Male-biased sex allocation in ageing parents; a longitudinal study in a long-lived seabird.

Optimal sex allocation is frequency-dependent, but senescence may cause behaviour at old age to be suboptimal. We investigated whether sex allocation changes with parental age, using 16 years of data comprising more than 2500 molecularly sexed offspring of more than 600 known-age parents in common terns (Sterna hirundo), slightly sexually size-dimorphic seabirds. We decomposed parental age effects into within-individual change and sex allocation-associated selective (dis)appearance. Individual parents did not differ consistently in sex allocation, but offspring sex ratios at fledging changed from female- to male-biased as parents aged. Sex ratios at hatching were not related to parental age, suggesting sons to outperform daughters after hatching in broods of old parents. Our results call for the integration of sex allocation theory with theory on ageing and demography, as a change in sex allocation with age per se will cause the age structure of a population to affect the frequency-dependent benefits and the age-specific strength of selection on sex allocation.

Multiyear monitoring of bird communities in chlorpyrifos-treated orchards in Spain and the United Kingdom: Spatial and temporal trends in species composition, abundance, and site fidelity.

The relationship between agricultural practices and the welfare of wild birds has gained increased attention over the last decades. To assess the potential effects of chlorpyrifos on the bird community, a multiyear, multisite monitoring program was carried out in treated cider orchards (in the United Kingdom) and treated citrus orchards (in Spain). Constant-effort mist netting was used over several consecutive years in the United Kingdom (2012-2014) and Spain (2010-2012). The general structure of the bird community and the presence of breeding species were analyzed. Twelve and 11 bird species (out of 81 and 45 trapped) in Spain and the United Kingdom, respectively, exceeded the 2% dominance value. For a selection of 6 species in citrus and 4 in cider orchards, N-mixture models were fitted to the number of trapped birds. The abundance of most species was strongly and significantly affected by seasonality. No species showed any indication of reduction in population size over the years. The results of this extensive field program support the indications that chlorpyrifos spray applications present a low risk to the bird community over the years. Environ Toxicol Chem 2019;38:616-629. © 2018 The Authors. Environmental Toxicology and Chemistry Published by Wiley Periodicals, Inc. on behalf of SETAC.

[Penis epidermoid tumors review]. / Revisión de los tumores epidermoides de pene.

OBJECTIVES: To study the characteristics and evolution of the epidermoid penis tumours. MATERIAL AND METHODS: It was carried out a retrospective study on the epidermoid penis tumours treated in our center between 1981 and 2005. RESULTS: 16 tumours penis epidermoides were diagnosed. The average age of the patients was of 71.7 years (interval between 54 and 90 years). In 80% of the cases they are diagnosed in advanced stadiums (T3 and T4). The most habitual presentation forms are the ulcerous lesions (53%) and papilar (33%). The average diameter of the lesion was 2.3 cm, and the most frequent localization the glands (53%) and balano prepucial (33%). They were carried out 7 local scissions, 8 partial penectomies, one total penectomy, and an local scission pluslocal treatment with 5-fluoracile. With a follow-up of 24 months 5 relapses took place, mainly in patients subjected to local excision of the lesion (p = 0.06 log-rank test). CONCLUSIONS: The epidermoid carcinoma of the penis is a tumoral lesion characteristic of advanced ages that is diagnosed later and treated in not very aggressive way. Therefore it is frequent the advanced stadiums and the tumour relapses.

Carotenoid supplementation and sex-specific trade-offs between colouration and condition in common tern chicks.

Carotenoids, as pigments with antioxidant and immunoregulatory properties, play a crucial role in developing chicks. Carotenoids must be acquired through diet and are relatively scarce, suggesting that their availability is a limiting factor leading to a trade-off between colour displays and physiological functions. However, potential differences in this trade-off between male and female chicks have been little studied. We manipulated carotenoid availability in 9 days old common tern Sterna hirundo chicks by supplementing their fish diet with four carotenoids during 9 days. Our aim was to examine sex-specific responses to the experimental increase of dietary carotenoids on plasma circulation, physiological and condition variables and successful fledging. Furthermore, to explore the functional and evolutionary basis of the trade-off, we studied the relationships among carotenoid concentration, mediated immune response and foot colouration. After treatment, control chicks showed decreasing plasma levels for most carotenoid types, whereas supplemented chicks had strong increases. Colour luminosity and saturation increased in both treatment groups, while hue only changed significantly towards redder feet in supplemented females. Supplemented chicks presented neither different T-cell-mediated immunity nor other differences compared to control chicks. Nevertheless, supplemented females showed tendencies towards decreased immune responses and increased δ(15)N signatures, and supplemented males towards greater body mass. Our results indicate colouration may have, in females, a signalling function as to compensate for immunological costs. In males, additional availability of carotenoids may contribute to improve the body condition. This study suggests that trade-off responses to carotenoid availability are sex-specific in tern chicks. Thus, parental carotenoid supply to chicks may be an unrecognised component in sex allocation.