Glickman S E, Frank L G, Davidson J M, Smith E R, Siiteri P K
Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 1987 May;84(10):3444-7. doi: 10.1073/pnas.84.10.3444.
Spotted hyenas (Crocuta crocuta Erxleben) present a unique syndrome of reversal in behavioral and anatomical distinction between the sexes: females are heavier and more aggressive than males and dominant over them. The female's external genitalia include a false scrotum and a fully erectile pseudopenis through which mating and birth take place. Results of studies of circulating testosterone levels in wild spotted hyenas do not account for the "male-like" characteristics of the female. Androstenedione, however, is consistently higher in females than in males, particularly during early infancy. Experiments on rodents show that androstenedione can be a potent organizer of anatomical and behavioral differentiation. This study suggests that it may also produce the profound virilization of female spotted hyenas.
斑鬣狗(Crocuta crocuta Erxleben)呈现出一种独特的综合征,即两性在行为和解剖学特征上发生了逆转:雌性比雄性体型更重、更具攻击性,且在地位上占主导。雌性的外生殖器包括一个假阴囊和一个完全可勃起的假阴茎,交配和分娩都通过它进行。对野生斑鬣狗循环睾酮水平的研究结果无法解释雌性的“雄性化”特征。然而,雌性体内的雄烯二酮水平始终高于雄性,尤其是在幼年早期。对啮齿动物的实验表明,雄烯二酮可能是解剖学和行为分化的有力组织者。这项研究表明,它也可能导致雌性斑鬣狗出现深度雄性化。