Hyenas changing sex

[Birt]

Someone has just told me Hyenas can change sex if there are not eonough males around (or vice versa i would expect). I thought this was impossible in mammals but he seems certain it is true.

[File Cutter]

er nope!

Found this though, it seems there is a myth:-

Myths about hyenas originated from confusion about their sexual activity. Male and female mate just as other mammals do, but male and female genitalia are quite similar in appearance. One theory holds that the female has a large amount of male hormones to increase her aggressiveness. Whatever the biological reason, the confusion inspired claims that hyenas could change sex at will. This notion led to accusations of witchcraft and the belief that witches can turn themselves into hyenas. And there was also the chilling fact that hyenas could make a corpse--including a human one--disappear.

[commoner]

Well I certainly believe this part File Cutter.......

"And there was also the chilling fact that hyenas could make a corpse--including a human one--disappear. "

No doubt about that...they'll EAT anything.

[wildwood]

You're right in that it is impossible for mammals (and birds) to change sex.
In fish however, it happens quite frequently. Mostly females changing to males. I've not heard of them changing the other way.

[Pictus]

WARNING: THE FOLLOWING CONTENT SERVES AS EDUCATIONAL INFORMATION, AND IS INTENDED FOR MATURE AUDIENCES ONLY.

I found this on a Freewebs domain, regarding the Spotted Hyena:

"...Some people thoughtlessly follow the superstition that Spotted Hyenas are Hermaphrodites.... In order to classify a living creature as `Hermaphrodite`, one must understand the term Hermaphrodite to its fullest extent. For those who do not know what a Hermaphrodite is, or have yet to realize its actual meaning, I have posted a definition.

Merriam-Webster Medical Dictionary, � 2002 Merriam-Webster, Inc. ...\Her*maph"ro*dite\, (Biol.) An individual which has the attributes of both male and female, or which unites in itself the two sexes; an animal or plant having the parts of generation of both sexes, as when a flower contains both the stamens and pistil within the same calyx, or on the same receptacle. In some cases reproduction may take place without the union of the distinct individuals. In the animal kingdom true hermaphrodites are found only among the invertebrates...

Perhaps the most peculiar quality consistent with Female Crocutas, is the outer appearance of feminine genitalia. The clitoris is elongated and erectable to a near five inches, or above. The labia is tucked back, forming fatty tissue similar in shape to false-testes. Because the original Vaginal Orifice, (located between the Labia in Human Females) has retreated and sealed shut, a slit appears along the Clitoris's tip following puberty. This broadens the aperture for urinating, mating and birthing. In most mammals (Humans included), during the placental stages, certain Androgen hormones are present. These may be transformed to either male testosterone or female estrogen with the help of certain enzymes, which in turn produce the differences witnessed in external male and female genitalia. However..."

(Continued Below)

[Pictus]

(Continued from Above)

"...in the Spotted Hyenas case, feminine Androstenedione is commuted to testosterone, resulting in Androgenic, or masculine traits, in a manner much like steroids, along with aggression and increased size. The outer appendages of Female Crocutas may look male in form, but are not so in purpose or bearing.
The internal organs remain the same, Female Hyena's have a Womb, and Ovaries. The same external appearance would occur in human Females, if they maintained this level of androgen hormones. In fact, it DID happen in the 1950's and 1960's, when a drug was released to prevent miscarriages, called Progestin. It caused an unbalance in the hormones (androgens) that create the external appearance of the Male and Female genitalia. Females were born with elongated Clits, and in some cases, a false scrotum. It was later learned that Progestin did not prevent miscarriages. The reasons why this formation has persisted other than Androgen hormones remains under study. The females need to be larger, they MUST be more aggressive and capable than the males in order to retain dominance, and to hold within their power the ability to defend their cubs, otherwise the Males would mistake them as prey and easily devour them. Perhaps the appearance of their genitalia is merely a side effect of this need. Others support the idea that its purpose is important for the greeting system, or perhaps it is a means of camouflage or defense - a female that looks like a male will suffer less harassment from other females..."