Lect 5. Puberty

How Do We Define Puberty

Puberty - The time when an animal makes mature gametes and exhibits adult reproductive behavior

*****What are mature gametes and reproductive behavior?

Reproduction - A series of physiological (formation of gametes and hormones) and psychological (adult mating behavior) that must be properly timed (hormones) and begins at puberty

Puberty in mammals: ~few months - 1 year after birth

• Body’s energy is going into growing (including development and differentiation) and maintaining the body frame

      **What is energy intake? Metabolic use?

• Immature animals have very low fat reserves: their rapid growth does not allow fat storage

• Which comes first? Formation of gametes or the psychological behavior??

  • Psychological behavior

• Do animals show mating behavior prior to be able to reproduce? why??

  • Both gamete formation and psychological behavior are dependent on the hormones, right, but gametes take more time to mature

• Puberty also means animal can potentially reproduce

Gametes catching up to Hormones:

• Females: cycle once and then miss one or two subsequent cycles, needs routine cycles

• Males: exhibit breeding behavior early. Often a female animal will not. Does this mean she has a problem?

• Seasonality? Long Day Breeders (horses) and Short Day Breeder (sheep,goat), delayed or early

• $ to the Producer, puberty will be the determining factor as to when animals can possibly generate revenue

Sexual Maturi