Summary
The ovaries of free-living and captive White-crowned Sparrows, Zonotrichia leucophrys gambelii, were examined for seasonal changes. The ovary develops each year between March and June. It contains small primary oocytes; developing, preovulatory (yolky), and postovulatory follicles; scars; gland cells; and atresias. Most of its eggs are oocytes. Less than 30% are developing follicles. There is a hierarchy of sizes only in laying sparrows. Follicles apparently begin to secrete estrogen when they are 1 mm in diameter. The depletion of cholesterol from the ovary suggests that synthesis of estrogen begins about 1 month before the oviduct matures. There are five kinds of atresia. Most do not rupture. The ovaries of captive sparrows differ in the following ways from those of free-living birds: (a) they lack pre- and postovulatory follicles; (b) they contain more atresias; (c) the stroma is dense and poorly vascularized year-round; (d) the membrana granulosa of developing follicles becomes proliferative earlier in the spring and is always less active mitotically; (e) thecae do not develop beyond formative stages; (f) thecal gland cells become abundant earlier in spring; and (g) stromal gland cells are less numerous. Many of these differences (a, b, d, f, g) suggest that White-crowned Sparrows do not breed in captivity because of an abnormal synthesis and/or secretion of hypophysial gonadotropin.
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This study was supported by an NIH Training Grant (GM 01276) from the National Institute of General Medical Sciences. It is a pleasure to thank Brina Kessel and George West at the University of Alaska for their assistance during summer collections in 1968. William deGraw helped me throughout the study. Wallace Moreland of the Singer-Friden Company provided a desk calculator. Ari von Tienhoven and William Wimsatt were kind enough to read and criticize the manuscript. Donald Farner, Paul Harrison, Herbert Eastlick, Leonard Kirschner, and in particular James R. King made invaluable suggestions while the work was in progress. This paper is based on a dissertation done in partial fulfillment of the Ph.D. requirements at Washington State University.
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Kern, M.D. Seasonal changes in the reproductive system of the female white-crowned sparrow, Zonotrichia leucophrys gambelii, in captivity and in the field. Z.Zellforsch 126, 297–319 (1972). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00306846
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00306846