title: Early life disadvantage strengthens flight performance trade-offs in European starlings,Sturnus vulgaris.
abstract: Developmental stress has been shown to affect adult flight performance in birds, with both negative and positive effects reported in the literature. Previous studies have used developmental manipulations that had substantial effects on patterns of growth. They have also examined mean levels of flight performance per individual, rather than investigating how developmental stress might alter trade-offs between different components of flight performance. We recorded multiple components of escape flight performance in 20 adult European starlings previously subjected to a manipulation likely to have altered levels of developmental stress. Siblings had been cross-fostered to nests where they were either slightly larger (advantaged treatment) or slightly smaller (disadvantaged treatment) than their competitors. The manipulation had no detectable effect on growth. However, developmental treatment affected performance in escape flights a year later by strengthening the trade-offs between different flight parameters. Disadvantaged birds faced a steeper trade-off between take-off speed and take-off angle, and a steeper trade-off between take-off angle and total time in flight, than advantaged birds. The results suggest that even subtle early life adversity that has no obvious effect on growth or size can leave a lasting legacy in the form of constraints on locomotor performance later in life.
authors.affiliation: Centre for Behaviour and Evolution & Institute of Neuroscience, Newcastle University, Newcastle, U.K.
authors.forename: Daniel
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: O'Hagan
authors.affiliation: Centre for Behaviour and Evolution & Institute of Neuroscience, Newcastle University, Newcastle, U.K.
authors.forename: Clare P
authors.initials: CP
authors.lastname: Andrews
authors.affiliation: Centre for Behaviour and Evolution & Institute of Neuroscience, Newcastle University, Newcastle, U.K.
authors.forename: Thomas
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Bedford
authors.affiliation: Centre for Behaviour and Evolution & Institute of Neuroscience, Newcastle University, Newcastle, U.K.
authors.forename: Melissa
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Bateson
authors.affiliation: Centre for Behaviour and Evolution & Institute of Neuroscience, Newcastle University, Newcastle, U.K.
authors.forename: Daniel
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Nettle
keywords: developmental stress; early life adversity; flight performance; locomotor performance; starlings
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