Maternal Effects on Behavior

Abstract

Maternal effects are modifications of offspring phenotype by the maternal phenotype. In contrast to the past, they are now appreciated as adaptations with important implications for evolutionary theory. Hormonal signaling from the mother to the embryo provides a potent pathway to influence offspring behavior because hormones can affect a wide array of behaviors during development. Here, we not only focus on hormone-mediated maternal effects in birds but also present particularly instructive examples from other taxa. We briefly summarize maternal hormonal effects on behavior, discuss potential mechanisms by which maternal hormones affect behavior, compare classical hormonal action in sexual differentiation with that of hormone-mediated maternal effects, and address pleiotropic actions on suites of traits. Finally, we discuss unresolved fundamental questions and fruitful future research avenues and where and how maternal effects on behavior integrate with current behavioral biology, behavioral genetics, population genetics, developmental biology, ecology, and evolution to achieve a new synthesis.