| Castration in Gambel's and Scaled Quail: ornate plumage and dominance persist, but courtship and threat behaviors do not. | |
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MedLine Citation:
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PMID: 11161878 Owner: NLM Status: MEDLINE |
Abstract/OtherAbstract:
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During the breeding season, testosterone in male birds is often linked to some secondary sexual ornaments, courtship behaviors, and intrasexual aggression. I examined the effect of castration on plumage expression in Gambel's Quail (Callipepla gambelii), a species in which males are highly ornate, and in Scaled Quail (C. squamata), an unornamented species. Using male pairs, each consisting of a castrate and a control, I also assessed whether castration affected (1) the behavior of males, (2) the mating decisions of females, or (3) the outcome of male-male competition. Castration did not alter the plumage of male Gambel's or Scaled Quail. In these species, and some other members of the avian order Galliformes, production of ornate plumage appears to be independent of testosterone. In contrast, castration reduced or eliminated courtship behaviors. Females almost never preferred castrated individuals. During male-male competition, castrates also exhibited lower rates of threat behaviors, which appear to be identical to those used during courtship. Castration did not, however, influence the outcome of male-male competition. Castrates of both species exhibited overt aggression (pecks, chases, displacement) and frequently won male contests. Such results suggest that certain types of aggressive behavior may be testosterone-independent. In both Gambel's and Scaled Quail, male body size correlated positively with dominant individuals. |
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Authors:
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J C Hagelin |
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Publication Detail:
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Type: Journal Article |
Journal Detail:
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Title: Hormones and behavior Volume: 39 ISSN: 0018-506X ISO Abbreviation: Horm Behav Publication Date: 2001 Feb |
Date Detail:
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Created Date: 2001-02-22 Completed Date: 2001-05-17 Revised Date: 2006-11-15 |
Medline Journal Info:
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Nlm Unique ID: 0217764 Medline TA: Horm Behav Country: United States |
Other Details:
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Languages: eng Pagination: 1-10 Citation Subset: IM |
Copyright Information:
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Copyright 2001 Academic Press. |
Affiliation:
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Department of Biology, The University of New Mexico, Albuquerque, New Mexico 87131, USA. hagelin@sp.uconn.edu |
Export Citation:
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| MeSH Terms | |
Descriptor/Qualifier:
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Agonistic Behavior
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physiology* Animals Dominance-Subordination* Female Male Orchiectomy Quail / physiology* Sex Characteristics* Sexual Behavior, Animal / physiology* Species Specificity Testosterone / physiology* |
| Chemical | |
Reg. No./Substance:
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58-22-0/Testosterone |
From MEDLINE®/PubMed®, a database of the U.S. National Library of Medicine
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