Publications

[veterinary treatment of pigeon flocks].	veterinary treatment of pigeon flocks requires specific knowledge on the management of the various pigeon flocks as well as of common diseases in these birds and important diagnostic and therapeutic measures. in this context, it is important to differentiate between racing pigeons, thoroughbreds and pigeons kept for meat production, that is, between food-supplying and companion animals. the following article provides an overview of the species-specific characteristics of columba livia f. domesti ...	2014	25323217
parasite distribution and early-stage encephalitis in sarcocystis calchasi infections in domestic pigeons (columba livia f. domestica).	pigeon protozoal encephalitis is a biphasic, neurologic disease of domestic pigeons (columba livia f. domestica) caused by the apicomplexan parasite sarcocystis calchasi. despite severe inflammatory lesions of the brain, associated parasitic stages have only rarely been identified and the cause of the lesions is still unclear. the aim of this study was therefore to characterize the tissue distribution of s. calchasi within pigeons between the two clinical phases and during the occurrence of neur ...	2015	25338141
full-length cdna cloning and structural characterization of preproinsulin in alligator sinensis.	insulin is an important endocrine hormone that plays a critical physiological role in regulating metabolism and glucostasis in vertebrates. in this study, the complete cdna of alligator sinensis preproinsulin gene was cloned for the first time by reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction and rapid amplification of cdna ends methods; the amino acid sequence encoded and protein structure were analyzed. the full-length of preproinsulin cdna sequence consists of 528 base pairs (bp), comprising ...	2014	25366775
discrimination of complex human behavior by pigeons (columba livia) and humans.	the cognitive and neural mechanisms for recognizing and categorizing behavior are not well understood in non-human animals. in the current experiments, pigeons and humans learned to categorize two non-repeating, complex human behaviors ("martial arts" vs. "indian dance"). using multiple video exemplars of a digital human model, pigeons discriminated these behaviors in a go/no-go task and humans in a choice task. experiment 1 found that pigeons already experienced with discriminating the locomoti ...	2014	25379777
predicting power-optimal kinematics of avian wings.	a theoretical model of avian flight is developed which simulates wing motion through a class of methods known as predictive simulation. this approach uses numerical optimization to predict power-optimal kinematics of avian wings in hover, cruise, climb and descent. the wing dynamics capture both aerodynamic and inertial loads. the model is used to simulate the flight of the pigeon, columba livia, and the results are compared with previous experimental measurements. in cruise, the model unearths ...	2015	25392398
gravity anomalies without geomagnetic disturbances interfere with pigeon homing--a gps tracking study.	the gravity vector theory postulates that birds determine their position to set a home course by comparing the memorized gravity vector at the home loft with the local gravity vector at the release site, and that they should adjust their flight course to the gravity anomalies encountered. as gravity anomalies are often intermingled with geomagnetic anomalies, we released experienced pigeons from the center of a strong circular gravity anomaly (25 km diameter) not associated with magnetic anomali ...	2014	25392461
an age-related deficit in spatial-feature reference memory in homing pigeons (columba livia).	age-related memory decline in mammals has been well documented. by contrast, very little is known about memory decline in birds as they age. in the current study we trained younger and older homing pigeons on a reference memory task in which a goal location could be encoded by spatial and feature cues. consistent with a previous working memory study, the results revealed impaired acquisition of combined spatial-feature reference memory in older compared to younger pigeons. following memory acqui ...	2015	25449841
pigeons produce aerodynamic torques through changes in wing trajectory during low speed aerial turns.	the complexity of low speed maneuvering flight is apparent from the combination of two critical aspects of this behavior: high power and precise control. to understand how such control is achieved, we examined the underlying kinematics and resulting aerodynamic mechanisms of low speed turning flight in the pigeon (columba livia). three birds were trained to perform 90 deg level turns in a stereotypical fashion and detailed three-dimensional (3d) kinematics were recorded at high speeds. applying ...	2015	25452503
stress-induced core temperature changes in pigeons (columba livia).	changes in body temperature are significant physiological consequences of stressful stimuli in mammals and birds. pigeons (columba livia) prosper in (potentially) stressful urban environments and are common subjects in neurobehavioral studies; however, the thermal responses to stress stimuli by pigeons are poorly known. here, we describe acute changes in the telemetrically recorded celomatic (core) temperature (tc) in pigeons given a variety of potentially stressful stimuli, including transfer t ...	2015	25479572
prevalence and rate of parasitemia of haemoproteus columbae in columba iiviadomesticain southwest of iran.	parasites affect the health and productivity of birds. haemoproteus columbae occurs in pigeons widely in tropical and subtropical regions. the present investigation was concentrated on the prevalence of h. columbae and rate of parasitemia in domestic pigeons in southwest of iran.	2013	25516748
preliminary study on avian fauna of the krishna river basin sangli district, western maharashtra, india.	the present study on avifaunal diversity carried out for three years at the krishna river basin, sangli district revealed a total of 126 species of birds belonging to 30 families, of which 91 species were resident, 16 migratory, 12 resident and local migratory and 7 species were resident and migratory. among the migrant birds, rosy starling sturnus roseus was dominant in the study area. commonly recorded resident bird species were, red vented bulbul, jungle crow, house sparrow, common myna, brah ...	2014	25522499
enterococcus cecorum infection in a racing pigeon.	until now, enterococcus cecorum (ec) has been known as a pathogen for broilers, broiler breeders, and pekin ducks. in the present report, we describe a fatal systemic ec infection in a young racing pigeon (columba livia forma domestica). ec was isolated from the heart, liver, spleen, and intestine of the bird in pure culture. in the pathologic examination, the pigeon showed enteritis and an ulcerative gastritis, which may have been predisposing factors for the development of the generalized ec i ...	2014	25619014
isospora streperae n. sp. (apicomplexa: eimeriidae) from a grey currawong (strepera versicolour plumbea) (passeriformes: artamidae) in western australia.	a new species, isospora streperae n. sp., (apicomplexa: eimeriidae) is described from a single grey currawong bird (strepera versicolour) (subspecies s. v. plumbea) in western australia. sporulated oocysts (n = 32) are spherical to subspherical, with smooth colourless bilayered oocyst wall, 1.0 µm thick (outer layer 0⋅8 µm, inner 0.2 µm thick). oocyst with a polar granule, an oocyst residuum and two spheroidal to subspheroidal sporocysts. oocyst length, 23.8 (20.4-25.0) µm; oocyst width, 22.5 (2 ...	2015	25620542
