1
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Brown ER, Gettler LT, Rosenbaum S. Effects of social environments on male primate HPG and HPA axis developmental programming. Dev Psychobiol 2024; 66:e22491. [PMID: 38698633 DOI: 10.1002/dev.22491] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/01/2023] [Revised: 03/05/2024] [Accepted: 04/07/2024] [Indexed: 05/05/2024]
Abstract
Developmental plasticity is particularly important for humans and other primates because of our extended period of growth and maturation, during which our phenotypes adaptively respond to environmental cues. The hypothalamus-pituitary-gonadal (HPG) and hypothalamus-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axes are likely to be principal targets of developmental "programming" given their roles in coordinating fitness-relevant aspects of the phenotype, including sexual development, adult reproductive and social strategies, and internal responses to the external environment. In social animals, including humans, the social environment is believed to be an important source of cues to which these axes may adaptively respond. The effects of early social environments on the HPA axis have been widely studied in humans, and to some extent, in other primates, but there are still major gaps in knowledge specifically relating to males. There has also been relatively little research examining the role that social environments play in developmental programming of the HPG axis or the HPA/HPG interface, and what does exist disproportionately focuses on females. These topics are likely understudied in males in part due to the difficulty of identifying developmental milestones in males relative to females and the general quiescence of the HPG axis prior to maturation. However, there are clear indicators that early life social environments matter for both sexes. In this review, we examine what is known about the impact of social environments on HPG and HPA axis programming during male development in humans and nonhuman primates, including the role that epigenetic mechanisms may play in this programming. We conclude by highlighting important next steps in this research area.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ella R Brown
- Department of Anthropology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan, USA
| | - Lee T Gettler
- Department of Anthropology, University of Notre Dame, Notre Dame, Indiana, USA
- Eck Institute for Global Health, University of Notre Dame, Notre Dame, Indiana, USA
| | - Stacy Rosenbaum
- Department of Anthropology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan, USA
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2
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Zhang Z, Dong X, Liu Z, Liu N. Social status predicts physiological and behavioral responses to chronic stress in rhesus monkeys. iScience 2024; 27:110073. [PMID: 38883834 PMCID: PMC11176666 DOI: 10.1016/j.isci.2024.110073] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/01/2023] [Revised: 04/02/2024] [Accepted: 05/17/2024] [Indexed: 06/18/2024] Open
Abstract
Investigating the underlying factors that cause differential individual responses to chronic stress is crucial for developing personalized therapies, especially in the face of pandemics such as COVID-19. However, this question remains elusive, particularly in primates. In the present study, we aimed to address this question by utilizing monkeys as a model to examine the impacts of social rank on stress levels and physiological and behavioral responses to chronic stress primarily caused by social isolation at both the individual and group levels. Our results showed that high-ranking animals were more susceptible to chronic stress. After exposure to chronic stress, although social hierarchies remained the same, the colonies exhibited more harmonious group relationships (e.g., more prosocial behaviors), with notable contributions from low-ranking animals. Overall, this study deepens our understanding of how social status shapes responses to chronic stress and sheds light on developing tailored and personalized therapies for coping with chronic stress.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zhiyi Zhang
- State Key Laboratory of Brain and Cognitive Science, Institute of Biophysics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100101, China
| | - Xueda Dong
- State Key Laboratory of Brain and Cognitive Science, Institute of Biophysics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100101, China
- Sino-Danish College, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China
| | - Zhiqiang Liu
- State Key Laboratory of Brain and Cognitive Science, Institute of Biophysics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100101, China
| | - Ning Liu
- State Key Laboratory of Brain and Cognitive Science, Institute of Biophysics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100101, China
- College of Life Sciences, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China
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3
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Negrey JD, Deschner T, Langergraber KE. Lean muscle mass, not aggression, mediates a link between dominance rank and testosterone in wild male chimpanzees. Anim Behav 2023; 202:99-109. [PMID: 37483564 PMCID: PMC10358427 DOI: 10.1016/j.anbehav.2023.06.004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 07/25/2023]
Abstract
Testosterone promotes mating effort, which involves intraspecific aggression for males of many species. Therefore, males with higher testosterone levels are often thought to be more aggressive. For mammals living in multimale groups, aggression is hypothesized to link male social status (i.e. dominance rank) and testosterone levels, given that high status predicts mating success and is acquired partly through aggressive intragroup competition. In male chimpanzees, Pan troglodytes, dominance rank has been repeatedly linked to interindividual variation in testosterone levels, but evidence directly linking interindividual variation in testosterone and aggression is lacking. In the present study, we test both aggression levels and lean muscle mass, as measured by urinary creatinine, as links between dominance rank and testosterone levels in a large sample of wild male chimpanzees. Multivariate analyses indicated that dominance rank was positively associated with total rates of intragroup aggression, average urinary testosterone levels and average urinary creatinine levels. Testosterone was positively associated with creatinine levels but negatively associated with total aggression rates. Furthermore, mediation analyses showed that testosterone levels facilitated an association between dominance rank and creatinine levels. Our results indicate that (1) adult male chimpanzees with higher average testosterone levels are often higher ranking but not more aggressive than males with lower testosterone and (2) lean muscle mass links dominance rank and testosterone levels in Ngogo males. We assert that aggression rates are insufficient to explain links between dominance rank and testosterone levels in male chimpanzees and that other social variables (e.g. male-male relationship quality) may regulate testosterone's links to aggression.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jacob D. Negrey
