Abstract
Sexual dichromatism is a well-studied form of sexual dimorphism and is evident in a variety of taxa. Gibbons in the genera Nomascus and Hoolock are sexually dichromatic, with adult females having light or blonde pelage while adult males are black. All infants are born blonde, and all turn black at ca. 1–1.5 yr of age. Females then undergo a second pelage color change some time between the ages of 5 and 9 yr, when they attain their adult, blonde pelage. Here, we examine patterns of reproductive hormones (progesterone and estrone-3-glucuronide, or E1G) in 10 zoo-housed female white-cheeked gibbons (Nomascus leucogenys) during the maturation period. Females ranged in age from 2.8 to 9.8 yr during the time of sample collection. We used photographs of each female to estimate color on a five-point scale. We found a significant relationship between color and mean concentration of E1G (r = 0.69) but not between age and color (r = 0.16), or progesterone and color (r = 0.37). These results suggest a correlation between estrogen and color change in white-cheeked gibbons.
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