Do Hudsonian Godwit Chicks Exhibit Sex-Specific Patterns of Growth and Survival?

Presenter

Stephan Saint-Juste

Campus

UMass Amherst

Sponsor

Maria Stager, Department of Biology, UMass Amherst

Schedule

Session 4, 2:30 PM - 3:15 PM [Schedule by Time][Poster Grid for Time/Location]

Location

Poster Board A11, Campus Center Auditorium, Row 1 (A1-A20) [Poster Location Map]

Abstract

Hudsonian Godwits (Limosa haemastica) are a North American shorebird species at risk of extinction. The global population of godwits has declined by 98% since 1980. In order to better understand the risks Godwit chicks face, we investigated a particularly dangerous stage of life for many organisms: their early life. Godwit chicks leave the nest as soon as they hatch and must forage for food independently. Because adult godwits exhibit sexual dimorphism in body size, with males being smaller than females, we wanted to understand if males and females face adversity at the same rates or receive nutrients at the same rate by quantifying growth and survival in their early lives. We asked, do male and female godwit chicks have different growth and survival rates? I used DNA extraction, PCR, and gel electrophoresis to molecularly sex about 200 godwit chicks hatched from 2019-2023. With this data, we related sex to body mass and survival for those individuals. I predicted that since males are usually smaller than females, they are most likely to survive better as they would need fewer nutrients. It is important to understand these topics to aid in the survival of godwit chicks so that they do not go extinct.

Keywords

Godwit Chicks, Survival, Physiology

Research Area

Climate Science

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