Scientists have discovered superenzym, which affects the level of testosterone in battalions. Males of this species of birds can boast a breeding strategy for the kingdom of animals. The discovery can also help some people in the future.
Once a battalion (Calidris Pignax) He was commonly performed in Central Europe, but currently appears in Poland mainly during spring and autumn flights. This species is characterized by clear differences depending on gender. Brown females are small, and males can boast of rich plumage, different for every individual.
Interestingly, the plumage pattern differs from the role that the bird plays during mating. The dominant territorial males, with a dark mating robe with a feathered crisis, take over a piece of the tok on their own and defend it fiercely. Satellite males with clear but still magnificent feathers circulate peacefully between the territories. The third kind of males “pretends” females – these birds use the prevailing chaos to sneak into the territory of the dominant males and pick them up their partners.
Superenzym in medicine
Males of battalions have long wondered biologists – how did one species develop three different breeding strategies, in addition to all allowing to pass on their genes? According to research published in the magazine “Science”, this diversity is the result of a superenzyme.
Researchers analyzed the level of testosterone in all three “types” of males – in territorial birds it was the highest, and the other animals were slightly lower. On the other hand, males with low testosterone levels had a higher level of the HSD17B2 enzyme, accelerating the breakdown of the hormone to the less working Androstenedion. Changes associated with lower testosterone levels are visible throughout the bodies of birds outside the testicles – in this way males retain the ability to reproduce. Which breeding strategy will be accepted by the bird depends on the gene that has been identified as part of the study.
“This species is crazy, has three types of incredibly looking and behaving males,” explained the co -author of the analysis, David Lank from the Canadian University of Simon Fraser. – The article sheds a lot of light on genetic and physiological processes affecting the development of individual types – he added.
According to researchers, genes encoding enzymes similar to HSD17B2 may also serve people in the future.
– HSD17B2 has a high effectiveness of testosterone transformation in Androstenedion. Perhaps it will work in the treatment of people suffering from excessive testosterone levels – added Lank.
Territorial male and female battalionShutterstock
Simon Fraser University, I'm on the bird
Source of the main photo: Shutterstock