Pre- and postnatal noise directly impairs avian development, with fitness consequences

Abstract

Noise pollution is expanding at an unprecedented rate and is increasingly associated with impaired reproduction and development across taxa. However, whether noise sound waves are intrinsically harmful for developing young—or merely disturb parents—and the fitness consequences of early exposure remain unknown. Here, by only manipulating the offspring, we show that sole exposure to noise in early life in zebra finches has fitness consequences and causes embryonic death during exposure. Exposure to pre- and postnatal traffic noise cumulatively impaired nestling growth and physiology and aggravated telomere shortening across life stages until adulthood. Consistent with a long-term somatic impact, early life noise exposure, especially prenatally, decreased individual offspring production throughout adulthood. Our findings suggest that the effects of noise pollution are more pervasive than previously realized.

Editor’s summary

Human-produced noise has become a part of the world’s environment, and traffic noise in particular is incessant and present globally. Such noise has been shown to alter behavior in a variety of animals, including birds. In zebra finches, Meillère et al . show that such noise doesn’t just alter adult behavior; it also has direct impacts on growth and fitness when only embryos are exposed (see the Perspective by Slabbekoorn). Specifically, birds exposed to traffic sounds in the egg had impaired growth, shorter telomeres, and reduced production as adults. Such effects may be pervasive given the ever-present background drone of our traffic noise. —Sacha Vignieri