Testosterone elevation and response to gonadotropin-releasing hormone challenge by male Northern Cardinals (Cardinalis cardinalis) following aggressive behavior

详细信息	查看全文 | 推荐本文 |

• 作者：M. Susan DeVries ; ^{Margaret.Devries@eagles.usm.edu} ; Caitlin P. Winters ^{caitlin.p.winters@gmail.com} ; Jodie M. Jawor ^{Jodie.Jawor@usm.edu}
• 关键词：Breeding ; Challenge hypothesis ; Inter-male ; Resident ; Simulated territorial intrusion ; Social monogamy ; Songbird ; Temperate
• 刊名：Hormones and Behavior
• 出版年：2012
• 期刊代码：82_0018506x
• 类别：psy
• 出版时间：June, 2012
• 卷：62
• 期：1
• 页码：99-105
• 文件大小：391 K

摘要

There is much discrepancy about the relationship between testosterone (T) and male aggressive behavior. For example, in birds, males of many species significantly elevate T levels during inter-male conflict. However, this is not universal, and in species where males typically do not elevate T during aggressive interactions, concentrations of the hormone are often assumed to be circulating at maximum levels. We examined if male northern cardinals (Cardinalis cardinalis) significantly elevated T during simulated territorial intrusions (STIs). We also examined if individuals had the capacity to further elevate T levels in response to gonadotropin-releasing hormone (GnRH) injections immediately after an aggressive encounter. Our results indicate that male cardinals do not significantly elevate T levels in response to STIs, but have the physiological capacity to significantly elevate T in response to GnRH injections following aggressive interactions. This implies that T levels of individuals captured during STIs were not at maximum concentrations. However, additional findings in this study also suggest the possibility that prolonged social instability could elicit significant elevations in T in males of this species, warranting further investigation.