the complete mitochondrial genome of the fancy pigeon, columba livia (columbiformes: columbidae).	the fancy pigeons are domesticated varieties of the rock pigeon developed over many years of selective breeding. in the present work, we report the complete mitochondrial genome sequence of fancy pigeon for the first time. the total length of the mitogenome was 17,233 bp with the base composition of 30.1% for a, 24.0% for t, 31.9% for c, and 14.0% for g and an a-t (54.2 %)-rich feature was detected. it harbored 13 protein-coding genes, 2 ribosomal rna genes, 22 transfer rna genes and 1 non-codin ...	2015	25629469
complete genome sequence of a newcastle disease virus isolated from a rock dove (columba livia) in the russian federation.	we report here the complete genome sequence of a newcastle disease virus (ndv) isolate, ndv/altai/pigeon/770/2011, isolated from a rock dove in the russian federation. on the basis of phylogenetic analysis, this strain was clustered into genotype vib class ii.	2015	25635008
distribution of vesicular glutamate transporter 2 and ionotropic glutamate receptors in the auditory ganglion and cochlear nuclei of pigeons (columba livia).	glutamate is a principal excitatory neurotransmitter in the auditory system. our previous studies revealed localization of glutamate receptor mrnas in the pigeon cochlear nuclei, suggesting the existence of glutamatergic input from the auditory nerve to the brainstem. this study demonstrated localization of mrnas for vesicular glutamate transporter 2 (vglut2) and ionotropic glutamate receptors (ampa, kainate and nmda) in the auditory ganglion (ag) and cochlear nuclei (magnocellular, angular and ...	2016	25639143
electrophysiological mismatch response recorded in awake pigeons from the avian functional equivalent of the primary auditory cortex.	the neural response to occasional variations in acoustic stimuli in a regular sequence of sounds generates an n-methyl-d-aspartate receptor-modulated event-related potential in primates and rodents in the primary auditory cortex known as mismatch negativity (mmn). the current study investigated mmn in pigeons (columba livia l) through intracranial recordings from field l of the caudomedial nidopallium, the avian functional equivalent of the mammalian primary auditory cortex. auditory evoked fiel ...	2015	25646582
toltrazuril does not show an effect against pigeon protozoal encephalitis.	the protozoan parasite sarcocystis calchasi causes a severe neurologic disease in domestic pigeons (columba livia f. dom.) named pigeon protozoal encephalitis. recently, the parasite has also been reported in psittacines causing a virtually identical disease with fatal outcome. so far, an etiological treatment of s. calchasi infections in pigeons or psittacines is unknown. the present study evaluates the effectiveness of the anticoccidian drug toltrazuril against s. calchasi and the influence of ...	2015	25648444
characterization of the complete mitochondrial genome of the king pigeon (columba livia breed king).	the king pigeon is a breed of pigeon developed over many years of selective breeding primarily as a utility breed. in the present work, we report the complete mitochondrial genome sequence of king pigeon for the first time. the total length of the mitogenome was 17,221 bp with the base composition of 30.14% for a, 24.05% for t, 31.82% for c, and 13.99% for g and an a-t (54.22 %)-rich feature was detected. it harbored 13 protein-coding genes, two ribosomal rna genes, 22 transfer rna genes, and on ...	2015	25648922
evaluation of osteogenic potentials of avian demineralized bone matrix in the healing of osseous defects in pigeons.	to evaluate avian allogeneic demineralized bone matrix (dbm) in the healing of long bone defects as a function of geometry and time in a pigeon model.	2015	25656987
avian influenza virus with hemagglutinin-neuraminidase combination h3n6, isolated from a domestic pigeon in guangxi, southern china.	the h3 subtype of avian influenza virus can provide genes for human influenza virus through gene reassortment, which has raised great concerns about its potential threat to human health. an h3n6 subtype of avian influenza virus was isolated from guangxi province, china, in 2009. all eight gene segments of the strain were sequenced. the sequence analysis indicated that this h3n6 virus was a nature reassortant virus. the genome sequences now can be used to understand the epidemiological and molecu ...	2015	25657287
implicit learning in cotton-top tamarins (saguinus oedipus) and pigeons (columba livia).	there is considerable interest in the conditions under which human subjects learn patterned information without explicit instructions to learn that information. this form of learning, termed implicit or incidental learning, can be approximated in nonhumans by exposing subjects to patterned information but delivering reinforcement randomly, thereby not requiring the subjects to learn the information in order to be reinforced. following acquisition, nonhuman subjects are queried as to what they ha ...	2015	25673101
the complete mitochondrial genome of the jacobin pigeon (columba livia breed jacobin).	the jacobin is a breed of fancy pigeon developed over many years of selective breeding that originated in asia. in the present work, we report the complete mitochondrial genome sequence of jacobin pigeon for the first time. the total length of the mitogenome was 17,245 bp with the base composition of 30.18% for a, 23.98% for t, 31.88% for c, and 13.96% for g and an a-t (54.17 %)-rich feature was detected. it harbored 13 protein-coding genes, 2 ribosomal rna genes, 22 transfer rna genes and 1 non ...	2015	25690052
the complete mitochondrial genome of the ice pigeon (columba livia breed ice).	the ice pigeon is a breed of fancy pigeon developed over many years of selective breeding. in the present work, we report the complete mitochondrial genome sequence of ice pigeon for the first time. the total length of the mitogenome was 17,236 bp with the base composition of 30.2% for a, 24.0% for t, 31.9% for c, and 13.9% for g and an a-t (54.2 %)-rich feature was detected. it harbored 13 protein-coding genes, 2 ribosomal rna genes, 22 transfer rna genes and 1 non-coding control region (d-loop ...	2015	25722036
pigeons trade efficiency for stability in response to level of challenge during confined flight.	individuals traversing challenging obstacles are faced with a decision: they can adopt traversal strategies that minimally disrupt their normal locomotion patterns or they can adopt strategies that substantially alter their gait, conferring new advantages and disadvantages. we flew pigeons (columba livia) through an array of vertical obstacles in a flight arena, presenting them with this choice. the pigeons selected either a strategy involving only a slight pause in the normal wing beat cycle, o ...	2015	25733863
molecular characterization of cryptosporidium spp. in domestic pigeons (columba livia domestica) in guangdong province, southern china.	to investigate the prevalence and assess the zoonotic transmission burden of cryptosporidium species in domestic pigeons in guangdong province, southern china, 244 fecal samples were collected from four pigeon breeding farms between june 2012 and march 2013. cryptosporidium oocysts were purified by sheather's sugar flotation technique and characterized by dna sequencing of small subunit ribosomal rna (ssu rrna) gene. cryptosporidium species were determined by comparison of sequences with corresp ...	2015	25773186
