Prolonged high secretion of glucocorticoids normally reflects a state of chronic stress, which
has been associated with an increase in disease susceptibility and reduction in Darwinian …

The assumption that the acute response to stress is adaptive is pervasive in the literature,
but there is little direct evidence regarding potential positive fitness consequences of an …

In adult vertebrates, glucocorticoids are thought to trigger transitions between life history
stages within breeding cycles. This review explores possible roles of glucocorticoids as …

Eggs of vertebrates contain steroid hormones of maternal origin that may influence offspring
performance. Recently, it has been shown that glucocorticoids, which are the main …

Activation of the adrenocortical response to stress during development can have
fundamental consequences over the lifetime of the organism; as such, many organisms are …

Optimal functioning of the hypothalamo–pituitary–adrenal (HPA) axis is paramount to
maximizing fitness in vertebrates. Research in laboratory mammals has suggested that …

Studies examining anthropogenic effects on wildlife typically focus on adults and on
behavioral responses rather than the physiological consequences of human disturbances …

Climate change and industrial development are contributing to synchronous declines in
Rangifer populations across the Arctic. Chronic stress has been implicated as a proximate …

Early developmental conditions can significantly influence the growth and survival of many
animal species. We studied the consequences of exposure to corticosterone (CORT), a …

Field endocrinology techniques allow the collection of samples (ie, blood, urine, feces,
tissues) from free-living animals for analysis of hormones, receptors, enzymes, etc. These …