Integrative and Comparative Biology Advance Access originally published online on July 13, 2009
Integrative and Comparative Biology 2009 49(5):538-549; doi:10.1093/icb/icp052
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Opportunism, photoperiodism, and puberty: Different mechanisms or variations on a theme?
*Department of Integrative Biology and Helen Wills Neuroscience Institute, University of California at Berkeley, Berkeley, CA 94720-3140, USA; Max-Planck Institute for Ornithology, Radolfzell, Germany
Correspondence: 1E-mail: nperfito{at}berkeley.edu
There are many parallels between the neural regulation of seasonal breeding in birds and puberty in primates, but most studies of the regulation of puberty in vertebrates involve the use of rodents. The findings from rodent studies are often perceived as being typical of mammals and therefore pertinent to human reproductive biology and in many cases, rodent models have a great deal to offer in terms of an understanding of the regulation of puberty and reproductive biology. However, knowledge available from comparative work perhaps highlights mechanistic similarities that may not exist between rodent and primate systems. In this short review, we highlight some of the advantages of studying avian reproductive biology in this regard. We discuss disparities between rodent puberty and primate puberty, and similarities between primates and birds. Thus, understanding the mechanisms regulating avian puberty and seasonal breeding might in some cases provide greater insight into the mechanistic control of puberty in nonrodent mammals. We also describe in detail the neuroendocrine regulation of reproduction in birds and aim to provoke discussion of the possible roles of thyroid hormones and multiple forms of gonadotropin-releasing hormone in avian and mammalian reproduction.