Super enzyme that regulates testosterone levels in males discovered in ‘crazy’ bird species

A single gene that regulates testosterone levels in a “crazy” species of shore bird controls the development of three wildly different types of males, an international study involving researchers at Simon Fraser University has found.

A new study published on the cover of the journal Science this month has discovered that these morphs are produced by a super enzyme (HSD17B2) in the blood of the birds that’s able to regulate testosterone levels in males and rapidly break down the hormone normally associated with male dominance and aggression.
 
“The species is crazy, with three kinds of outlandish looking and behaving males,” says David Lank, a biologist at SFU who has studied ruffs for 40 years and whose team first discovered the testosterone differences between the morphs. “This paper explains a lot about the genetic and physiological process that control the development of the three types.”

Read more on SFU Science News.