1987/05/01 by S. E. Glickman, Laurence G. Frank, J.M. Davidson +2 · 4 citations
Psychology · #Neuroendocrine regulation and behavior #Crocuta crocuta #Androstenedione #Biology #Testosterone (patch) #Virilization #Mating #Androgen #Zoology #Endocrinology #Physiology #Ecology #Hormone
paper · doi:10.1073/pnas.84.10.3444
openalex publication_date 1987/05/01 · openalex created_date 2025/10/10 · openalex updated_date 2026/07/27
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.