Neaves W B
Proc R Soc Lond B Biol Sci. 1979 Nov 30;206(1163):183-9. doi: 10.1098/rspb.1979.0100.
Adult males from a colony of lesser rock hyrax found near the equator in Kenya exhibited an annual cycle of testicular activity characterized by intense spermatogenesis and elevated androgen status from May to July. Average masses of testes and seminal vesicles taken in these months were almost fourfold greater than those from September to January. During the months of peak testicular activity average diameters of Leydig cells and seminiferous tubules were increased by approximately one half and total tubule length was doubled, compared with values for the quiescent months. Variable testicular development occurred during transitional intervals preceding and following peak testicular activity. From February to Aril thickening of the seminiferous epithelium and appearance of spermatozoa in the caput epididymidis signalled re-establishment of sperm production. In August shedding of germinal cells from the epithelium heralded impending failure of spermatogenesis. Evidence of an annual testicular cycle contradicted the prevalent belief that equatorial hyrax breed all year and suggested that the testicular cycle is a conservative element of hyracoid reproductive strategy.
在肯尼亚赤道附近发现的一小群岩蹄兔成年雄性个体呈现出睾丸活动的年度周期，其特征是从5月到7月精子发生强烈且雄激素水平升高。这几个月采集的睾丸和精囊平均质量几乎是9月到次年1月的四倍。与睾丸活动静止期相比，在睾丸活动高峰期，睾丸间质细胞和生精小管的平均直径增加了约一半，生精小管总长度增加了一倍。在睾丸活动高峰期之前和之后的过渡期间，睾丸发育情况各不相同。2月到4月，生精上皮增厚，附睾头出现精子，标志着精子产生重新开始。8月，上皮生殖细胞脱落预示着精子发生即将停止。年度睾丸周期的证据与普遍认为的赤道蹄兔全年繁殖的观点相矛盾，表明睾丸周期是蹄兔生殖策略中的一个保守因素。
