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Mate choice of female alpine accentors : female behavior, paternity, sperm activity, hormone.

Research Project

Project/Area Number 15370009
Research Category

Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research (B)

Allocation TypeSingle-year Grants
Section一般
Research Field Ecology/Environment
Research InstitutionJoetsu University of Education

Principal Investigator

NAKAMURA Masahiko  Joetsu University of Education, Professor, 学校教育学部, 教授 (90272880)

Co-Investigator(Kenkyū-buntansha) SAKAI Hidetsugu  Nihon University School of Dentistry, Assistant Professor, 歯学部, 講師 (20153851)
NISHIUMI Isao  National Science Museum, Curator, 動物研究部, 研究員 (90290866)
Project Period (FY) 2003 – 2005
Project Status Completed (Fiscal Year 2005)
Budget Amount *help
¥5,400,000 (Direct Cost: ¥5,400,000)
Fiscal Year 2005: ¥1,500,000 (Direct Cost: ¥1,500,000)
Fiscal Year 2004: ¥1,100,000 (Direct Cost: ¥1,100,000)
Fiscal Year 2003: ¥2,800,000 (Direct Cost: ¥2,800,000)
KeywordsAlpine accentor / Dominance / Sexual behavior / Sperm activity / Blood / Hormone / Japanese quail
Research Abstract

In the alpine accentor Prunella collaris, females solicit dominant males to copulate with. Moreover, dominant males adopt mate guarding for several females. Thus, dominant males are able to get many females and higher reproductive success than subordinates. In contrast, subordinate males also have a reproductive success. In the sperm competition theory, the quality of sperm, not social dominance, would be important to gain the paternity. The aim of this study was to examine the relationship between social dominance and sperm activity in the alpine accentor. However, littlie is known how to monitor the sperm activity (sperm velocity, density, and motility) in birds. Therefore, we developed the method to monitor the sperm activity in the Japanese quail Coturnix japonica. As a result, we confirmed that high ranking males have higher activity of sperm and testosterone than low ranking males. In the study using the Japanese quail, collected sperm was diluted with ca. 80 volumes of BWW medium (Irvine Scientific Co.). However, Irvine Scientific Co. stopped to make BWW medium in 2004. We collected and analyzed the sperm of alpine accentors with BWW in 2003. So we could not continue to study. In 2005,we used Hiroshima resolution instead of BWW medium, but the data with BWW was not used. Therefore, we had to get data again in 2005. Now, we write a manuscript entitled "Influence of social dominance on the sperm activity in Japanese quail."

Report

(4 results)
  • 2005 Annual Research Report   Final Research Report Summary
  • 2004 Annual Research Report
  • 2003 Annual Research Report

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Published: 2003-04-01   Modified: 2016-04-21  

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