Longitudinal gonadal steroid excretion in free-living male and female meerkats (Suricata suricatta)

General and Comparative Endocrinology
A M MossSteven L Monfort

Abstract

Slender-tailed meerkats (Suricata suricatta) are small, diurnal, cooperatively breeding mongooses of the family Herpestidae. A prerequisite to fully understanding the mating system of meerkats is the development of a normative reproductive-endocrine database. This study examined longitudinal gonadal steroid excretion in all adult and juvenile individuals of both sexes within a social group of free-living meerkats sampled across an entire breeding season. The specific objectives of this study were to (1) validate noninvasive (fecal and urinary) gonadal steroid hormone monitoring techniques in male (testosterone) and female (estrogens, progestagens) meerkats; (2) test the feasibility of using these noninvasive methods under field conditions; (3) characterize the endocrine correlates associated with the female reproductive cycle, including estrus, gestation, and postpartum estrus; (4) examine longitudinal androgen excretion in males; and (5) determine whether social status (i.e., dominant versus subordinate) affected gonadal steroid excretion. In females, the results demonstrated the physiological validity of noninvasive monitoring in meerkats by corresponding excretory hormone concentrations to major reproductive events (i.e., es...Continue Reading

References

Aug 1, 1975·Journal of Reproduction and Fertility·D C Thomas, I M Cowan
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Nov 1, 1973·Biology of Reproduction·T D Mckinney, C Desjardins
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Mar 1, 1994·Trends in Ecology & Evolution·M D Jennions, D W Macdonald

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Citations

Nov 8, 2007·Proceedings. Biological Sciences·Nobuyuki Kutsukake, Tim H Clutton-Brock
Jun 7, 2005·General and Comparative Endocrinology·Rosalind M RollandSamuel K Wasser
Jan 3, 2012·Hormones and Behavior·Marie-France BarretteAndrew F Russell
Jul 17, 2004·Hormones and Behavior·Anne A CarlsonTim Clutton-Brock
Aug 29, 2009·Hormones and Behavior·Jacinta C BeehnerJeanne Altmann
Feb 28, 2003·General and Comparative Endocrinology·Chadi ToumaRupert Palme

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