[role of adenosine a(2a) receptors of preoptical area in realization of somnogenic effect of protein 70 kda in pigeons].	in representatives of class of birds (pigeons columba livia) using electrophysiological methods for the first time there was performed analysis of effects of microinjections into the hypothalamic ventrolateral preoptical area (vlpa) of antagonists of the adenosine a(2a) type receptors on the sleep-wale cycle under natural conditions and on realization of somnogenic effect of heat shock protein 70 kda (hsp70). the following has been established: 1) microinjections of adenosine a(2a) receptors ant ...	2015	25782283
phylogenetic analysis of avian paramyxovirus serotype-1 in pigeons in japan.	to understand the epidemiology of avian paramyxovirus serotype-1 (apmv-1) in pigeons in japan, phylogenetic analysis was comprehensively conducted based on partial fusion protein gene using isolate from the surveillance of this virus with previously known japanese pigeon strains. this surveillance was conducted using feces obtained from domestic pigeons collected in 40 prefectures throughout japan from june 2011 to march 2013. from a total of 1,021 samples, a single virus (apmv1/pigeon/japan/kan ...	2015	25797040
molecular characterization of trichomonas gallinae isolates recovered from the canadian maritime provinces' wild avifauna reveals the presence of the genotype responsible for the european finch trichomonosis epidemic and additional strains.	finch trichomonosis, caused by trichomonas gallinae, emerged in the canadian maritime provinces in 2007 and has since caused ongoing mortality in regional purple finch (carpodacus purpureus) and american goldfinch (carduelis tristis) populations. trichomonas gallinae was isolated from (1) finches and rock pigeons (columbia livia) submitted for post-mortem or live-captured at bird feeding sites experiencing trichomonosis mortality; (2) bird seed at these same sites; and (3) rock pigeons live-capt ...	2015	25804862
immunohistochemistry and molecular epidemiology of avian paramyxovirus 1 from formalin-fixed and paraffin-embedded sections of japanese doves (columba livia) affected with neurological signs.	four doves (nos. 1-4 birds) affected with neurological signs (ataxia, circling and torticollis) were investigated pathologically and microbiologically. viral isolation was tried from the tracheal and cloacal swabs of all 4 birds and from liver, spleen, kidney, heart, lung and brain of nos. 1 and 2 birds. no viruses were isolated from 4 birds, but they had high serum antibody titers against avian paramyxovirus 1 (apmv-1). histologically, they had the characteristic histological changes of pigeon ...	2015	25816803
efficacy of nicarbazin (ovistop®) in the containment and reduction of the populations of feral pigeons (columba livia var. domestica) in the city of genoa, italy: a retrospective evaluation.	this study describes the results of a retrospective evaluation (8 years: 2005-2012) of the efficacy of the anti-fertility drug, ovistop® nicarbazin (800 ppm) added to corn kernels used to feed non-migratory feral pigeon colonies, columba livia var. domestica, in the city of genoa, italy. the observation interested 4 non-migratory feral pigeon colonies located into well‑defined areas of the city of genoa, italy. three of these colonies were treated for 12 months, with 10 g of drug (ovistop®) prov ...	2015	25842215
mycoplasma columbinum isolated from a racing pigeon ( columba livia ) with arthritis.	a juvenile racing pigeon ( columba livia ) was presented with drooping of the wing and inability to fly. on physical examination, the right shoulder joint was swollen. the pigeon was euthanatized and submitted for necropsy. an excessive amount of fibrin was present in the canalis triosseus with severe arthritis of the affected shoulder joint. a pure growth of mycoplasma-like colonies was obtained on microbiological culture of the shoulder joint. a 16s ribosomal rna gene-specific polymerase chain ...	2014	25843324
distribution of serotonin 5-ht1a-binding sites in the brainstem and the hypothalamus, and their roles in 5-ht-induced sleep and ingestive behaviors in rock pigeons (columba livia).	serotonin 1a receptors (5-ht1ars), which are widely distributed in the mammalian brain, participate in cognitive and emotional functions. in birds, 5-ht1ars are expressed in prosencephalic areas involved in visual and cognitive functions. diverse evidence supports 5-ht1ar-mediated 5-ht-induced ingestive and sleep behaviors in birds. here, we describe the distribution of 5-ht1ars in the hypothalamus and brainstem of birds, analyze their potential roles in sleep and ingestive behaviors, and attemp ...	2015	25843559
comparison of four different culture media for growth of mycobacterium avium subsp. avium isolated from naturally infected lofts of domestic pigeons.	diagnosis of avian tuberculosis by conventional culture method is still considered as the "gold standard" technique. the main objective of this study was to compare growth of mycobacterium avium subsp. avium on four specific mycobacterial cultures such as glycerinated lowenstein-jensen medium, pyruvate-enriched lowenstein-jensen medium, mycobactin j-supplemented herrold-egg yolk medium and plain herrold-egg yolk medium.	2013	25848508
the maturation of research into the avian hippocampal formation: recent discoveries from one of the nature's foremost navigators.	for more than 30 years, a growing number of researchers have been attracted to the challenge of understanding the neurobiological organization of the avian hippocampal formation (hf) and its relationship to the remarkable spatial cognitive abilities of birds. in this selective review, we highlight recent anatomical and developmental findings that reveal a hf design that defies any simple comparison to the mammalian hippocampus and leaves unanswered the seemingly enduring question of whether a de ...	2015	25850561
molecular cloning and characterization, and prokaryotic expression of the gnrh1 gene obtained from jinghai yellow chicken.	the gonadotropin-releasing hormone (gnrh) plays an important role in the control of reproductive functions. recent studies have reported the occurrence of gnrh molecular variants in numerous species. in this study, the gnrh1 gene from jinghai yellow chicken was cloned by reverse transcriptase-polymerase chain reaction and transformed into bl21 (de3) competent cells. the gnrh1 gene and amino acid sequences were subjected to bioinformatic analyses. the gnrh1 gene nucleotide sequence was discovered ...	2015	25867433
endoscopic vasectomy of male feral pigeons (columba livia) as a possible method of population control.	to evaluate whether single-entry endoscopic vasectomy of male feral pigeons (columba livia) significantly reduced fertility and would potentially be valuable for control of feral pigeon populations, 252 male feral pigeons were caught in the city of berne and endoscopically vasectomized. in this procedure, approximately 1 cm of the deferent duct was removed bilaterally. rapid, uneventful recoveries occurred in 94% (237/252) of the pigeons, whereas 6% (15/252) died because of complications associa ...	2015	25867661
