Pinealectomy in juvenile Japanese quail (Coturnix coturnix japonica) exposed to stimulatory photoperiods results in delay of ovarian and oviducal development and decreased pituitary weight. These effects are transitory and occur during a phase of growth immediately preceding the onset of sexual maturity. No effect was found in males. These results suggest that the pineal gland in females has a stimulatory effect on gonadal growth during maturation.
scite is a Brooklyn-based organization that helps researchers better discover and understand research articles through Smart Citations–citations that display the context of the citation and describe whether the article provides supporting or contrasting evidence. scite is used by students and researchers from around the world and is funded in part by the National Science Foundation and the National Institute on Drug Abuse of the National Institutes of Health.