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Research Interests
Professor Schwabl's research is at the interface of behavioral biology, endocrinology, and evolutionary ecology . Specifically his lab is interested in the regulation of reproduction in relation to the social and physical environment. His current research focuses on female reproductive biology and the consequences of female reproductive decisions for the phenotype and the fitness of the offspring. Understanding the evolutionary significance of such maternal effects requires investigation of proximate regulatory mechanisms and of ultimate fitness consequences. Therefore he studies animals (mainly birds) in their natural environment (including the tropics), conducts controlled laboratory experiments, measures and manipulates hormone levels, quantifies behavior, and estimates fitness. The specific goals of this research program are to understand 1) female reproductive plasticity; 2) effects of female reproductive decisions on anatomy, physiology, development, and behavior of offspring; and 3) evolution and fitness consequences of maternal effects.
Representative Publications
Sockman, K.W., Sharp, P.J. & H. Schwabl (2006). Orchestration of avian reproductive effort: an integration of the ultimate and proximate bases for flexibility in clutch size, incubation behaviour, and yolk androgen deposition. Biological Reviews. 81: 1–38.
Schwabl, H., Flincks, H. & Gwinner E. 2005. Testosterone and territorial behavior in stonechats. Hormones and Behavior 47: 503-512.
Gwinner H. & H. Schwabl. 2005. Evidence for sexy sons in European starlings (Sturnus vulgaris). Behavioral Ecology and Sociobiology 58: 375-382.
Sockman, K.W., H. Schwabl, P. J. Sharp. 2004. Removing the confound of time in investigating the regulation of serial events: Testosterone, prolactin, and the transition from sexual to parental behavior in male American kestrels. Animal Behaviour, 67: 1151-1161.
Tschirren, B., Richner, H. & H. Schwabl. 2004. Ectoparasite-modulated deposition of maternal androgens in Great tit eggs. Proc. R. Soc. London, B 271: 1371-1375.
Strasser R. & H. Schwabl. 2004. Yolk testosterone modifies the expression of sexually selected traits in sons. Behavioral Ecology and Sociobiology 56: 491-497.
Groothuis, T. G. & H. Schwabl. 2002. Determinants of within and among clutch variation in levels of maternal hormones in Black-headed gull eggs. Functional Ecology 16: 281-289.
Sockman, K. S. & H. Schwabl. 2001. Regulation of yolk-androgen concentrations by maternal plasma prolactin in the American kestrel. Hormones and Behavior 40: 462-471.
Petrie, M., Schwabl, H., Brande-Lavridsen, N. & Burke, T. 2001. Sex differences in avian yolk hormone levels. Nature 412: 498.
Sockman, K. S. & H. Schwabl. 2001. Plasma corticosterone in nestling American kestrels: Effects of age, handling stress, yolk androgens, and body condition. General and Comparative Endocrinology 122: 205-212.
Jarvis, E.D., H. Schwabl, S. Ribeiro & C. Mello. 1997. Brain gene regulation by territorial singing in a free-living songbird. NeuroReport 8: 2073-2077.
Schwabl, H., D. Mock, and J. Gieg. 1997. A hormonal mechanism of parental favouritism. Nature 386: 231.
Schwabl, H. 1995. Individual variation of the acute adrenocortical response to stress in the white-throated sparrow. Zoology 99: 113-120.
Schwabl, H. 1993. Yolk is a source of maternal testosterone for developing birds. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences USA 90: 11439-11441.