defensive behaviors and prosencephalic neurogenesis in pigeons (columba livia) are affected by environmental enrichment in adulthood.	neurogenesis in the adult brain appears to be phylogenetically conserved across the animal kingdom. in pigeons and other adult non-oscine birds, immature neurons are observed in several prosencephalic areas, suggesting that neurogenesis may participate in the control of different behaviors. the mechanisms controlling neurogenesis and its relevance to defensive behaviors in non-oscine birds remain elusive. herein, the contribution of the environment to behavior and neurogenesis of pigeons was inv ...	2016	25869276
identification and immune functional characterization of pigeon tlr7.	toll-like receptor 7 (tlr7) is activated by single-stranded rna and synthetic imidazoquinoline components, and induces interferon production. in this study, we cloned the tlr7 gene from king pigeon (columba livia). the tlr7 open reading frame is 3144 bp and encodes a 1047-amino acid protein, consisting of a canonical tlr composition with 15 leucine-rich repeats (lrrs). amino acid-inserting modifications were found at position 15 of lrr2, lrr11, lrr13, and lrr14 and position 10 of lrr10. the tiss ...	2015	25874762
[effects of the environment on health of feral pigeons (columba livia)].	we examined 80 feral pigeons and their fecal samples from two feral pigeon lofts of the "pigeon action of basel" (switzerland) for different pathogens. the tested material harbored four pathogenic agents transmissible to humans (chlamydia spp., salmonella spec., campylobacter jejuni, cryptococcus neoformans) in addition several pathogens were found which are no zoonotic agents but potentially pathogenic for the pigeons themselves, such as trichomonas gallinae, coccidia, helminths, ectoparasites ...	2015	25876285
genotypic and pathotypic characterization of newcastle disease virus isolated from racing pigeons in china.	a newcastle disease virus (ndv) isolated from an outbreak in racing pigeons in china was characterized in this study. complete gene of the ndv isolate was sequenced and phylogenetic analysis. pathogenicity experiment was carried out in pigeons, chickens, and ducks. phylogenetic analysis revealed that the strain clustered with the class ii viruses, has highly phylogenetically similar to ndv strains isolated from pigeons in china, but was distant from the viruses prevalence in chickens and vaccine ...	2015	25877412
feather bacterial load shapes the trade-off between preening and immunity in pigeons.	complex communities of bacteria inhabit the feathers of all birds. under normal conditions, individuals maintain a healthy state by defending themselves against these potential invaders by preening. the immune system is only triggered when bacteria gain access into the body. preening is, however, costly and may trade-off with investment in the immune system. to shed light on how birds balance the trade-off between immunity and preen secretions when facing high or low feather bacterial load, we e ...	2015	25881311
detection and characterization of chlamydophila psittaci in asymptomatic feral pigeons (columba livia domestica) in central thailand.	to detect and characterize chlamydophila psittaci (c. psittaci) in asymptomatic feral pigeons in central thailand.	2015	25902021
avian poxvirus in a free-range juvenile speckled (rock) pigeon (columba guinea).	a flightless wild juvenile rock pigeon (columba guinea) with pox-like lesions was picked up on the premises of the faculty of veterinary science, university of pretoria, onderstepoort. the pigeon was housed overnight for possible treatment the following day but died before any other intervention could be instituted. at necropsy, coalescing masses of yellowish nodular cutaneous tumour-like lesions principally on the featherless areas were noticed on the dead pigeon's head as well as the beak. his ...	2015	26016787
an accidental fatal attack on domestic pigeons by honey bees in bangladesh.	fatalities among avian species due to multiple bee stings are rare. sixteen pigeons on a farm in bangladesh each suffered multiple bee stings. ten of the pigeons died before treatment, 5 (4-11 stings) died within 12 hr after treatment, and 1 pigeon (only 3 stings) survived. body temperature, heart rate, respiratory rate, hematocrit, hemoglobin, erythrocytes, thrombocytes, mcv, mch and mchc decreased significantly after the incident, but leucocytes, heterophils, basophils, eosinophils, monocytes, ...	2015	26028022
pigeons (columba livia) fail to connect dots in learning biological motion.	biological motion point-light displays provide a powerful method for studying motion perception. nonhuman animals are capable of discriminating point-light displays, but it remains unknown how they perceive biological motion in these displays. we trained two groups of pigeons to discriminate video stimuli using two different classification rules. the motion-congruent group was trained to discriminate full-detail and corresponding point-light displays of pigeons from full-detail and point-light d ...	2015	26040957
growth of embryo and gene expression of nutrient transporters in the small intestine of the domestic pigeon (columba livia).	the objective of this study was to investigate the relationship between gene expression of nutrient (amino acid, peptide, sodium and proton) transporters in the small intestine and embryonic growth in domestic pigeons (columba livia). one hundred and twenty-five fertilized eggs were randomly assigned into five groups and were incubated under optimal conditions (temperature of 38.1 °c and relative humidity of 55%). twenty embryos/birds from each group were sacrificed by cervical dislocation on em ...	2015	26055913
sarcocystis calchasi encephalitis in a rock pigeon.	a rock pigeon (columba livia) caught in akihabara, tokyo, showed neurological symptoms, such as head tilt and circling. pathological examinations revealed abundant sarcocystic cysts in the skeletal muscle and myocardium with mild myositis, and numerous schizonts and sarcocysts with severe multifocal granulomatous t-lymphocytic infiltration in the central nervous system. a sarcocystis calchasi-specific gene was detected in the muscle and brain. this case indicates s. calchasi was distributed in j ...	2015	26062567
temporal variation of the cestode, cotugnia cuneata (meggit, 1924) in their host, domestic pigeons, columba livia domestica (gmelin, 1789).	a study of the temporal variation of cotugnia cuneata, on a monthly basis, was carried out from january 2008 to december 2010. the study revealed a similarity in the percentage prevalence and mean intensity of infection with higher values in the beginning of the year that gradually declined towards the middle and rose to moderate values towards the end of the year. the periodicity clearly shows a correlation with the seasonal changes throughout the year and provides important insights to the sur ...	2013	26063999
complete genome sequence of pigeon circovirus detected in racing pigeons in western japan.	we report the genetic analysis of a pigeon circovirus (picv/japan/2/2010) detected in a racing pigeon with diarrheal symptoms in western japan. sequencing revealed a genome size of 2,041 bp that contained 3 open reading frames (orfs), designated v1, c1, and c2, a structure consistent with to those of other pigeon circoviruses. phylogenetic analyses of the orf c1 revealed that picv/japan/2/2010 diverges from other asian pigeon circoviruses, suggesting genetic diversity of pigeon circoviruses in a ...	2015	26066052
