In seasonal environments, timing of reproduction is a trait with important fitness
consequences, but we know little about the molecular mechanisms that underlie the …

Background In contrast to mammalian erythrocytes, which have lost their nucleus and
mitochondria during maturation, the erythrocytes of almost all other vertebrate species are …

Urban environmental pollution results in contamination of the tissues of synanthropic
organisms by toxic trace elements with potential impacts on human health. Passerine birds …

Urban heavy metal pollution can impair the health of humans and other organisms
inhabiting cities. While birds are suggested as one of the appropriate bioindicators for …

Background Heat stress is one of the most critical problems confronting the poultry industry.
Stinging nettle (SN) is a medicinal plant with potent antioxidant properties. Objective The …

Body condition indices are increasingly applied in conservation to assess habitat quality,
identify stressed populations before they decline, determine effects of disturbances, and …

While haematological variation is well known in birds, variation in avian breeds (distinct
morphotypes of the same species) remains unexplored. Poultry breeds, in particular, may …

The phytohaemagglutinin (PHA) skin-swelling test is one of the most widely used methods
for cell-mediated immunity measurement in immunoecology. Although several studies have …

Leucocytes are typically considered as a whole in studies examining telomere dynamics in
mammals. Such an approach may be precarious, as leucocytes represent the only …

Immune defenses vary widely across individuals and species. The field of evolutionary and
ecological immunology (also recognized as ecoimmunology) seeks to uncover both the …