Seasonal changes in reproductive anatomy and gonadal hormone concentrations of African penguins (Spheniscus demersus)

dc.contributor.authorMafunda, Patrick Siyambulela
dc.contributor.authorMaree, Liana
dc.contributor.authorGanswindt, Andre
dc.contributor.authorKotze, Antoinette
dc.contributor.authorVan der Horst, Gerhard
dc.date.accessioned2022-06-28T09:49:30Z
dc.date.available2022-06-28T09:49:30Z
dc.date.issued2021-01
dc.description.abstractSeveral standard descriptions of the avian male and female reproductive tract have been reported, including effects of age, stage of reproductive maturity and gonadal hormone concentrations. Limited information on penguin reproductive biology and a lack of information on the African penguin (Spheniscus demersus) necessitated a detailed description of salient structural features of this species and provided an opportunity to evaluate seasonal changes in gonadal steroid hormone concentrations. Tissues from 36 males (adults and juveniles) and 29 females (adults and juveniles) were used for macro-anatomical descriptions and histology of the testes and ovaries. In addition, concentrations of gonadal steroid hormones for eight captive African penguins (four females and four males) were quantified during two breeding and one non-breeding season. The testes were asymmetrical, with the right testis having smaller dimensions compared to the left testis. Marked spermatogenic cellular associations and spermatid developmental stages were present in adult testes only during the breeding season. There was variation in the dimensions of the single ovary during follicular development related to the age and breeding status of the females. Testosterone, dihydrotestosterone, and estradiol concentrations fluctuated during the breeding and non-breeding periods, with males and females having similar steroid concentrations. The results from this study confirm that the breeding status in African penguins can be deduced based on testicular and ovarian histological structures. The results from the present study focused on African penguin reproductive biology should be considered in management strategies for the conservation of the species.en_US
dc.description.departmentMammal Research Instituteen_US
dc.description.departmentZoology and Entomologyen_US
dc.description.librarianhj2022en_US
dc.description.sponsorshipThe National Zoological Garden and the National Research Foundation through the Professional Development Programme of the Department of Science and Technology as well as the University of the Western Cape.en_US
dc.description.urihttps://www.elsevier.com/locate/anireproscien_US
dc.identifier.citationMafunda, P.S., Maree, L., Ganswindt, A. et al. 2021, 'Seasonal changes in reproductive anatomy and gonadal hormone concentrations of African penguins (Spheniscus demersus)', Animal Reproduction Science, vol. 224, art. 106664, pp. 1-13, doi : 10.1016/j.anireprosci.2020.106664.en_US
dc.identifier.issn0378-4320 (print)
dc.identifier.issn1873-2232 (online)
dc.identifier.other10.1016/j.anireprosci.2020.106664
dc.identifier.urihttps://repository.up.ac.za/handle/2263/85982
dc.language.isoenen_US
dc.publisherElsevieren_US
dc.rights© 2021 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved. Notice : this is the author’s version of a work that was accepted for publication in Animal Reproduction Science. Changes resulting from the publishing process, such as peer review, editing, corrections, structural formatting, and other quality control mechanisms may not be reflected in this document. A definitive version was subsequently published in Animal Reproduction Science, vol. 224, art. 106664, pp. 1-13, 2021. doi : 10.1016/j.anireprosci.2020.106664.en_US
dc.subjectAfrican penguin (Spheniscus demersus)en_US
dc.subjectDihydrotestosteroneen_US
dc.subjectEstradiolen_US
dc.subjectOvaryen_US
dc.subjectTestisen_US
dc.subjectTestosteroneen_US
dc.titleSeasonal changes in reproductive anatomy and gonadal hormone concentrations of African penguins (Spheniscus demersus)en_US
dc.typePostprint Articleen_US

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