How Might Maternal Hormonal Status Influence the Behavioral Development of Offspring

Essay

How might maternal hormonal status influence the behavioral development of offspring in egg-laying animals (e.g., amphibians, fish, birds)? For example, let's say that the mother is stressed or subjected to increased competition while producing the eggs. If this causes the mother to exhibit elevated cortisol or testosterone levels, how might this influence the behavioral traits of her offspring? For some clues, see Sloman (2010) and Burton et al. (2011). Do you think mothers might be able to alter hormone allocation to the eggs depending on prevailing environmental condition, and that this allocation might impact offspring fitness?