convergent evolution of head crests in two domesticated columbids is associated with different missense mutations in ephb2.	head crests are important display structures in wild bird species and are also common in domesticated lineages. many breeds of domestic rock pigeon (columba livia) have crests of reversed occipital feathers, and this recessive trait is associated with a nonsynonymous coding mutation in the intracellular kinase domain of ephb2 (ephrin receptor b2). the domestic ringneck dove (streptopelia risoria) also has a recessive crested morph with reversed occipital feathers, and interspecific crosses betwe ...	2015	26104009
more than one way to see it: individual heuristics in avian visual computation.	comparative pattern learning experiments investigate how different species find regularities in sensory input, providing insights into cognitive processing in humans and other animals. past research has focused either on one species' ability to process pattern classes or different species' performance in recognizing the same pattern, with little attention to individual and species-specific heuristics and decision strategies. we trained and tested two bird species, pigeons (columba livia) and kea ...	2015	26113444
histologic evaluation of critical size defect healing with natural and synthetic bone grafts in the pigeon ( columba livia ) ulna.	fracture and bone segment loss are major clinical problems in birds. achieving bone formation and clinical union in a fracture case is important for the survival of the bird. to evaluate the efficacy of bone grafts for defect healing in birds, 2 different bone grafts were investigated in the healing of a bone defect in 24 healthy pigeons ( columba livia ). in each bird, a 1-cm critical size defect (csd) was created in the left ulna, and the fracture was stabilized with external skeletal fixation ...	2015	26115209
releases of surgically deafened homing pigeons indicate that aural cues play a significant role in their navigational system.	experienced homing pigeons with extirpated cochleae and lagenae were released from six sites in upstate new york and western pennsylvania on 17 days between 1973 and 1975 by william t. keeton and his co-workers at cornell university. the previously unpublished data indicate that departure directions of the operated birds were significantly different from those of sham-operated control birds (314 total), indicating that aural cues play an important part in the pigeon's navigational system. moreov ...	2015	26135609
cues indicating location in pigeon navigation.	domesticated rock pigeons (columba livia f. domestica) have been selected for returning home after being displaced. they appear to use many of the physical cue sources available in the natural environment for map-and-compass navigation. two compass mechanisms that have been well documented in pigeons are a time-compensated sun compass and a magnetic inclination compass. location-finding, or map, mechanisms have been more elusive. visual landmarks, magnetic fields, odors, gravity and now also inf ...	2015	26149606
on public influence on people's interactions with ordinary biodiversity.	besides direct impacts of urban biodiversity on local ecosystem services, the contact of city dwellers with urban nature in their everyday life could increase their awareness on conservation issues. in this paper, we focused on a particularly common animal urban species, the feral pigeon columba livia. through an observational approach, we examined behavioral interactions between city dwellers and this species in the paris metropolis, france. we found that most people (mean: 81%) do not interact ...	2015	26154622
histopathological changes in the kidneys of vertebrate hosts infected naturally and experimentally with paratanaisia bragai (trematoda, digenea).	paratanaisia bragai is a trematode parasite that reaches sexual maturity in the kidney collecting ducts of domesticated and wild fowl and whose intermediate hosts are the snails subulina octona and leptinaria unilamellata. there are some discrepancies in descriptions of the pathology of this parasite in bird kidneys. therefore, the purpose of this study was to analyze the kidneys of rock pigeons (columba livia) naturally infected and of chickens (gallus gallus) experimentally infected with parat ...	2015	26154968
molecular cloning and sequencing analysis of the interferon receptor (ifnar-1) from columba livia.	partial sequence cloning of interferon receptor (ifnar-1) of columba livia.	2014	26155117
spatial context learning in pigeons (columba livia).	in a seminal paper in the cognitive sciences, chun and jiang (1998) described the contextual cueing paradigm in which they used artificial stimuli and showed that people became faster to locate a target when the background predicted the location of a target compared to when it did not. here we examined contextual cueing in pigeons for the first time using artificial stimuli and procedures similar to those of chun and jiang. in the first test, we had pigeons search for a target among a display of ...	2015	26167773
connectivity and neurochemistry of the commissura anterior of the pigeon (columba livia).	the anterior commissure (ac) and the much smaller hippocampal commissure constitute the only interhemispheric pathways at the telencephalic level in birds. since the degeneration study from zeier and karten (), no detailed description of the topographic organization of the ac has been performed. this information is not only necessary for a better understanding of interhemispheric transfer in birds, but also for a comparative analysis of the evolution of commissural systems in the vertebrate clas ...	2016	26179777
novel cathelicidins from pigeon highlights evolutionary convergence in avain cathelicidins and functions in modulation of innate immunity.	cathelicidins are short cationic host defense peptides and play a central role in host innate immune system. here we identified two novel cathelicidins, cl-cath2 and 3, from columba livia. evolutionary analysis of avian cathelicidins via phylogenetic tree and ka/ks calculations supported the positive selection that prompted evolution of cath2 to cath1 and 3, which originate from common ancestor and could belong to one superfamily. cl-cath2 and 3 both adopt amphipathic α-helical comformations ide ...	2015	26194630
change blindness in pigeons (columba livia): the effects of change salience and timing.	change blindness is a well-established phenomenon in humans, in which plainly visible changes in the environment go unnoticed. recently a parallel change blindness phenomenon has been demonstrated in pigeons. the reported experiment follows up on this finding by investigating whether change salience affects change blindness in pigeons the same way it affects change blindness in humans. birds viewed alternating displays of randomly generated lines back-projected onto three response keys, with one ...	2015	26284021
in vitro development of haemoproteus columbae (haemosporida: haemoproteidae), with perspectives for genomic studies of avian haemosporidian parasites.	the evolutionary origin of wildlife and human malaria parasites (plasmodium spp.) has been discussed for several decades. the lack of genomic data about species of wildlife haemosporidian parasites related to plasmodium limits the number of taxa available for phylogenetic analysis. genomic data about avian parasites of the genus haemoproteus parasites, the sister genus to plasmodium are still not available, mainly due to difficulties in obtaining pure dna of parasites inhabiting nucleated avian ...	2015	26297677
