An Inferred Sex Differential in Copper Metabolism in Ross' Geese (<i>Anser rossii</i>): Biogeochemical and Physiological Considerations

Résumé

The geology and the levels of various minerals in the nutrient chain of the ecosystems of the breeding grounds of most populations of wild geese are distinctive. Hence minerals that become incorporated in the keratin of the primary feathers grown on the breeding grounds can be used as biological tracers to determine origins of migrants. Hormones indirectly affect the levels of some minerals in the feather keratin. Estrogen is presumed to account for higher levels of copper found in the primary feathers of adult female, as compared with adult male, Ross' geese (Anser rossii).