Hormonal Correlates of Behavior

Balthazart, Jacques

doi:10.1016/b978-0-12-249407-9.50013-2

Cited by 251 publications

(134 citation statements)

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“…Our interest is testosterone in birds, and we therefore use that hormone to illustrate the foregoing generalizations (see Balthazart 1983 for a still excellent review of testosterone's numerous effects in birds). Autoradiography (which localizes receptors by applying radiolabeled hormone to tissue sections) and immunocytochemistry (ICC, which is based on immune reactions to receptor proteins) have detected receptors for testosterone at numerous sites both in the brain (among them sites associated with aggression, vocal behavior, and sexual behavior; e.g., Arnold et al 1976;Balthazart and Ball 1993) and in the periphery (including skin, syrinx or vocal organ, uropygial or preen gland, and gonads; e.g., Lieberburg and Nottebohm 1979;Luine et al 1980;Lake 1981;Scanes 1986;Shanbhag and Sharp 1996).…”

Section: Studying Hormonal Effectsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Adaptation, Exaptation, and Constraint: A Hormonal Perspective

Ketterson

Nolan

1999

The American Naturalist

547

182

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Section: Studying Hormonal Effectsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Adaptation, Exaptation, and Constraint: A Hormonal Perspective

Ketterson

Nolan

1999

The American Naturalist

547

182

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“…Male birds breeding in temperate zones typically show great seasonal fluctuations in gonadal growth and circulating T levels (Wingfield and Silverin, 2002). In these males, reproductive and aggressive behaviors are strongly associated with seasonal fluctuations in circulating T levels with the result that both behavior and hormone levels are increased during the breeding season (Balthazart, 1983;Wingfield et al, 1990;Ball and Balthazart, 2004). Outside the breeding season plasma levels of T are low (or even nondetectable) and territorial behavior is usually not expressed.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Low sex steroids, high steroid receptors: Increasing the sensitivity of the nonreproductive brain

Canoine

Fusani

Schlinger

et al. 2006

Developmental Neurobiology

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Male aggressive behavior is generally regulated by testosterone (T). In most temperate breeding males, aggressive behavior is only expressed during the reproductive period. At this time circulating T concentrations, brain steroid receptors, and steroid metabolic enzymes are elevated in many species relative to the nonreproductive period. Many tropical birds, however, display aggressive behavior both during the breeding and the nonbreeding season, but plasma levels of T can remain low throughout the year and show little seasonal fluctuation. Studies on the year-round territorial spotted antbird (Hylophylax n. naevioides) suggest that T nevertheless regulates aggressive behavior in both the breeding and nonbreeding season. We hypothesize that to regulate aggressive behaviors during the nonbreeding season, when T is at its minimum, male spotted antbirds increase brain sensitivity to steroids. This can be achieved by locally up-regulating androgen receptors (ARs), estrogen receptors (ERs), or the enzyme aromatase (AROM) that converts T into estradiol. We therefore compared mRNA expression of AR, ERa, and AROM in freeliving male spotted antbirds across reproductive and nonreproductive seasons in two brain regions known to regulate both reproductive and aggressive behaviors. mRNA expression of ER in the preoptic area and AR in the nucleus taeniae were elevated in male spotted antbirds during the nonbreeding season when circulating T concentrations were low. This unusual seasonal receptor regulation may represent a means for the year-round regulation of vertebrate aggressive behavior via steroids by increasing the brain's sensitivity to sex steroids during the nonbreeding season.

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“…The understanding of how testosterone (T) activates reproductive behaviors in birds, such as territoriality and song, draws largely from experiments on species breeding in the north temperate zone. Males of these species show discrete seasonally in both T levels and reproduction and a direct link has been shown between T and the activation of display behaviors (Balthazart, 1983;Silver and Ball, 1989;. Several recent studies have examined birds breeding in the tropics to see if, like their temperate breeding counterparts, T is elevated during the breeding season to activate reproductive and aggressive behaviors (Dittami, 1986(Dittami, , 1987 …”

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confidence: 99%

“…Males of these species show discrete seasonally in both T levels and reproduction and a direct link has been shown between T and the activation of display behaviors (Balthazart, 1983;Silver and Ball, 1989;. Several recent studies have examined birds breeding in the tropics to see if, like their temperate breeding counterparts, T is elevated during the breeding season to activate reproductive and aggressive behaviors (Dittami, 1986(Dittami, , 1987Fedy and Stutchbury, 2006;Goymann et al, 2004;Hau et al, 2000;Moore et al, 2004a,b;Wikelski et al, 1999Wikelski et al, , 2003.…”

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confidence: 99%

“…In temperate breeding species, courtship behaviors are dependent on sex steroids (Balthazart, 1983), but few studies have investigated this hypothesis in tropical species (but see Chastel et al, 2005). Because such studies stand to provide general insight into the neuroendocrinology of behavior in tropical animals, we have examined the role of hormones in activating the acrobatic courtship display of golden-collared manakins {Manacus vitellinus) of Panama.…”

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