title: Influence of seasonality and stimulus of oestrous does in bucks' aggressiveness.
abstract: Aggressiveness is directly related to testosterone concentration, which varies with seasons and in response to female stimulation. The aim was to determine if the frequency and pattern of agonistic interactions between bucks varies seasonally and in response to oestrous female stimulation. In the first study we characterized the pattern of agonistic interactions during feeding throughout a whole year in groups of Iberian ibex bucks; and in the second study, we determined the influence of oestrous does on the frequencies of agonistic behaviours between Gabon bucks in different seasons. In Iberian ibex bucks, the frequency of agonistic behaviours was maximum in summer and testosterone concentration in late autumn. In Gabon bucks, total agonistic interactions increased in bucks stimulated by females in late summer and autumn. In late autumn there were more interactions without physical contact in stimulated than in isolated bucks. Aggressiveness in bucks varied along the year, but the seasonal pattern was related to the context in which behaviours were recorded. Stimulation with oestrous females induced an increase of aggressiveness during the breeding season. At least in the conditions of these studies, testosterone concentrations seemed not to be the main influence on the frequency in which aggressive behaviour was displayed.
authors.affiliation: Departamento de Fisiología, Facultad de Veterinaria, Universidad de la República, Lasplaces 1620, 11600, Montevideo, Uruguay. Electronic address: rungerfeld@gmail.com.
authors.forename: Rodolfo
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Ungerfeld
authors.affiliation: Departamento de Biología Molecular y Celular, Facultad de Veterinaria, Universidad de la República, Lasplaces 1620, 11600, Montevideo, Uruguay.
authors.forename: Aline
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Freitas-de-Melo
authors.affiliation: Departamento de Fisiología, Facultad de Veterinaria, Universidad de la República, Lasplaces 1620, 11600, Montevideo, Uruguay.
authors.forename: Julia
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Giriboni
authors.affiliation: Departamento de Fisiología, Facultad de Veterinaria, Universidad de la República, Lasplaces 1620, 11600, Montevideo, Uruguay.
authors.forename: Lorena
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Lacuesta
authors.affiliation: Departamento de Reproducción Animal, Instituto Nacional de Investigación y Tecnología Agraria y Alimentaria (INIA), Av. Puerta de Hierro s/n, 28040 Madrid, Spain.
authors.forename: Adolfo
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Toledano-Díaz
authors.affiliation: Departamento de Reproducción Animal, Instituto Nacional de Investigación y Tecnología Agraria y Alimentaria (INIA), Av. Puerta de Hierro s/n, 28040 Madrid, Spain.
authors.forename: Julián
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Santiago-Moreno
mesh_terms: D000374:Aggression / Q000502:physiology*; D000818:Animals; D030762:Estrous Cycle / Q000502:physiology*; D005260:Female; D006041:Goats / Q000378:metabolism / Q000502:physiology*; D008297:Male; D012621:Seasons; D013739:Testosterone / Q000378:metabolism
chemical_list: D013739:Testosterone
keywords: Agonistic behaviour; Bucks; Seasons; Socio-sexual stimulus; Testosterone