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Seasonal and population variation in male testosterone levels in breeding orange-crowned warblers (Vermivora celata).

Abstract：

:Comparative hormone studies can reveal how physiology underlies life history variation. Here, we examined seasonal variation in plasma testosterone concentration between populations of male orange-crowned warblers (Vermivora celata) breeding in Fairbanks, Alaska (V. c. celata) and on Santa Catalina Island, California (V. c. sordida). These populations face different ecological constraints and exhibit different life histories. Alaska birds have a short breeding season, low annual adult survival, and high reproductive rates. In contrast, Catalina Island birds exhibit high adult survival and low reproductive rates despite having a long breeding season. We examined seasonal variation in male testosterone concentrations as a potential mechanism underlying differences in male reproductive strategies between populations. From 2006 to 2008, we sampled males during the pre-incubation, incubation, and nestling stages. Alaska males exhibited a seasonal testosterone pattern typical of northern passerines: testosterone levels were high during pre-incubation and declined during incubation to low levels during nestling provisioning. Testosterone concentrations in Catalina Island males, however, did not vary consistently with breeding stage, remained elevated throughout the breeding season, and were higher than in Alaska males during the nestling stage. We hypothesize that in Alaska, where short seasons and high adult mortality limit breeding opportunities, the seasonal testosterone pattern facilitates high mating effort prior to incubation, but high parental investment during the nestling stage. On Catalina Island, elevated testosterone levels may reflect the extended mating opportunities and high population density facing males in this population. Our results suggest that population variation in seasonal testosterone patterns in orange-crowned warblers may be a function of differences in life history strategy and the social environment.

journal_name

Gen Comp Endocrinol

journal_title

General and comparative endocrinology

authors

Horton BM,Yoon J,Ghalambor CK,Moore IT,Scott Sillett T

doi

10.1016/j.ygcen.2010.04.019

subject

Has Abstract

pub_date

2010-09-15 00:00:00

pages

333-9

issue

eissn

0016-6480

issn

1095-6840

pii

S0016-6480(10)00177-2

journal_volume

168

pub_type

杂志文章

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Seasonal and population variation in male testosterone levels in breeding orange-crowned warblers (Vermivora celata).