Delayed start of full incubation is related to a delayed brood patch development in Magellanic penguins

BARRIONUEVO MELINA Y FRERE ESTEBAN

BIRD STUDY

TAYLOR & FRANCIS LTD

Lugar: Londres; Año: 2016

0006-3657

Capsule: Most bird species start full incubation before the clutch is complete, others long afterlaying the last egg, gradually increasing the incubation temperature as incubation progresses, asis the case in Magellanic Penguins Spheniscus magellanicus.Aims: In this study, we analysed the possible mechanisms underlying this delayed start of fullincubation in Magellanic Penguins. We postulated two non-mutually exclusive, possiblemechanisms: delayed development of the brood patch and/or variation in the adults? incubationpostures.Methods: We conducted our work at Isla Quiroga, Argentina during 2011?13. We measured thedevelopment of the brood patch area, its temperature, the egg temperature and observed thepostures of adult penguins.Results: We found no association between the adults? postures and the delayed start of fullincubation, nor between brood patch temperature and the increase in egg temperature asincubation proceeded (egg age). The intercept of the curve between egg temperature and eggage was positively related to brood patch area, while the slope of the curve was negatively related.Conclusion: Our results support the hypothesis that the shape of the curve of the increase in eggtemperature as incubation proceeds is a consequence of the increase in the extension of the broodpatch area.