Early nighttime testosterone peaks are correlated with GnRH-induced testosterone in a diurnal songbird
- Award ID(s):
- 1755128
- PAR ID:
- 10283273
- Date Published:
- Journal Name:
- General and Comparative Endocrinology
- Volume:
- 312
- Issue:
- C
- ISSN:
- 0016-6480
- Page Range / eLocation ID:
- 113861
- Format(s):
- Medium: X
- Sponsoring Org:
- National Science Foundation
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We ask whether artificially induced testosterone pulses (T-pulses), administered to males in the wild at the territory boundary, adjust location preferences within the territory. Multiple transient T-pulses occurring after social interactions in males can alter behaviour and spatial preferences. We previously found that T-pulses administered at the nest induce male California mice, a biparental and territorial species, to spend more time at the nest likely through conditioned place preferences. We hypothesized that T’s reinforcing effects would increase future time by the T-injected males at the boundary and promote territorial defence. Contrary to predictions, T-pulses induced a decrease in male time at the boundary, and instead appeared to promote male territorial/home range expansion, accompanied by shorter sustained vocalizations (SVs) and decreased proportion of three SV bouts. Shorter SVs are associated with aggression in the laboratory. Furthermore, in response to T-male behavioural changes, uninjected female partners decreased boundary time. Our results suggest new functions for socially induced T-pulses, such as extending territorial boundaries/home ranges. Location preferences induced through reinforcing/rewarding mechanisms may be more plastic and dependent on physical and social contexts than previously thought. Moreover, the results suggest that location preferences produced through rewarding/reinforcing mechanisms can be viewed from adaptive perspectives to influence future behaviour.more » « less
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