Testosterone and testes size in mallards (Anas platyrhynchos)

The steroid hormone testosterone (T) mediates the expression of many secondary sexual characters, including behaviors which influence male reproductive success. Testes are one of the major sources of androgens, in particular of T. Although a positive relationship between testes size and T levels cou...

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Bibliographic Details
Published inJournal of ornithology Vol. 147; no. 3; pp. 436 - 440
Main Authors Denk, Angelika G., Kempenaers, Bart
Format Journal Article
LanguageEnglish
Published Heidelberg Springer Nature B.V 01.07.2006
Subjects
Anas platyrhynchos
Androgens
Animal behavior
Animal reproduction
Breeding success
Reproductive behavior
Secondary sexual characters
Sexual behavior
Testes
Testosterone
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Summary:The steroid hormone testosterone (T) mediates the expression of many secondary sexual characters, including behaviors which influence male reproductive success. Testes are one of the major sources of androgens, in particular of T. Although a positive relationship between testes size and T levels could be hypothesized, it has rarely been tested intraspecifically. We investigated this link in mallards (Anas platyrhynchos) using a double-antibody radioimmuno-assay to measure hormone levels and X-rays to determine testes size. Here, we report a positive correlation between both traits in a group of 13 drakes during the reproductive season.
ISSN:2193-7192
2193-7206
DOI:10.1007/s10336-005-0031-7