The effects of androgen and antiandrogen on dominance and aggressiveness in male red-winged blackbirds

William A. Searcy; John C. Wingfield

doi:10.1016/0018-506X(80)90004-5

The effects of androgen and antiandrogen on dominance and aggressiveness in male red-winged blackbirds

William A. Searcy, John C. Wingfield

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

63 Scopus citations

Abstract

Male red-winged blackbirds were given implants of testosterone or flutamide in order to manipulate the level of androgen reaching receptor sites. Implants of cholesterol were given as controls. Radioimmunoassay showed higher levels of testosterone and DHT in the plasma of testosterone-implanted birds than in the plasma of the pooled flutamide-implanted and cholesterol-implanted birds. Dominance was significantly correlated with effective androgen level. Androgen level was not correlated with rates of supplantations per subordinate but was correlated with rates of escalated attacks per subordinate. Thus androgen level influences dominance in male red-winged blackbirds by influencing one component of aggressiveness.

Original language	English (US)
Pages (from-to)	126-135
Number of pages	10
Journal	Hormones and Behavior
Volume	14
Issue number	2
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1016/0018-506X(80)90004-5
State	Published - Jun 1980
Externally published	Yes

ASJC Scopus subject areas

Endocrinology
Endocrine and Autonomic Systems
Behavioral Neuroscience

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@article{cd088daa3aa54aa2880ab0aea006a773,

title = "The effects of androgen and antiandrogen on dominance and aggressiveness in male red-winged blackbirds",

abstract = "Male red-winged blackbirds were given implants of testosterone or flutamide in order to manipulate the level of androgen reaching receptor sites. Implants of cholesterol were given as controls. Radioimmunoassay showed higher levels of testosterone and DHT in the plasma of testosterone-implanted birds than in the plasma of the pooled flutamide-implanted and cholesterol-implanted birds. Dominance was significantly correlated with effective androgen level. Androgen level was not correlated with rates of supplantations per subordinate but was correlated with rates of escalated attacks per subordinate. Thus androgen level influences dominance in male red-winged blackbirds by influencing one component of aggressiveness.",

author = "Searcy, {William A.} and Wingfield, {John C.}",

note = "Funding Information: We thankt he ScheringC orporation,B loomlield, New Jersey, for providingf lutamide.W e thank Donald S. Famer, Cheryl Harding, Peter Marler, Patrick McArthur, and Ken Yasukawa for their commentso n a draft of this manuscript.W e are also gratefult o Margaret Hairston Searcy for drawingt he figures.T his researchw as supportedi n part by Grant 15125 from the National Institute of Mental Health to Rockefeller University and Grant PCM 77-17690fr om the National Science Foundation to D.S.F.",

year = "1980",

month = jun,

doi = "10.1016/0018-506X(80)90004-5",

language = "English (US)",

volume = "14",

pages = "126--135",

journal = "Hormones and Behavior",

issn = "0018-506X",

publisher = "Academic Press Inc.",

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}

TY - JOUR

T1 - The effects of androgen and antiandrogen on dominance and aggressiveness in male red-winged blackbirds

AU - Searcy, William A.

AU - Wingfield, John C.

N1 - Funding Information: We thankt he ScheringC orporation,B loomlield, New Jersey, for providingf lutamide.W e thank Donald S. Famer, Cheryl Harding, Peter Marler, Patrick McArthur, and Ken Yasukawa for their commentso n a draft of this manuscript.W e are also gratefult o Margaret Hairston Searcy for drawingt he figures.T his researchw as supportedi n part by Grant 15125 from the National Institute of Mental Health to Rockefeller University and Grant PCM 77-17690fr om the National Science Foundation to D.S.F.

PY - 1980/6

Y1 - 1980/6

N2 - Male red-winged blackbirds were given implants of testosterone or flutamide in order to manipulate the level of androgen reaching receptor sites. Implants of cholesterol were given as controls. Radioimmunoassay showed higher levels of testosterone and DHT in the plasma of testosterone-implanted birds than in the plasma of the pooled flutamide-implanted and cholesterol-implanted birds. Dominance was significantly correlated with effective androgen level. Androgen level was not correlated with rates of supplantations per subordinate but was correlated with rates of escalated attacks per subordinate. Thus androgen level influences dominance in male red-winged blackbirds by influencing one component of aggressiveness.

AB - Male red-winged blackbirds were given implants of testosterone or flutamide in order to manipulate the level of androgen reaching receptor sites. Implants of cholesterol were given as controls. Radioimmunoassay showed higher levels of testosterone and DHT in the plasma of testosterone-implanted birds than in the plasma of the pooled flutamide-implanted and cholesterol-implanted birds. Dominance was significantly correlated with effective androgen level. Androgen level was not correlated with rates of supplantations per subordinate but was correlated with rates of escalated attacks per subordinate. Thus androgen level influences dominance in male red-winged blackbirds by influencing one component of aggressiveness.

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