Meeting Abstract
Sex ratio manipulation is a well-documented phenomenon in numerous avian species. Females, the heterogametic sex in birds, are able to alter their sex ratios in response to a variety of factors in order to maximize their reproductive success. Two prevailing influences on sex ratios are food availability and maternal condition (measured by fat content), and in a study conducted in Kakapo parrot, a diet high in fat skewed sex ratios towards males. We hypothesize that a diet’s fat content may be a key factor involved in skewing sex ratio. In the present study, we aimed to test the influences of high dietary fat on offspring sex ratios in Japanese quail. We chose safflower oil and flax seed oil as our main fat components based on the dietary composition that skewed sex ratios in Kakapo parrots. Sexually mature Japanese quail were pair-housed in a climate and light controlled environment with free access to feed and water. Half were fed a traditional quail diet crumble and the other half were given a diet formulated with 5% safflower oil and 5% flax seed oil balanced accordingly. The quail were given an adjustment period of two weeks before we collected eggs for an additional two weeks. The collected eggs were incubated for 3 days, frozen, and then embryonic tissue was dissected and molecularly sexed. The sex ratio of pairs given the high fat diet was found to be male-biased and significantly greater (F = 6.66, p = 0.01) than those of the control, and this effect appeared to occur independently of body weight. These data suggest that fat quantity and fat quality of a bird’s diet may be a trigger of sex ratio adjustment in birds.
