Sex-specific deposition and survival effects of maternal antibodies: a case study with the gull-billed tern Gelochelidon nilotica

摘要

h ere is a growing body of evidence that maternal antibodies transferred to o? spring have potential implications in the evolutionary ecology of birds. h is transfer of maternal antibodies is a potentially ? exible mechanism of non-genetic inheritance by which mothers could favour some o? spring over others and/or increase o? spring survival, but this is a phenomenon that remains poorly understood. We examined sex-speci? c deposition of maternal antibodies and its e? ects on early (5 d) and ? edging (17 d) survival in semiprecocial chicks of the gull-billed tern Gelochelidon nilotica , a long-distance migratory bird. Mothers transferred a signi? cantly greater amount of maternal antibodies to sons than to daughters. We found evidence for positive associations between maternal antibody levels at hatching and early o? - spring survival. h is association might be sex-speci? c, which can be understood as a mechanism of parental favouritism for the most sensitive sex.