Exogenous testosterone increase female aggression in the European starling
(2007) In Behavioral Ecology and Sociobiology 62(2). p.255-262- Abstract
- In the European starling, Sturnus vulgaris, optimal mating systems differ between males and females. Males gain from polygyny, whereas monogamy increases female fitness. The cost of polygyny to females lead to intense female–female competition, and it has previously been shown that the intensity of female aggression during the pre-breeding period can predict the realised mating system. The physiological regulation of such female aggression in starlings is not yet known. This study examines the role of testosterone in mediating aggressive behaviours involved in intra-specific reproductive competition in female starlings. Testosterone levels were experimentally elevated with testosterone implants in females during the pre-laying period. To... (More)
- In the European starling, Sturnus vulgaris, optimal mating systems differ between males and females. Males gain from polygyny, whereas monogamy increases female fitness. The cost of polygyny to females lead to intense female–female competition, and it has previously been shown that the intensity of female aggression during the pre-breeding period can predict the realised mating system. The physiological regulation of such female aggression in starlings is not yet known. This study examines the role of testosterone in mediating aggressive behaviours involved in intra-specific reproductive competition in female starlings. Testosterone levels were experimentally elevated with testosterone implants in females during the pre-laying period. To simulate a situation in which an additional female tried to mate with the focal female’s mate, a caged female was presented close to a nest-site to which the male could attract a secondary female. Testosterone was significantly related to several behaviours involved in female–female interactions. Females with testosterone implants spent significantly more time close to the caged female and produced more song bouts than control females. In contrast, male behaviour was unrelated to the experimental status of the mate. Females mated to males that attracted a secondary female were less aggressive towards the caged female than those that remained monogamously mated. The effect of exogenous testosterone in this study indicates that androgens may mediate social behaviours in female starlings during the breeding season. (Less)
Please use this url to cite or link to this publication:
https://lup.lub.lu.se/record/629346
- author
- Sandell, Maria LU
- organization
- publishing date
- 2007
- type
- Contribution to journal
- publication status
- published
- subject
- keywords
- Aggression - Female aggression - Hormones - Testosterone - Sexual conflicts - Mating systems - Sturnus vulgaris - Song
- in
- Behavioral Ecology and Sociobiology
- volume
- 62
- issue
- 2
- pages
- 255 - 262
- publisher
- Springer
- external identifiers
-
- wos:000250832800012
- scopus:36148976882
- ISSN
- 1432-0762
- DOI
- 10.1007/s00265-007-0460-9
- language
- English
- LU publication?
- yes
- additional info
- The information about affiliations in this record was updated in December 2015. The record was previously connected to the following departments: Animal Ecology (Closed 2011) (011012001)
- id
- 7a9a5317-4a6b-4664-ae75-a10cbbd33ef2 (old id 629346)
- date added to LUP
- 2016-04-01 12:31:32
- date last changed
- 2022-03-13 19:05:43
@article{7a9a5317-4a6b-4664-ae75-a10cbbd33ef2,
abstract = {{In the European starling, Sturnus vulgaris, optimal mating systems differ between males and females. Males gain from polygyny, whereas monogamy increases female fitness. The cost of polygyny to females lead to intense female–female competition, and it has previously been shown that the intensity of female aggression during the pre-breeding period can predict the realised mating system. The physiological regulation of such female aggression in starlings is not yet known. This study examines the role of testosterone in mediating aggressive behaviours involved in intra-specific reproductive competition in female starlings. Testosterone levels were experimentally elevated with testosterone implants in females during the pre-laying period. To simulate a situation in which an additional female tried to mate with the focal female’s mate, a caged female was presented close to a nest-site to which the male could attract a secondary female. Testosterone was significantly related to several behaviours involved in female–female interactions. Females with testosterone implants spent significantly more time close to the caged female and produced more song bouts than control females. In contrast, male behaviour was unrelated to the experimental status of the mate. Females mated to males that attracted a secondary female were less aggressive towards the caged female than those that remained monogamously mated. The effect of exogenous testosterone in this study indicates that androgens may mediate social behaviours in female starlings during the breeding season.}},
author = {{Sandell, Maria}},
issn = {{1432-0762}},
keywords = {{Aggression - Female aggression - Hormones - Testosterone - Sexual conflicts - Mating systems - Sturnus vulgaris - Song}},
language = {{eng}},
number = {{2}},
pages = {{255--262}},
publisher = {{Springer}},
series = {{Behavioral Ecology and Sociobiology}},
title = {{Exogenous testosterone increase female aggression in the European starling}},
url = {{http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/s00265-007-0460-9}},
doi = {{10.1007/s00265-007-0460-9}},
volume = {{62}},
year = {{2007}},
}