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1 October 1998 FEMALE PSEUDOHERMAPHRODITE POLAR BEARS AT SVALBARD
Øystein Wiig, Andrew E. Derocher, Matthew M. Cronin, Janneche U. Skaare
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Abstract

During research on polar bears (Ursus maritimus) at Svalbard in April 1996, we captured two yearlings with a normal vaginal opening and a 20 mm penis containing a baculum. The penis was located caudal to the location in a normal male and was concealed within the vaginal opening by a single pair of labia. The urethral opening was situated laterally about 5 mm from the distal end of the penis. Neither of the yearlings showed signs of a Y chromosome, so both bears were regarded as female pseudohermaphrodites. On separate occasions in two bears, we recorded aberrant genitalia morphology with a high degree of clitoral hypertrophy in Svalbard, which we also classified as female pseudohermaphroditism. The observed rate of female pseudohermaphroditism in this area was 1.5% (4/269). Pseudohermaphroditism in this polar bear population could result from excessive androgen excretion by the mother caused by a tumor, or it could be a result of endocrine disruption from environmental pollutants.

Øystein Wiig, Andrew E. Derocher, Matthew M. Cronin, and Janneche U. Skaare "FEMALE PSEUDOHERMAPHRODITE POLAR BEARS AT SVALBARD," Journal of Wildlife Diseases 34(4), 792-796, (1 October 1998). https://doi.org/10.7589/0090-3558-34.4.792
Received: 8 November 1997; Published: 1 October 1998
KEYWORDS
Anatomy
female pseudohermaphrodite
polar bear
pollution
Ursus maritimus
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