Table 1.
Seasonal changes in three traits. Autumn dates given as weeks after summer solstice; spring dates as weeks after winter solstice (mean ± SE). Dates of autumn reproductive seasonal changes (estimated testis volume ≤ 350 in males, or the observation of a closed vagina in females), body mass loss, and pelage score ≥ 2, are shown for all hamsters for which all 3 measures were available. Dates of spring reversals (estimated testis volume > 350, patent vagina, body mass increase, pelage score <2) are for all hamsters with all 3 measures available, regardless of autumn versus spring puberty.
| Autumn | Spring | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Measure | Male (n=94) | Female (n=44) | Male (n=141) | Female (n=115) |
| Reproductive | 12.7 ± 0.2 a | 16.7 ± 0.4 a | 8.2 ± 0.3 a | 9.4 ± 0.4 |
| Body Mass | 15.5 ± 0.3 b | 15.7 ± 0.3 a | 6.0 ± 0.3 b | 9.7 ± 0.4 |
| Pelage | 20.4 ± 0.3 c | 21.6 ± 0.3 b | 9.7 ± 0.3 c | 10.0 ± 0.2 |
Different superscripts denote significant differences within a column as detected by Tukey test when a significant main effect of trait was revealed by repeated measures ANOVA.