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Correlated evolution of male and female testosterone profiles in birds and its consequences

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Abstract

Circulating levels of testosterone in adults have mainly evolved as a consequence of selection on males for increased levels, while levels of circulating testosterone in females may be an indirect consequence of selection on males. A review of the literature revealed that intense directional selection for high levels of circulating testosterone in birds is likely to be mainly due to direct selection on males. A comparative study of testosterone levels in birds revealed a strong positive relationship between peak testosterone levels in adult females and peak levels in males. The slope of this relationship was significantly less than unity, implying that the testosterone levels in females have been reduced in species with high levels in males. An analysis of the order of evolutionary events suggested that peak concentration of testosterone in females changed after peak concentrations of testosterone in males. Females in colonial species of birds had significantly higher circulating peak testosterone levels compared to females of solitary species, and relative levels after controlling for the effects of peak levels in males were also larger, suggesting that any costs of high testosterone levels in females are particularly likely in colonial birds. Direct selection on male circulating testosterone levels may increase the costs that females incur from high testosterone titers. For example, high female levels may negatively affect ovulation and laying and may also affect the levels of testosterone that females deposit in their eggs and hence the exposure of pre- and post-hatching offspring to testosterone. This in turn may affect not only offspring behavior, but also offspring development and the trade-offs between growth, development of immune function, and behavior in offspring.

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Acknowledgments

J. Balthazart, C. Doutrelant, J.-F. Guegan, C. Meunier and C. Tourenq kindly helped in different ways. ME was a Research Associate of the FWO-Flanders and he was supported by research project G.0075.98 of the FWO and by a Scientific Research Network (WO.007.96N). SHB was supported by a grant from the European Community ERBFMBICT972515

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Laboratoire de Parasitologie Evolutive, CNRS UMR 7103, Université Pierre et Marie Curie, Bat. A, 7ème étage, 7 quai St Bernard, Case 237, F-75252, Paris Cédex 5, France

    A. P. Møller

  2. Department of Biology, University of Antwerp, U.A., Universiteitsplein 1, B-2610, Wilrijk, Belgium

    L. Z. Garamszegi, S. Hurtrez-Boussès & M. Eens

  3. Departamento de Ecología Evolutiva, Museo Nacional de Ciencias Naturales (CSIC), José Gutierrez Abascal 2, E-28006, Madrid, Spain

    D. Gil

  4. Centre d’Etudes sur le Polymorphisme des Micro-Organismes, UMR CNRS-IRD 9926, B.P. 5045, 911 parc Agropolis, F-34032, Montpellier Cédex 1, France

    S. Hurtrez-Boussès

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  1. A. P. Møller
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  2. L. Z. Garamszegi
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  3. D. Gil
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  4. S. Hurtrez-Boussès
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  5. M. Eens
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Correspondence to A. P. Møller.

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Communicated by R. Gibson

Appendix

Appendix

Table A. Information on species, coloniality (0 – solitary, 1 – colonial), maximum peak male testosterone (ng/ml) and maximum peak female testosterone (ng/ml). References are given in Garamszegi et al. (2005)
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Møller, A.P., Garamszegi, L.Z., Gil, D. et al. Correlated evolution of male and female testosterone profiles in birds and its consequences. Behav Ecol Sociobiol 58, 534–544 (2005). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00265-005-0962-2

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