| Title: | "Anogenital distance as a predictor of attractiveness, litter size and sex ratio of rabbit does" |
| Author(s): | Banszegi O; Szenczi P; Dombay K; Bilko A; Altbacker V; |
| Address: | "Department of Ethology, Eotvos Lorand University, H-2131 God, Javorka u. 14., Hungary. oxana.banszegi@gmail.com" |
| DOI: | 10.1016/j.physbeh.2012.01.002 |
| ISSN/ISBN: | 1873-507X (Electronic) 0031-9384 (Linking) |
| Abstract: | "In the case of some mammalian species, females with larger anogenital distance (AGD) have smaller litters, where the sex ratio is male-biased. The first aim of the present study was to test whether this phenomenon exists in the Lagomorph group, especially in rabbits. The results revealed that does with large AGD have significantly smaller and lighter litters with a male biased sex ratio; with fewer females but not more males. The second aim of the present study was to test whether males differentiate between females differing in their AGD and are thus capable of choosing the more fertile and fecund does. Males showed a stronger response to the chin marks of females with small AGD than to the marks of females with large AGD. Our results suggest that variation in the prenatal hormonal environment, reflected through variation in AGD, could have long-term consequences on mate choice and population dynamics" |
| Keywords: | "Animal Communication Animals Female Fertility/*physiology Genitalia, Female/anatomy & histology Male Mating Preference, Animal/*physiology Perineum/*anatomy & histology Pheromones/*physiology Rabbits/anatomy & histology/*physiology Scent Glands/physiology;" |
| Notes: | "MedlineBanszegi, Oxana Szenczi, Peter Dombay, Kriszta Bilko, Agnes Altbacker, Vilmos eng Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't 2012/01/19 Physiol Behav. 2012 Mar 20; 105(5):1226-30. doi: 10.1016/j.physbeh.2012.01.002. Epub 2012 Jan 11" |
