MULTIDISCIPLINARY APPROACH TO UNDERSTANDING THE POOR REPRODUCTION IN THE WHOOPING CRANE (GRUS AMERICANA)

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dc.contributor.advisorSongsasen, Nucharinen_US
dc.contributor.advisorKeefer, Carol Len_US
dc.contributor.authorBrown, Megan Elizabethen_US
dc.contributor.departmentAnimal Sciencesen_US
dc.contributor.publisherDigital Repository at the University of Marylanden_US
dc.contributor.publisherUniversity of Maryland (College Park, Md.)en_US
dc.date.accessioned2013-06-29T05:36:37Z
dc.date.available2013-06-29T05:36:37Z
dc.date.issued2013en_US
dc.description.abstractReproductive success of the endangered whooping crane (Grus americana) maintained ex situ is suboptimal. The main goals of this multidisciplinary investigation are to advance the understanding of whooping crane reproduction and identify potential causes of poor reproductive success in a captive colony. The specific objectives include (Study 1) determining overall seminal characteristics and examine the influences of inbreeding, age, and stages of breeding season on seminal quality in captive birds and (Study 2) utilizing non-invasive endocrine monitoring to longitudinally assess gonadal and adrenal steroids of bird pairs with various reproductive outcomes and evaluating the relationship between hormones and crane behaviors. Our findings demonstrate that (1) there is no relationship between inbreeding coefficient or age and seminal quality of the whooping crane and (2) stage of breeding season impacted seminal output and characteristics. Overall estradiol concentrations and reproductive behaviors, but not glucocorticoid levels, were also key determinants to successful reproductive output.en_US
dc.identifier.urihttp://hdl.handle.net/1903/14173
dc.subject.pqcontrolledWildlife conservationen_US
dc.subject.pquncontrolledAnimal Behavioren_US
dc.subject.pquncontrolledEndocrinologyen_US
dc.subject.pquncontrolledReproductionen_US
dc.subject.pquncontrolledSpermen_US
dc.subject.pquncontrolledWhooping Craneen_US
dc.titleMULTIDISCIPLINARY APPROACH TO UNDERSTANDING THE POOR REPRODUCTION IN THE WHOOPING CRANE (GRUS AMERICANA)en_US
dc.typeThesisen_US

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