isospora serinuse n. sp. (apicomplexa: eimeriidae) from a domestic canary (serinus canaria forma domestica) (passeriformes: fringillidae) in western australia.	a new species, isospora serinuse n. sp., (apicomplexa:eimeriidae) is described from a single domestic canary (serinus canaria forma domestica) (subspecies s. c. domestica) in western australia. sporulated oocysts of isospora serinuse n. sp. are spherical or subspherical, 25.5 (24.4-27.0) × 23.5 (22.0-24.8) μm, with a shape index (length/width) of 1.09; and a smooth bilayered oocyst wall, 1.2 μm thick (outer layer 0.9 μm, inner 0.3 μm). a polar granule is present, but a micropyle and oocyst resid ...	2015	26325434
birds generally carry a small repertoire of bitter taste receptor genes.	as they belong to the most species-rich class of tetrapod vertebrates, birds have long been believed to possess an inferior taste system. however, the bitter taste is fundamental in birds to recognize dietary toxins (which are typically bitter) in potential food sources. to characterize the evolution of avian bitter taste receptor genes (tas2rs) and to test whether dietary toxins have shaped the repertoire size of avian tas2rs, we examined 48 genomes representing all but 3 avian orders. the tota ...	2015	26342138
incidence of haemoproteus columbae in pigeons of jammu district.	haemoproteus columbae is the major protozoan infection reported in pigeon and appeared in the erythrocyte of the peripheral circulation. incidence and parasitaemia of h. columbae in pigeon was studied in different localities of jammu, india for a period from april to september 2010 using thin blood smear examination. of the 150 pigeons (wild: 70, domestic: 80), 92 (61.33 %) were found to be infected with h. columbae. domestic pigeon showed higher incidence rate (74.28 %) than the wild (50 %). ma ...	2015	26345046
who are the real bird brains? qualitative differences in behavioral flexibility between dogs (canis familiaris) and pigeons (columba livia).	pigeons given a simultaneous spatial discrimination reversal, in which a single reversal occurs at the midpoint of each session, consistently show anticipation prior to the reversal as well as perseveration after the reversal, suggesting that they use a less effective cue (time or trial number into the session) than what would be optimal to maximize reinforcement (local feedback from the most recent trials). in contrast, rats (rattus norvegicus) and humans show near-optimal reversal learning on ...	2016	26364290
comparison of a point-of-care glucometer and a laboratory autoanalyzer for measurement of blood glucose concentrations in domestic pigeons ( columba livia domestica).	biochemical analysis is necessary for diagnosis and monitoring of diseases in birds; however, the small volume of blood that can be safely obtained from small avian species often limits laboratory diagnostic testing. consequently, a suitable methodology requiring only a small volume of blood must be used. this study was designed to compare blood glucose concentrations in domestic pigeons ( columba livia domestica) as measured by a commercial, handheld, human glucometer and a standard autoanalyze ...	2015	26378663
bird richness and abundance in response to urban form in a latin american city: valdivia, chile as a case study.	there is mounting evidence that urban areas influence biodiversity. generalizations however require that multiple urban areas on multiple continents be examined. here we evaluated the role of urban areas on avian diversity for a south american city, allowing us to examine the effects of urban features common worldwide, using the city of valdivia, chile as case study. we assessed the number of birds and their relative abundance in 152 grid cells of equal size (250 m2) distributed across the city. ...	2015	26422260
asymmetric visual input and route recapitulation in homing pigeons.	pigeons (columba livia) display reliable homing behaviour, but their homing routes from familiar release points are individually idiosyncratic and tightly recapitulated, suggesting that learning plays a role in route establishment. in light of the fact that routes are learned, and that both ascending and descending visual pathways share visual inputs from each eye asymmetrically to the brain hemispheres, we investigated how information from each eye contributes to route establishment, and how in ...	2015	26446810
sex-associated differences in trace metals concentrations in and on the plumage of a common urban bird species.	urban areas encompass both favorable and stressful conditions linked with human activities and pollution. pollutants remain of major ecological importance for synanthropic organisms living in the city. plumage of urban birds harbour trace metals, which can result from external deposition or from internal accumulation. external and internal plumage concentrations likely differ between specific trace metals, and may further differ between males and females because of potential sex-linked different ...	2016	26458927
stepwise conceptualization in pigeons.	we explored the relation between concept learning and the number of training exemplars, programmed in a stepwise fashion. eight pigeons (columba livia) were trained via differential food reinforcement to peck 1 of 2 simultaneously displayed color images: benign or malignant human breast tissue samples. in each session, only 1 exemplar from each category was trained. if the learning criterion was achieved in 1 session, then those 2 exemplars were discarded and 2 new exemplars were trained in the ...	2016	26460573
effectiveness of gel repellents on feral pigeons.	millions of feral pigeons (columba livia) live in close association with the human population in our cities. they pose serious health risks to humans and lead to high economic loss due to damage caused to buildings. consequently, house owners and city authorities are not willing to allow pigeons on their buildings. while various avian repellents are regularly introduced onto the market, scientific proof of efficacy is lacking. this study aimed at testing the effectiveness of two avian gel repell ...	2013	26479881
personality and morphological traits affect pigeon survival from raptor attacks.	personality traits have recently been shown to impact fitness in different animal species, potentially making them similarly relevant drivers as morphological and life history traits along the evolutionary pathways of organisms. predation is a major force of natural selection through its deterministic effects on individual survival, but how predation pressure has helped to shape personality trait selection, especially in free-ranging animals, remains poorly understood. we used high-precision gps ...	2015	26489437
experimental infection of rock pigeons (columba livia) with three west nile virus lineage 1 strains isolated in italy between 2009 and 2012.	west nile virus (wnv) circulation dynamics in the context of the urban environment is not yet elucidated. in this perspective, three groups of eight rock pigeons (columbia livia) were inoculated with three wnv lineage 1 strains isolated in italy between 2009 and 2012. the pigeons did not develop any clinical signs consistent with wnv acute infection. all animals seroconverted and shed virus up to 15 days post-infection by the oral or cloacal routes. in all infected groups viraemia lasted for 4 d ...	2016	26493864
