Gómez José Angel, García Andrés José, Landete-Castillejos Tomás, Gallego Laureano
Sección de Recursos Cinegéticos, IDR, Universidad de Castilla-La Mancha, 02071 Albacete, Spain.
Anim Reprod Sci. 2006 Nov;96(1-2):79-88. doi: 10.1016/j.anireprosci.2005.11.008. Epub 2006 Jan 6.
This study aimed to determine the age of attainment of puberty, as well as the pattern of reproductive seasonality in males of Iberian red deer and the relationship of these factors with antler development. A second aim was to examine the effect of the advance of births on the variables mentioned. Fourteen males of Iberian deer were used, five of them born 2.5 months before the others (early group). Male deer were blood sampled from birth until 2.5 years of age to assess the time course of plasma testosterone. The study also included measurements of testicular and neck circumference. As in most cervids, concentration of plasma testosterone was associated to the phases of antler development. Early development affected testosterone titres, since the most precocious males in antler growth also showed higher levels of testosterone during the first and second year of age. In the same way, results suggested that the advance of calving may result in puberty attainment in the first autumn of its life. However, this would require an advance of calving greater than the one we induced since puberty in the Iberian deer is usually attained during second autumn of life at 15-16 months of age. Finally, calving advance also affected antler development. Thus, two of the five males whose birth was advanced, showed two antler cycles in their first year of life.
本研究旨在确定伊比利亚马鹿雄性达到青春期的年龄、繁殖季节性模式以及这些因素与鹿茸生长的关系。第二个目的是研究提前产仔对上述变量的影响。使用了14只伊比利亚马鹿雄性，其中5只比其他鹿提前2.5个月出生（早产组）。从出生到2.5岁对雄性鹿进行采血，以评估血浆睾酮的时间进程。该研究还包括测量睾丸和颈部周长。与大多数鹿科动物一样，血浆睾酮浓度与鹿茸生长阶段相关。早期发育影响睾酮水平，因为鹿茸生长最早熟的雄性在1岁和2岁时睾酮水平也较高。同样，结果表明产仔提前可能导致其在出生后的第一个秋天达到青春期。然而，这需要比我们诱导的更大的产仔提前量，因为伊比利亚马鹿通常在15 - 16个月龄的第二个秋天达到青春期。最后，产仔提前也影响鹿茸生长。因此，早产的5只雄性中有2只在其生命的第一年出现了两个鹿茸生长周期。
