Heritability and cross-sex genetic correlations of early-life circulating testosterone levels in a wild mammal

Alyson T. Pavitt; Craig A. Walling; Josephine M. Pemberton; Loeske E.B. Kruuk

doi:10.1098/rsbl.2014.0685

Heritability and cross-sex genetic correlations of early-life circulating testosterone levels in a wild mammal

Alyson T. Pavitt^*, Craig A. Walling, Josephine M. Pemberton, Loeske E.B. Kruuk

^*Corresponding author for this work

Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review

20 Citations (Scopus)

Abstract

Testosterone is an important hormone that has been shown to have sex-specific links to fitness in numerous species. Although testosterone concentrations vary substantially between individuals in a population, little is known about its heritable genetic basis or between-sex genetic correlations that determine its evolutionary potential. We found circulating neonatal testosterone levels to be both heritable (0.160±0.064 s.e.) and correlated between the sexes (0.942±0.648 s.e.) in wild red deer calves (Cervus elaphus). This may have important evolutionary implications if, as in adults, the sexes have divergent optima for circulating testosterone levels.

Original language	English
Article number	20140685
Journal	Biology Letters
Volume	10
Issue number	11
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1098/rsbl.2014.0685
Publication status	Published - 1 Nov 2014

Access to Document

10.1098/rsbl.2014.0685

Cite this

@article{565303df38f44e9e97711599498deec1,

title = "Heritability and cross-sex genetic correlations of early-life circulating testosterone levels in a wild mammal",

abstract = "Testosterone is an important hormone that has been shown to have sex-specific links to fitness in numerous species. Although testosterone concentrations vary substantially between individuals in a population, little is known about its heritable genetic basis or between-sex genetic correlations that determine its evolutionary potential. We found circulating neonatal testosterone levels to be both heritable (0.160±0.064 s.e.) and correlated between the sexes (0.942±0.648 s.e.) in wild red deer calves (Cervus elaphus). This may have important evolutionary implications if, as in adults, the sexes have divergent optima for circulating testosterone levels.",

keywords = "Androgens, Interindividual variation, Quantitative genetics, Reproductive endocrinology, Selection, Steroid hormones",

author = "Pavitt, {Alyson T.} and Walling, {Craig A.} and Pemberton, {Josephine M.} and Kruuk, {Loeske E.B.}",

note = "Publisher Copyright: {\textcopyright} 2014 The Authors. Published by the Royal Society under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License.",

year = "2014",

month = nov,

day = "1",

doi = "10.1098/rsbl.2014.0685",

language = "English",

volume = "10",

journal = "Biology Letters",

issn = "1744-9561",

publisher = "The Royal Society",

number = "11",

}

TY - JOUR

T1 - Heritability and cross-sex genetic correlations of early-life circulating testosterone levels in a wild mammal

AU - Pavitt, Alyson T.

AU - Walling, Craig A.

AU - Pemberton, Josephine M.

AU - Kruuk, Loeske E.B.

PY - 2014/11/1

Y1 - 2014/11/1

N2 - Testosterone is an important hormone that has been shown to have sex-specific links to fitness in numerous species. Although testosterone concentrations vary substantially between individuals in a population, little is known about its heritable genetic basis or between-sex genetic correlations that determine its evolutionary potential. We found circulating neonatal testosterone levels to be both heritable (0.160±0.064 s.e.) and correlated between the sexes (0.942±0.648 s.e.) in wild red deer calves (Cervus elaphus). This may have important evolutionary implications if, as in adults, the sexes have divergent optima for circulating testosterone levels.

AB - Testosterone is an important hormone that has been shown to have sex-specific links to fitness in numerous species. Although testosterone concentrations vary substantially between individuals in a population, little is known about its heritable genetic basis or between-sex genetic correlations that determine its evolutionary potential. We found circulating neonatal testosterone levels to be both heritable (0.160±0.064 s.e.) and correlated between the sexes (0.942±0.648 s.e.) in wild red deer calves (Cervus elaphus). This may have important evolutionary implications if, as in adults, the sexes have divergent optima for circulating testosterone levels.

KW - Androgens

KW - Interindividual variation

KW - Quantitative genetics

KW - Reproductive endocrinology

KW - Selection

KW - Steroid hormones

UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=84937854423&partnerID=8YFLogxK

U2 - 10.1098/rsbl.2014.0685

DO - 10.1098/rsbl.2014.0685

M3 - Article

SN - 1744-9561

VL - 10

JO - Biology Letters

JF - Biology Letters

IS - 11

M1 - 20140685

ER -

Heritability and cross-sex genetic correlations of early-life circulating testosterone levels in a wild mammal

Abstract

Access to Document

Other files and links

Fingerprint

Cite this