Jim Kellam, a lecturer at the College, will discuss "Testosterone-dependent home range use and mate interactions of Downy Woodpeckers" during the next session of the Department of Biology Seminar Series, scheduled for Thursday, February 19, at 4 p.m. in CNS 112.
Many behaviors of male birds in breeding condition are closely linked to levels of testosterone circulating in their blood. However, the effect of testosterone on behavior during non-breeding periods is poorly documented.
Kellam inserted testosterone implants into male Downy Woodpeckers during late winter to determine whether increased testosterone could lead to increased male-female pairing activities and/or increased male-male aggression. He found that testosterone affected home range use, vocalization rates, and mate-following behavior. Increased male-female interactions tended to negatively impact female foraging efficiency.
These findings indicate that complex behavior-hormone correlations can occur even when overall circulating levels of hormone are relatively low. The negative impact of male testosterone on female behavior is particularly interesting and could explain why some mated pairs do not maintain strong pair bond relationships outside the breeding period.
About Kellam, the series
Kellam received his Ph.D. in biological sciences in 2003 from Purdue University, where he was named the Edwin Umberger Outstanding Graduate Student in Research. He is currently helping with a study on American crows and the transmission of West Nile virus directed by researchers at Binghamton University and the Cornell Laboratory of Ornithology.
The biology department's seminar series covers a broad range of topics in biology. Students are invited to meet with the speaker in a small group following talks to answer questions related to the topic presented or to answer questions regarding different careers in biology.
These seminars are open to the entire College community. Refreshments are offered prior to the seminar, usually about 3:45 p.m. to 4:00 p.m., in the first-floor lobby of the Center for Natural Sciences.
*Please bring your own reuseable mug for beverages. Reuse, reduce, recycle!
For more information, visit the seminar series'
website.
Contributed by Nancy Pierce