isolation and characterization of a herpesvirus from feral pigeons in china.	a herpesvirus was isolated during a diagnostic investigation of severe cases of conjunctivitis in feral pigeons (columba livia f. domestica). isolates of the virus were recovered from throat swabs of the pigeons followed by inoculation of the swab samples in chicken embryo fibroblasts. pigeons inoculated with the isolated virus had similar clinical signs to those observed in naturally infected birds. transmission electron microscopy revealed viral structures with typical herpesvirus morphology. ...	2015	26542366
experimental infection of rock pigeons (columba livia) with three west nile virus lineage 1 strains isolated in italy between 2009 and 2012--corrigendum.		2016	26548703
transfer of humoural immunity over two generations in urban pigeons.	maternal antibodies (matab) are known to provide passive protection early in life for young vertebrates but their effects on the development of offspring immune response across generations are still unknown. here, we investigated the effects of antigen exposure (keyhole limpet haemocyanin, klh) experienced by urban pigeon (columba livia) females on the amount of antigen-specific antibodies (abs) transferred into the egg yolk of their daughters and on the humoural immune response towards this sam ...	2015	26559513
pigeons (columba livia) as trainable observers of pathology and radiology breast cancer images.	pathologists and radiologists spend years acquiring and refining their medically essential visual skills, so it is of considerable interest to understand how this process actually unfolds and what image features and properties are critical for accurate diagnostic performance. key insights into human behavioral tasks can often be obtained by using appropriate animal models. we report here that pigeons (columba livia)-which share many visual system properties with humans-can serve as promising sur ...	2015	26581091
evaluation of environmental genotoxicity by comet assay in columba livia.	the concentrations of recognized or suspected genotoxic and carcinogenic agents found in the air of large cities and, in particular, developing countries, have raised concerns about the potential for chronic health effects in the populations exposed to them. the biomonitoring of environmental genotoxicity requires the selection of representative organisms as "sentinels," as well as the development of suitable and sensitive assays, such as those aimed at assessing dna damage. the aim of this stud ...	2016	26608565
the effect of display timing on change blindness in pigeons (columba livia).	change blindness is a phenomenon in which even obvious changes in a visual scene may go unnoticed. recent research has indicated that this phenomenon may not be exclusive to humans. two experiments investigated change blindness in pigeons, using a variant of the widely-used flicker task to investigate the influence of display timing on change blindness. results indicate that the duration of time during which a stimulus display is visible influences change detection accuracy, with the effect due ...	2016	26609796
identification and genetic analysis of h3n8 subtype influenza viruses isolated from domestic pigeons in central china.	a novel strain of h3n8 influenza virus was isolated from domestic pigeons during the avian influenza virus (aiv) surveillance in wet markets in anhui, china, during 2013. the virus was characterized by whole-genome sequencing with subsequent genetic comparison and phylogenetic analysis. phylogenetic analysis revealed that the na gene of aiv mapped to the north american lineage, and the remaining seven genes belong to a eurasian lineage. these findings indicated that this h3n8 virus is a novel na ...	2016	26611442
concept learning set-size functions for clark's nutcrackers.	same/different abstract-concept learning by clark's nutcrackers (nucifraga columbiana) was tested with novel stimuli following learning of training set expansion (8, 16, 32, 64, 128, 256, 512, and 1024 picture items). the resulting set-size function was compared to those from rhesus monkeys (macaca mulatta), capuchin monkeys (cebus apella), and pigeons (columba livia). nutcrackers showed partial concept learning following initial eight-item set learning, unlike the other species (magnotti, katz, ...	2016	26615450
epidemiological survey of zoonotic pathogens in feral pigeons (columba livia var. domestica) and sympatric zoo species in southern spain.	a cross-sectional study was carried out to determine the prevalence of pathogenic zoonotic agents (flaviviruses, avian influenza viruses (aivs), salmonella spp. and toxoplasma gondii) in feral pigeons and sympatric zoo animals from córdoba (southern spain) between 2013 and 2014. antibodies against flaviviruses were detected in 7.8% out of 142 (ci95%: 3.7-11.8) pigeons, and 8.2% of 49 (ci95%: 0.9-15.4) of zoo animals tested. antibodies with specificity against west nile virus (wnv) and usutu viru ...	2015	26616657
detection and discrimination of complex sounds by pigeons (columba livia).	auditory scene analysis is the process by which sounds are separated and identified from each other and from the background to make functional auditory objects. one challenge in making these psychological units is that complex sounds often continuously differ in composition over their duration. here we examined the acoustic basis of complex sound processing in four pigeons by evaluating their performance in an ongoing same/different (s/d) task. this provided an opportunity to investigate avian a ...	2016	26616672
chlamydia psittaci genotype b in a pigeon (columba livia) inhabiting a public place in san josé, costa rica.	human chlamydiosis is a zoonotic disease of avian origin caused by chlamydia psittaci. the highest infection rates have been detected in parrots (psittacidae) and pigeons (columbiformes), the latter most frequently carry the genotypes b and e. these genotypes have been shown to also infect humans. because pigeons (columba livia) cohabit with humans in urban areas, c. psittaci present in the dust from dry feces of infected pigeons may be transmitted by inhalation and represent a significant publi ...	2013	26623327
a review of the mite subfamily harpirhynchinae (acariformes: harpirhynchidae)--parasites of new world birds (aves: neognathae).	mites of the subfamily harpirhynchinae (acariformes: cheyletoidea: harpirhynchidae) associated with neognathous birds (aves: neognathae) in the new world are revised. in all, 68 species in 8 genera are recorded. among them, 27 new species and 1 new genus are described as new for science: harpyrhynchoides gallowayi bochkov, oconnor and klompen sp. nov. from columba livia (columbiformes: columbidae) from canada (manitoba), h. zenaida bochkov, oconnor and klompen sp. nov. from zenaida macroura (col ...	2015	26624161
wham: identifying structural variants of biological consequence.	existing methods for identifying structural variants (svs) from short read datasets are inaccurate. this complicates disease-gene identification and efforts to understand the consequences of genetic variation. in response, we have created wham (whole-genome alignment metrics) to provide a single, integrated framework for both structural variant calling and association testing, thereby bypassing many of the difficulties that currently frustrate attempts to employ svs in association testing. here ...	2015	26625158
