We previously reported that mouse strains with lower circulating insulin-like growth factor 1 (IGF1) level at 6 mo have significantly extended longevity. Here we report that strains with lower IGF1 have significantly delayed age of female sexual maturation, measured by vaginal patency (VP). Among strains with normal lifespans (mean lifespan >600 d), delayed age of VP associated with greater lon...

The herbicide atrazine has gained recent attention for its reported effects on reproduction in amphibians. The present study examined the putative effects of atrazine during sexual maturation in the photostimulated female Japanese quail. Furthermore, the effects of atrazine on birds administered exogenous gonadotropin (pregnant mare serum gonadotropin [PMSG]) were investigated. Atrazine was adm...

BACKGROUND The objective of this study was to determine body fat percentiles of adolescents in the city of São Paulo, Brazil, according to gender, age, and sexual maturation. METHODS This study involved 4,690 adolescents aged 10-15 years across 31 schools in the city of São Paulo. Sexual maturation was assessed in terms of Tanner stage. The body fat percentage was calculated using skinfold th...

BACKGROUND The reproductive health of children born of infertile couples may be affected by infertility treatment or factors associated with infertility. We examined sexual maturation in children of parents with infertility. METHODS We used data from a follow-up of 3382 girls and 2810 boys born between 1984 and 1987 in the Aalborg-Odense Birth Cohort. We had mothers' report of time to pregnan...

BACKGROUND Puberty is a complex and dynamic period in development during which individuals transition from the juvenile to adult state. Regulated by multiple genetic and endocrine controls, it is characterized by somatic growth and sexual maturation. Sexual precocity is defined as the appearance of secondary sexual characteristics before the lower limit of the normal age for pubertal onset. D...

Reproductive homing migration of salmonids requires accurate interaction between the reception of external olfactory cues for navigation to the spawning grounds and the regulation of sexual maturation processes. This study aimed at providing insights into the hypothesized functional link between olfactory sensing of the spawning ground and final sexual maturation. We have therefore assessed the...

Animals choose reproductive partners based on their sexual preferences which are established at a certain time point before, during, or after sexual maturation. The preferences are often divergent within a species, which suppresses gene flow between populations and may promote speciation. There are two strains of medaka (Oryzias latipes) that differ by a single transgene and mate assortatively ...