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Evolutionary, molecular and comparative zoology
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RESEARCH ARTICLE
Contents Vol 54(6)

Repeatability of laboratory measurements for maternally derived yolk carotenoid concentrations in bird eggs

Phillip Cassey A E , John G. Ewen B , Filiz Karadas C and Mark E. Hauber D
+ Author Affiliations
- Author Affiliations

A School of Biosciences, Birmingham University, Edgbaston, UK.

B Institute of Zoology, Regents Park, London, UK.

C Department of Animal Science, University of Yüzüncü Yil, Van, Turkey.

D School of Biological Sciences, University of Auckland, Auckland, New Zealand.

E Corresponding author. Email: p.cassey@bham.ac.uk

Australian Journal of Zoology 54(6) 381-384 https://doi.org/10.1071/ZO06045
Submitted: 2 June 2006  Accepted: 17 November 2006   Published: 9 January 2007

Abstract

We describe a source of variability in maternally derived yolk carotenoids that is not routinely calculated in published studies. We quantify the measurement error in yolk carotenoid concentrations that may accrue during the analysis of yolk contents from repeat extractions and repeat high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) runs of the same egg yolk sample from free range clutches of four farm bird species in New Zealand. We show that the variability between different eggs is substantially greater than the variability between replicate yolk extractions and HPLC analyses. Importantly, our results provide confidence to researchers that technical repeatability is a lesser concern when studying the biological differences between yolk samples.


Acknowledgments

We are grateful to an anonymous reviewer for providing comments that greatly improved an earlier version of this article. This research would not have been possible without the assistance of R. L. Boulton. JGE was supported by an IoZ Research Fellowship. Financial support was provided, in part, by the University of Auckland Research Council to PC and MEH.


References

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