distribution of calcium-binding proteins in the pigeon visual thalamic centers and related pretectal and mesencephalic nuclei. phylogenetic and functional determinants.	multichannel processing of environmental information constitutes a fundamental basis of functioning of sensory systems in the vertebrate brain. two distinct parallel visual systems - the tectofugal and thalamofugal exist in all amniotes. the vertebrate central nervous system contains high concentrations of intracellular calcium-binding proteins (cabprs) and each of them has a restricted expression pattern in different brain regions and specific neuronal subpopulations. this study aimed at descri ...	2016	26638835
epidemiological aspects of lice (menacanthus species) infections in laying hen flocks from the state of minas gerais, brazil.	the epidemiology of chicken lice species such as menacanthus stramineus, m. cornutus and m. pallidulus were studied during an observational, analytical and sectional survey, to determine predisposing factors for their occurrence in laying hen farms in the state of minas gerais, brazil. a total of 431 houses on 43 farms were visited in 2012. m. cornutus, m. stramineus and m. pallidulus occurred in 20.9%, 11.6% and 11.6% of farms, respectively. the frequencies of occurrence of m. cornutus, m. stra ...	2016	26642864
hemosporidian parasites of free-living birds in the são paulo zoo, brazil.	numerous studies addressed the diversity of bird plasmodium and haemoproteus parasites. however, a few have been carried out in continental avian hotspot regions such as brazil, a country with markedly different biomes, including amazon, brazilian savanna, atlantic forest, caatinga, pantanal, and pampas. we present the first study on hemosporidian (haemosporida) parasites in free-living birds from an atlantic forest fragment where more than 80 avian species have been reported. within this area, ...	2016	26677094
susceptibility of rock doves to low-pathogenic avian influenza a viruses.	following a 2008 outbreak of north american low-pathogenic h5n8 influenza a virus at an upland gamebird farm, we sero-sampled rock doves (pigeons, columba livia) at the outbreak site and conducted experimental inoculations of wild-caught pigeons using the h5n8 virus and another low-pathogenic virus (h4n6). while 13% of pigeons at the outbreak site were seropositive, none were positive for exposure to h5, and one was positive for n8. challenged pigeons exhibited low susceptibility and limited vir ...	2016	26687583
genotyping of mycobacterium avium subsp. avium isolates from naturally infected lofts of domestic pigeons in ahvaz by is901 rflp.	avian tuberculosis is one of the most important infections affecting most species of birds. mycobacterium avium can not only infect all species of birds, but also infect some domesticated mammals. the most crucial aspect of control and eradication scheme is identification of infection sources and transmission routs. molecular techniques such as restriction fragment length polymorphism and pulse field gel electrophoresis have been shown to be much more discriminatory and suitable for use in the e ...	2015	26719782
prevalence and risk factors for campylobacter spp., salmonella spp., coxiella burnetii, and newcastle disease virus in feral pigeons (columba livia) in public areas of montreal, canada.	feral pigeons (columbia livia) can harbor a range of zoonotic pathogens. a transversal study was undertaken to estimate the prevalence of feral pigeons infected by various pathogens in public areas in montreal, quebec. cloacal swabs from captured birds were cultured for salmonella spp. and campylobacter spp. and tested by real-time polymerase chain reaction (rt-pcr) for the detection of coxiella burnetii. an oropharyngeal swab was also submitted to real-time reverse-transcription polymerase chai ...	2016	26733736
context controls access to working and reference memory in the pigeon (columba livia).	the interaction between working and reference memory systems was examined under conditions in which salient contextual cues were presented during memory retrieval. ambient colored lights (red or green) bathed the operant chamber during the presentation of comparison stimuli in delayed matching-to-sample training (working memory) and during the presentation of the comparison stimuli as s+ and s- cues in discrimination training (reference memory). strong competition between memory systems appeared ...	2016	26781056
growth curves and age-related changes in carcass characteristics, organs, serum parameters, and intestinal transporter gene expression in domestic pigeon (columba livia).	two experiments were conducted to fit growth curves, and determine age-related changes in carcass characteristics, organs, serum biochemical parameters, and gene expression of intestinal nutrient transporters in domestic pigeon (columba livia). in experiment 1, body weight (bw) of 30 pigeons was respectively determined at 1, 3, 7, 14, 21, 28, and 35 days old to fit growth curves and to describe the growth of pigeons. in experiment 2, eighty-four 1-day-old squabs were grouped by weight into 7 gro ...	2016	26787925
acute, fatal sarcocystis calchasi-associated hepatitis in roller pigeons (columba livia f. dom.) at philadelphia zoo.	four roller pigeons (columba livia f. dom.) at the philadelphia zoo died suddenly. necropsy examination revealed macroscopic hepatitis. microscopically, the predominant lesions were in liver, characterized with necrosis and mixed cell inflammatory response. sarcocystis calchasi-like schizonts and free merozoites were identified in liver. transmission electron microscopy confirmed that schizonts were in hepatocytes. a few schizonts were in spleen. pcr using s. calchasi-specific primers confirmed ...	2016	26801595
trace metals, melanin-based pigmentation and their interaction influence immune parameters in feral pigeons (columba livia).	understanding the effects of trace metals emitted by anthropogenic activities on wildlife is of great concern in urban ecology; yet, information on how they affect individuals, populations, communities and ecosystems remains scarce. in particular, trace metals may impact survival by altering the immune system response to parasites. plumage melanin is assumed to influence the effects of trace metals on immunity owing to its ability to bind metal ions in feathers and its synthesis being coded by a ...	2016	26809976
label free molecular sexing of monomorphic birds using infrared spectroscopic imaging.	the absence of sexual dimorphism in many birds often makes sex determination difficult. in particular immature birds and adults of monomorphic species show no external sex characteristics. molecular techniques based on dna hybridization or polymerase chain reaction (pcr) are standard methods for sex identification. however, these methods are expensive and time consuming procedures and require special sample preparation. noninvasive methods for a rapid determination of bird's gender are of increa ...	2016	26838394
maternal adjustment or constraint: differential effects of food availability on maternal deposition of macro-nutrients, steroids and thyroid hormones in rock pigeon eggs.	in oviparous species like birds, eggs provide the direct environment in which embryos are developing. mothers may adjust different egg components in different ways in reaction to environmental cues either to adjust offspring development or because of constraints. in this study, we investigated the effects of food quality and quantity before and during egg laying on three different aspects of egg quality: macro-nutrients (egg and yolk mass), androgens (testosterone and androstenedione), and thyro ...	2016	26843926