Elevating Testosterone and Androstenedione Produces Temporary Sex-Dependent Variation in Japanese Quail (Coturnix japonica) Embryonic Development.

ABSTRACT: Vertebrate growth rates may respond to maternally supplied steroids, yet injections of individual hormones into avian eggs of different species have produced inconsistent results. This might be because diverse steroids' concentrations are naturally correlated in yolks, injections are not elevating hormones at critical times in development, or injected hormones are rapidly metabolized by the developing embryo. To explore these alternatives, we injected naturally occurring levels of androstenedione (A4) and testosterone (T) or an oil control into fertile Japanese Quail (Coturnix japonica) eggs at the onset (Day 0) and/or on Day 6 of incubation. We measured the size of the embryos at two points in development (Days 6 and 15), testing for an effect of the hormone injections and the embryos' se

SUBMITTER: Winnicki SK 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC12484403 | biostudies-literature | 2025 Nov

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature