coping with stress. Based on life-history theory principles, we predict that the stress response of fast growing animals is lower than slow growing animals, which have more energy to dedicate to survival promoting mechanisms. Species of comparable size in the order Galliformes vary considerably in growth and developmental rate and provide a model system for testing these predictions. We investigated the development of stress response in two different species of quail within Galliformes; one that is relatively fast-growing (Japanese quail, Coturnix japonica) and one that is relatively slow-growing (Gambel’s quail, Callipepla gambelii). Mass and tarsus length were used to measure growth. Corticosterone levels in response to ACTH challenge were quantified to measure stress responsiveness. We found that Gambel’s quail, the relatively faster growing species, had higher basal and maximal levels of corticosterone than Japanese quail, the slower growing species. Furthermore, Gambel’s quail exhibited a greater response (measured as basal level of corticosterone subtracted from maximal level of corticosterone) to stress than Japanese quail.