title: Female pseudohermaphrodite polar bears at Svalbard.
abstract: During research on polar bears (Ursus maritimus) at Svalbard in April 1996, we captured two yearlings with a normal vaginal opening and a 20 mm penis containing a baculum. The penis was located caudal to the location in a normal male and was concealed within the vaginal opening by a single pair of labia. The urethral opening was situated laterally about 5 mm from the distal end of the penis. Neither of the yearlings showed signs of a Y chromosome, so both bears were regarded as female pseudohermaphrodites. On separate occasions in two bears, we recorded aberrant genitalia morphology with a high degree of clitoral hypertrophy in Svalbard, which we also classified as female pseudohermaphroditism. The observed rate of female pseudohermaphroditism in this area was 1.5% (4/269). Pseudohermaphroditism in this polar bear population could result from excessive androgen excretion by the mother caused by a tumor, or it could be a result of endocrine disruption from environmental pollutants.
authors.affiliation: Zoological Museum, University of Oslo, Norway.
authors.forename: O
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Wiig
authors.forename: A E
authors.initials: AE
authors.lastname: Derocher
authors.forename: M M
authors.initials: MM
authors.lastname: Cronin
authors.forename: J U
authors.initials: JU
authors.lastname: Skaare
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D004247:DNA / Q000032:analysis; D012734:Disorders of Sex Development / Q000235:genetics / Q000473:pathology / Q000662:veterinary*; D005260:Female; D005835:Genitalia / Q000002:abnormalities; D009664:Norway; D016133:Polymerase Chain Reaction / Q000662:veterinary; D001503:Ursidae / Q000002:abnormalities*; D014960:X Chromosome / Q000235:genetics; D014998:Y Chromosome / Q000235:genetics
chemical_list: D004247:DNA