Social Status and Antler Development in Red Deer

摘要: Close correlations between social dominance and levels of some hormones modulated mainly by agonistic behavior have been reported in mammals. The hormone changes which accompany interactions appear to be more dramatic longer lasting than those associated, for example, with sexual (Harding 1981). Clearly, dominant animals generally lower pituitary/adrenocortical activities submissive living them. Thus, the -+position usually based on aggressive often tends related elevated androgen level, while subordinate status seems associated secretion increasing glucocorticoids (Brain 1980; Leshner 1980). Increased chronic ACTH/glucocorticoid production suppresses androgens In Cervidae evidence these relationships has obtained white-tailed deer (Bubenik, A. & Bubenik, G. 1976b; Forand et al. 1985), red (Short 1979), reindeer (Stokkan