In many vertebrates, testosterone has been linked to dominance behaviors associated with copulation and reproduction (Knol & Egberink-Alink, 1989;Rose et al., 1971). For members of the family Cervidae, testosterone plays a vital role in antler development and facilitates the behaviors and development of physical characteristics necessary for breeding (Miller et al., 1987;Chunwang et al., 2004;Bartoš et al., 2012). Testosterone secretion in deer follows an annual cycle, stimulated by changes in day length, and is strongly associated with reproductive state (Bubenik et al., 1990;Stewart et al., 2018). This cycle gives rise to the annual cycle of antler development and casting, where testosterone remains low during the period of antler growth, increases during antler calcification prior to the breeding season, then dramatically decreases following the breeding season, which results in antler casting (Bubenik, 1982;
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.