Physical and behavioral aspects of sexual maturation in male golden hamsters.

Male golden hamsters ( Mesocricetus auratus ) were examined from 3 to 9 wks of age for morphological, physiological, and behavioral indices of sexual maturation. Although each of the 8 variables (e.g., testis weight, seminal vesicle fluid, and rear mounts) selected for measurement displayed a unique developmental profile, a principal-components analysis of these variables resulted in the extraction of 2 principal components, one tentatively labeled physical and gross behavioral maturation (accounting for 66% of the total variance) and the other designated perfection of mounting orientation (accounting for an additional 12% of the variance). This result indicates that puberty in the male hamster is best viewed as 2 independent processes, rather than as a unitary process or as an arbitrary term applied to a variety of unrelated developmental phenomena. Advantages of using multivariate composite scores and selected univariate measurements are discussed, as are methods of comparing developmental changes in different variables. A 2nd experiment confirmed an unexpectedly early onset of androgen secretion and an unusual pattern of body weight gain. (30 ref) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)