Context-dependent effects of feather corticosterone on growth rate and fledging success of wild passerine nestlings in heterogeneous habitat

Life history theory seeks answers to questions about how suites of traits, like growth rate, body mass and survival, have coevolved to maximize the fitness of individuals. In stochastic environments, individual fitness may be closely linked to environmental conditions experienced early in life. When conditions deteriorate, animals have to adapt physiologically to avoid detrimental effects to growth and survival. Hormones such as glucocorticoids...