title: Plasma concentrations of progesterone and estradiol and the relation to reproduction in Galápagos land iguanas, Conolophus marthae and C. subcristatus (Squamata, Iguanidae).
abstract: In a combined approach, endocrine and ultrasonic analyses were performed to assess reproduction of two syntopic populations of terrestrial Galápagos iguanas the Conolophus marthae (the Galápagos Pink Land Iguana) and C. subcristatus on the Volcán Wolf (Isabela Island). The ELISA methods (enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay) were used to measure plasma concentrations of progesterone (P4) and 17β-estradiol (E2) from samples collected over the course of three different seasons: July 2010, June 2012-2014. As for C. subcristatus, the large number of females with eggs in 2012 and 2014 were associated with increased plasma P4 concentrations and the corresponding absence of females with eggs in July 2010 when concentrations of both hormones levels were basal indicating reproduction was still ongoing in June and had ended in July. In C. marthae, even though there was a positive relationship between egg-development stages and hormone concentrations, P4 concentrations were basal through the three years that samples were collected, with some females having a lesser number of eggs compared with C. subcristatus. In C. marthae P4 and E2 patterns did not allow for defining a specific breeding season.
authors.affiliation: Department of Science, University Roma Tre, Rome, Italy; Department of Biology, University of Rome Tor Vergata, Italy.
authors.forename: Michela
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Onorati
authors.affiliation: Department of Clinical and Behavioral Neurology IRCC S. Lucia-Rome, Italy.
authors.forename: Giulia
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Sancesario
authors.affiliation: Department of Systems Medicine, University of Rome Tor Vergata, Italy.
authors.forename: Donatella
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Pastore
authors.affiliation: Department of Experimental Medicine and Surgery, University of Rome Tor Vergata, Italy.
authors.forename: Sergio
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Bernardini
authors.affiliation: Direction of the Galápagos National Park, Puerto Ayora, Santa Cruz Island, Galápagos Islands, Ecuador.
authors.forename: Jorge E
authors.initials: JE
authors.lastname: Carrión
authors.affiliation: Department of Science, University Roma Tre, Rome, Italy.
authors.forename: Monica
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Carosi
authors.affiliation: Department of Science, University Roma Tre, Rome, Italy.
authors.forename: Leonardo
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Vignoli
authors.affiliation: Department of Systems Medicine, University of Rome Tor Vergata, Italy.
authors.forename: Davide
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Lauro
authors.affiliation: Department of Biology, University of Rome Tor Vergata, Italy. Electronic address: gabriele.gentile@uniroma2.it.
authors.forename: Gabriele
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Gentile
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D004484:Ecuador; D004958:Estradiol / Q000502:physiology*; D005260:Female; D008116:Lizards / Q000097:blood* / Q000502:physiology; D011374:Progesterone / Q000097:blood*; D012098:Reproduction / Q000502:physiology*
chemical_list: D011374:Progesterone; D004958:Estradiol
keywords: Conolophus; Conservation; ELISA; Endangered; Pink iguana; Risk