Relationships between age, diet, and stress-related hormones and reproduction in American marten ( Martes americana)
Abstract American marten (Martes americana) in Interior Alaska are at the northwestern limit of their North American range. To investigate factors that may be associated with reproduction we determined the cementum age and the presence or absence of blastocysts in 118 female martens for 3 years (201...
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Online Access: | http://dx.doi.org/10.1093/jmammal/gyac067 https://academic.oup.com/jmammal/article-pdf/103/6/1315/48720840/gyac067.pdf |
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croxfordunivpr:10.1093/jmammal/gyac067 2024-05-19T07:28:11+00:00 Relationships between age, diet, and stress-related hormones and reproduction in American marten ( Martes americana) Keogh, Mandy J Nicholson, Kerry L Skinner, John P Hayes, Loren Federal Aid in Wildlife Restoration 2022 http://dx.doi.org/10.1093/jmammal/gyac067 https://academic.oup.com/jmammal/article-pdf/103/6/1315/48720840/gyac067.pdf en eng Oxford University Press (OUP) https://academic.oup.com/pages/standard-publication-reuse-rights Journal of Mammalogy volume 103, issue 6, page 1315-1326 ISSN 0022-2372 1545-1542 journal-article 2022 croxfordunivpr https://doi.org/10.1093/jmammal/gyac067 2024-05-02T09:32:20Z Abstract American marten (Martes americana) in Interior Alaska are at the northwestern limit of their North American range. To investigate factors that may be associated with reproduction we determined the cementum age and the presence or absence of blastocysts in 118 female martens for 3 years (2012, 2014, and 2016) in two regions. For each marten we collected fur samples and measured steroid hormone concentrations (cortisol, testosterone, and progesterone) and stable isotopes (δ15N and δ13C values, a proxy for diet). These parameters reflect the diet and endocrine activity between June and October when fur is grown. We also collected two claws from a subset of 39 female marten from one region in 2012 and 2014. Progesterone concentrations were measured in one whole claw and from a second claw divided into proximal (recent growth) and distal sections. Differences in the probability of blastocysts being present were associated with geographic region and sample year suggesting that reproduction in female marten varies on a fine scale. We found the that presence of blastocysts was positively associated with marten age and δ15N values in fur but negatively associated with fur cortisol concentrations. These findings suggest that the likelihood a female marten will reproduce in a given year is influenced, in part, by the proportion of protein in their diet and stressors encountered during late summer and fall, months before active gestation begins. Article in Journal/Newspaper American marten Martes americana Alaska Oxford University Press Journal of Mammalogy |
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Oxford University Press |
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English |
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Abstract American marten (Martes americana) in Interior Alaska are at the northwestern limit of their North American range. To investigate factors that may be associated with reproduction we determined the cementum age and the presence or absence of blastocysts in 118 female martens for 3 years (2012, 2014, and 2016) in two regions. For each marten we collected fur samples and measured steroid hormone concentrations (cortisol, testosterone, and progesterone) and stable isotopes (δ15N and δ13C values, a proxy for diet). These parameters reflect the diet and endocrine activity between June and October when fur is grown. We also collected two claws from a subset of 39 female marten from one region in 2012 and 2014. Progesterone concentrations were measured in one whole claw and from a second claw divided into proximal (recent growth) and distal sections. Differences in the probability of blastocysts being present were associated with geographic region and sample year suggesting that reproduction in female marten varies on a fine scale. We found the that presence of blastocysts was positively associated with marten age and δ15N values in fur but negatively associated with fur cortisol concentrations. These findings suggest that the likelihood a female marten will reproduce in a given year is influenced, in part, by the proportion of protein in their diet and stressors encountered during late summer and fall, months before active gestation begins. |
author2 |
Hayes, Loren Federal Aid in Wildlife Restoration |
format |
Article in Journal/Newspaper |
author |
Keogh, Mandy J Nicholson, Kerry L Skinner, John P |
spellingShingle |
Keogh, Mandy J Nicholson, Kerry L Skinner, John P Relationships between age, diet, and stress-related hormones and reproduction in American marten ( Martes americana) |
author_facet |
Keogh, Mandy J Nicholson, Kerry L Skinner, John P |
author_sort |
Keogh, Mandy J |
title |
Relationships between age, diet, and stress-related hormones and reproduction in American marten ( Martes americana) |
title_short |
Relationships between age, diet, and stress-related hormones and reproduction in American marten ( Martes americana) |
title_full |
Relationships between age, diet, and stress-related hormones and reproduction in American marten ( Martes americana) |
title_fullStr |
Relationships between age, diet, and stress-related hormones and reproduction in American marten ( Martes americana) |
title_full_unstemmed |
Relationships between age, diet, and stress-related hormones and reproduction in American marten ( Martes americana) |
title_sort |
relationships between age, diet, and stress-related hormones and reproduction in american marten ( martes americana) |
publisher |
Oxford University Press (OUP) |
publishDate |
2022 |
url |
http://dx.doi.org/10.1093/jmammal/gyac067 https://academic.oup.com/jmammal/article-pdf/103/6/1315/48720840/gyac067.pdf |
genre |
American marten Martes americana Alaska |
genre_facet |
American marten Martes americana Alaska |
op_source |
Journal of Mammalogy volume 103, issue 6, page 1315-1326 ISSN 0022-2372 1545-1542 |
op_rights |
https://academic.oup.com/pages/standard-publication-reuse-rights |
op_doi |
https://doi.org/10.1093/jmammal/gyac067 |
container_title |
Journal of Mammalogy |
_version_ |
1799471677282713600 |