Loading...
Androgens in a female primate: relationships with reproductive status, age, dominance rank, fetal sex and secondary sexual color
Setchell, Joanna M. Smith, Tessa E. Knapp, Leslie A.
Setchell, Joanna M.
Smith, Tessa E.
Knapp, Leslie A.
Advisors
Editors
Other Contributors
EPub Date
Publication Date
2015-05-01
Submitted Date
Collections
Files
Loading...
Main article
Adobe PDF, 284.26 KB
Other Titles
Abstract
A comprehensive understanding of the role of androgens in reproduction, behavior andmorphology requires the examination of female, aswell as male, hormone profiles. However, we know far less about the biological significance of androgens in females than in males. We investigated the relationships between fecal androgen (immunoreactive
testosterone) levels and reproductive status, age, dominance rank, fetal sex and a secondary sexual trait (facial color) in semi-free-ranging femalemandrills (Mandrillus sphinx), using samples collected from19 reproductively
mature females over 13 months. Fecal androgens varied with reproductive status, being highest
during gestation. Fecal androgens began to increase at 3 months of gestation, and peaked at 5 months. This pattern is more similar to that found in a platyrrhine than in other cercopithecine species, suggesting that such patterns are not necessarily phylogenetically constrained. Fecal androgens did not vary systematically with rank, in contrast to the relationship we have reported for male mandrills, and in line with sex differences in how rank is acquired and maintained. Offspring sex was unrelated to fecal androgens, either prior to conception or during gestation, contrasting with studies of other primate species. Mean facial color was positively related to mean fecal androgens across females, reflecting the same relationship inmalemandrills. However, the relationship between color and androgens was negative within females. Future studies of the relationship between female androgens and social behavior, reproduction and secondary sexual traits will help to elucidate the factors
underlying the similarities and differences found between the sexes and among studies.
Citation
Setchell, J. M., Smith, T. E., & Knapp, L. A. (2015). Androgens in a female primate: relationships with reproductive status, age, dominance rank, fetal sex and secondary sexual color. Physiology & Behavior, 147, 245-254. DOI: 10.1016/j.physbeh.2015.04.051
Publisher
Elsevier
Journal
Physiology & Behavior
Research Unit
DOI
10.1016/j.physbeh.2015.04.051
PubMed ID
PubMed Central ID
Type
Article
Language
en
Description
Series/Report no.
ISSN
0031-9384