Leptin's Effects on Amphibian Sexual Behavior
Public Deposited- Last Modified
- March 19, 2019
- Creator
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Garcia, Nicholas
- Affiliation: College of Arts and Sciences, Department of Biology
- Abstract
- Mate choice is an essential decision for sexually reproducing animals. This decision is influenced by a number of dynamic cues including an animal's internal physiology. Leptin is a peptide hormone that reduces food intake and influences a number of physiological systems across vertebrate taxa. Because leptin can signal an animal's present energy stores, it may influence important behavioral decisions, including mate choice. To probe leptin's effects on mate choice, I tested female spadefoot toads (Spea bombifrons), which have highly plastic mate choice decisions. I found that leptin treatment switches the mate choice preferences of spadefoot toads and causes appetite suppression. These results suggest a novel role for leptin in sexual behaviors and broaden the understanding of the hormone's effect on vertebrates.
- Date of publication
- December 2014
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- DOI
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- Resource type
- Rights statement
- In Copyright
- Advisor
- Wiley, R. Haven
- Kier, William
- Burmeister, Sabrina
- Pfennig, Karin
- Sockman, Keith
- Degree
- Master of Science
- Degree granting institution
- University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill Graduate School
- Graduation year
- 2014
- Language
- Publisher
- Place of publication
- Chapel Hill, NC
- Access right
- There are no restrictions to this item.
- Date uploaded
- April 22, 2015
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