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Non-human primates avoid the detrimental effects of prenatal androgen exposure in mixed-sex litters: combined demographic, behavioral, and genetic analyses.

Publication ,  Journal Article
Bradley, BJ; Snowdon, CT; McGrew, WC; Lawler, RR; Guevara, EE; McIntosh, A; O'Connor, T
Published in: American journal of primatology
December 2016

Producing single versus multiple births has important life history trade-offs, including the potential benefits and risks of sharing a common in utero environment. Sex hormones can diffuse through amniotic fluid and fetal membranes, and females with male littermates risk exposure to high levels of fetal testosterone, which are shown to have masculinizing effects and negative fitness consequences in many mammals. Whereas most primates give birth to single offspring, several New World monkey and strepsirrhine species regularly give birth to small litters. We examined whether neonatal testosterone exposure might be detrimental to females in mixed-sex litters by compiling data from long-term breeding records for seven primate species (Saguinus oedipus; Varecia variegata, Varecia rubra, Microcebus murinis, Mirza coquereli, Cheirogaleus medius, Galago moholi). Litter sex ratios did not differ from the expected 1:2:1 (MM:MF:FF for twins) and 1:2:2:1 (MMM:MMF:MFF:FFF for triplets). Measures of reproductive success, including female survivorship, offspring-survivorship, and inter-birth interval, did not differ between females born in mixed-sex versus all-female litters, indicating that litter-producing non-human primates, unlike humans and rodents, show no signs of detrimental effects from androgen exposure in mixed sex litters. Although we found no evidence for CYP19A1 gene duplications-a hypothesized mechanism for coping with androgen exposure-aromatase protein evolution shows patterns of convergence among litter-producing taxa. That some primates have effectively found a way to circumvent a major cost of multiple births has implications for understanding variation in litter size and life history strategies across mammals.

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Published In

American journal of primatology

DOI

EISSN

1098-2345

ISSN

0275-2565

Publication Date

December 2016

Volume

78

Issue

12

Start / End Page

1304 / 1315

Related Subject Headings

  • Sex Ratio
  • Reproduction
  • Primates
  • Prenatal Exposure Delayed Effects
  • Pregnancy
  • Mammals
  • Male
  • Litter Size
  • Female
  • Behavioral Science & Comparative Psychology
 

Citation

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ICMJE
MLA
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Bradley, B. J., Snowdon, C. T., McGrew, W. C., Lawler, R. R., Guevara, E. E., McIntosh, A., & O’Connor, T. (2016). Non-human primates avoid the detrimental effects of prenatal androgen exposure in mixed-sex litters: combined demographic, behavioral, and genetic analyses. American Journal of Primatology, 78(12), 1304–1315. https://doi.org/10.1002/ajp.22583
Bradley, Brenda J., Charles T. Snowdon, William C. McGrew, Richard R. Lawler, Elaine E. Guevara, Annick McIntosh, and Timothy O’Connor. “Non-human primates avoid the detrimental effects of prenatal androgen exposure in mixed-sex litters: combined demographic, behavioral, and genetic analyses.American Journal of Primatology 78, no. 12 (December 2016): 1304–15. https://doi.org/10.1002/ajp.22583.
Bradley BJ, Snowdon CT, McGrew WC, Lawler RR, Guevara EE, McIntosh A, et al. Non-human primates avoid the detrimental effects of prenatal androgen exposure in mixed-sex litters: combined demographic, behavioral, and genetic analyses. American journal of primatology. 2016 Dec;78(12):1304–15.
Bradley, Brenda J., et al. “Non-human primates avoid the detrimental effects of prenatal androgen exposure in mixed-sex litters: combined demographic, behavioral, and genetic analyses.American Journal of Primatology, vol. 78, no. 12, Dec. 2016, pp. 1304–15. Epmc, doi:10.1002/ajp.22583.
Bradley BJ, Snowdon CT, McGrew WC, Lawler RR, Guevara EE, McIntosh A, O’Connor T. Non-human primates avoid the detrimental effects of prenatal androgen exposure in mixed-sex litters: combined demographic, behavioral, and genetic analyses. American journal of primatology. 2016 Dec;78(12):1304–1315.
Journal cover image

Published In

American journal of primatology

DOI

EISSN

1098-2345

ISSN

0275-2565

Publication Date

December 2016

Volume

78

Issue

12

Start / End Page

1304 / 1315

Related Subject Headings

  • Sex Ratio
  • Reproduction
  • Primates
  • Prenatal Exposure Delayed Effects
  • Pregnancy
  • Mammals
  • Male
  • Litter Size
  • Female
  • Behavioral Science & Comparative Psychology