The differential allocation hypothesis (DAH) predicts that females should invest more in reproduction when mated with an attractive male (Burley 1988; Sheldon 2000); and, according to this hypothesis, females mated with attractive males frequently invest more resources in eggs (Cunningham and Russell 2000; Saino et al. 2002; Rutstein et al. 2004). In zebra finches (Taeniopygia guttata) and barn...

Courtship behavior in frogs is an ideal model for investigating the relationships among social experience, gonadal steroids, and behavior. Reception of mating calls causes an increase in androgen levels in listening males, and calling, in turn, depends on the presence of androgens. However, previous studies found that androgen replacement does not always restore calling to intact levels, and th...

Context Androgen excess is a defining feature of polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS), but the exact origin of hyperandrogenemia remains a matter of debate. Recent studies have highlighted the importance of the 11-oxygenated C19 steroid pathway to androgen metabolism in humans. In this study, we analyzed the contribution of 11-oxygenated androgens to androgen excess in women with PCOS. Methods On...

For many decades, elevated androgens in women have been associated with poor reproductive health. However, recent studies have shown that androgens play a crucial role in women's fertility. The following review provides an overall perspective about how androgens and androgen receptor-mediated actions regulate normal follicular development, as well as discuss emerging concepts, latest perception...

Three cases of androgen-dependent disease in females with myotonic dystrophy are described. Serum androgens in individuals affected by myotonic dystrophy are known to be lower on average than in normal controls. Despite this these three females developed diseases that are androgen dependent, including acne, hidradenitis suppurativa, androgenetic alopecia and keratosis pilaris. These cases suppo...

Gonadal androgens are critical for the development and maintenance of sexually dimorphic regions of the male nervous system, which is critical for male-specific behavior and physiological functioning. In rodents, the motoneurons of the spinal nucleus of the bulbocavernosus (SNB) provide a useful example of a neural system dependent on androgen. Unless rescued by perinatal androgens, the SNB mot...

Female birds deposit variable amounts of androgens, such as testosterone, into the yolks of their eggs. Evidence suggests that yolk androgens play an important role in the determination of offspring phenotype. While androgens are generally regarded as anabolic and immunosuppressive, studies of the behavioral and physiological effects of yolk androgens on offspring of several avian species have ...