EDRI Federal Project Inventory:
Developmental Mechanisms of Reproductive Choice
- Sponsor Organization: NATIONAL SCIENCE FOUNDATION
- Project Title: DEVELOPMENTAL MECHANISMS OF REPRODUCTIVE CHOICE
- Project Focus: ECOLOGICAL EFFECTS
- Description: The goal of the proposed research is to analyze developmental
processes leadingto adult mate choice and mate preferences,
especially preferences that are sexually dimorphic (different in males
and females). The project will focus on a particularlyrobust and
widespread aspect of mate choice, preference for opposite-sex
partners(sexual partner preference), and a species well-suited to the
goal, the zebra finchestreated with estrogen during the first two
weeks posthatch and housed in an all-femalezebra finches treated with
estrogen during the first two weeks posthatch and housed inan all-
female environment from 40 days (independence from the parents)to 100
days(young adulthood) then prefer to pair with other females. In
order to address importantquestions raised by this discovery, a
series of experiments will be conducted in whichannals are exposed to
different hormonal or social environment manipulations
duringdevelopment and then tested for sexual partner preference or
organizational effects ofhormones produce early in development, and
sexual imprinting--and will elucidate themanner in which hormonal and
experiential influences interact during development.This work will
advance our understanding of mate choice and of reproductive
behaviordevelopment.
- References:
- Category: MODELS
- Subcategory: BASIC RESEARCH
- Keywords for Experimental System/Species: AVIAN, IN VIVO, LABORATORY STUDY
- Keywords for Experimental Endpoints: NEUROLOGICAL, REPRODUCTIVE, SEX STEROIDS, BREEDING BEHAVIOR, PUBERTY,
PHYSIOLOGY
- Chemical Agents: Sex steroids
- Performing Institution: Cornell University-Endowed
- Contact: Elizabeth K Adkins-Regan, 123 Day Hall, Ithaca, NY 14853-2801 607
255-2000
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