Complex effects of testosterone level on ectoparasite load in a ground squirrel: an experimental test for the immunocompetence handicap hypothesis
Li-Qing Wang,
Zhi-Tao Liu,
Jian-Jun Wang
et al.
Abstract:Background
The immunocompetence handicap hypothesis suggests that males with a higher testosterone level should be better at developing male secondary traits, but at a cost of suppressed immune performance. As a result, we should expect that males with an increased testosterone level also possess a higher parasite load. However, previous empirical studies aimed to test this prediction have generated mixed results. Meanwhile, the effect of testosterone level on parasite load in female hosts rema… Show more
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