- School of Human Evolution and Social Change, Arizona State University, Tempe, AZ, U.S.A
- Center for Evolution and Medicine, Arizona State University, Tempe, AZ, U.S.A
- Department of Pathology/Comparative Medicine, Wake Forest University School of Medicine, Winston-
Salem, NC, U.S.A
| | - Tobias Deschner
- Comparative BioCognition, Institute of Cognitive Science, University of Osnabrück, Osnabrück,
Germany
| | - Kevin E. Langergraber
- School of Human Evolution and Social Change, Arizona State University, Tempe, AZ, U.S.A
- Institute of Human Origins, Arizona State University, Tempe, AZ, U.S.A
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4
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Aspesi D, Bass N, Kavaliers M, Choleris E. The role of androgens and estrogens in social interactions and social cognition. Neuroscience 2023:S0306-4522(23)00151-3. [PMID: 37080448 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuroscience.2023.03.028] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/13/2022] [Revised: 03/02/2023] [Accepted: 03/28/2023] [Indexed: 04/22/2023]
Abstract
Gonadal hormones are becoming increasingly recognized for their effects on cognition. Estrogens, in particular, have received attention for their effects on learning and memory that rely upon the functioning of various brain regions. However, the impacts of androgens on cognition are relatively under investigated. Testosterone, as well as estrogens, have been shown to play a role in the modulation of different aspects of social cognition. This review explores the impact of testosterone and other androgens on various facets of social cognition including social recognition, social learning, social approach/avoidance, and aggression. We highlight the relevance of considering not only the actions of the most commonly studied steroids (i.e., testosterone, 17β-estradiol, and dihydrotestosterone), but also that of their metabolites and precursors, which interact with a plethora of different receptors and signalling molecules, ultimately modulating behaviour. We point out that it is also essential to investigate the effects of androgens, their precursors and metabolites in females, as prior studies have mostly focused on males. Overall, a comprehensive analysis of the impact of steroids such as androgens on behaviour is fundamental for a full understanding of the neural mechanisms underlying social cognition, including that of humans.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dario Aspesi
- Department of Psychology and Neuroscience Program, University of Guelph
| | - Noah Bass
- Department of Psychology and Neuroscience Program, University of Guelph
| | - Martin Kavaliers
- Department of Psychology and Neuroscience Program, University of Guelph; Department of Psychology, University of Western Ontario, London, Canada; Graduate Program in Neuroscience, University of Western Ontario, London, Canada
| | - Elena Choleris
- Department of Psychology and Neuroscience Program, University of Guelph.
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5
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Lee DS, Knittel T, Deschner T, Heistermann M, Higham JP. Testing the role of testosterone versus estrogens in mediating reproductive transitions in female rhesus macaques. Horm Behav 2022; 139:105123. [PMID: 35149292 DOI: 10.1016/j.yhbeh.2022.105123] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/07/2021] [Revised: 01/11/2022] [Accepted: 01/20/2022] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Abstract
In male vertebrates, testosterone is generally known to coordinate reproductive trade-offs, in part by promoting the transition to the next reproduction at the expense of current parental care. The role of testosterone in reproductive transitions has been little tested in female vertebrates, especially in mammals. The present study sought to fill this gap, by first undertaking an experimental study, in which we identified DHT, androstenediol, and in particular etiocholanolone, as fecal androgen metabolites which reflect serum testosterone concentration in female rhesus macaques (Macaca mulatta). Using concentrations of fecal etiocholanolone as proxy for circulating testosterone, we then conducted a field study on 46 free-ranging rhesus macaques of Cayo Santiago, Puerto Rico, to test if testosterone mediates the trade-off between reproductive transition (a higher chance of reproducing in the next year) and current reproduction (providing more care to current offspring). While the evidence for testosterone was weak, the testing of fecal immunoreactive estrogen metabolites suggested a potential role of estrogen in reproductive trade-offs. We found large individual differences in fecal etiocholanolone concentrations during the early postpartum period that were unexplained even after accounting for sociodemographic factors such as age and dominance rank. Further investigation is needed to understand this variation. Our study suggests that the actions of testosterone in females may not have evolved to fulfil the same role in primate reproductive transitions as it does in males, and we encourage more studies to consider the function of testosterone in reproductive behaviors and life history transitions in females of mammalian taxa.
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Affiliation(s)
- D Susie Lee
- Department of Anthropology, New York University, 25 Waverly Place, New York 10003, NY, USA; New York Consortium in Evolutionary Primatology, New York 10024, NY, USA.
| | - Tina Knittel
- Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology, Interim Group Primatology, Deutscher Platz 6, 04103 Leipzig, Germany
| | - Tobias Deschner
- Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology, Interim Group Primatology, Deutscher Platz 6, 04103 Leipzig, Germany
| | - Michael Heistermann
- Endocrinology Laboratory, German Primate Center, Leibniz Institute for Primate Research, Kellnerweg 4, 37077 Göttingen, Germany
| | - James P Higham
- Department of Anthropology, New York University, 25 Waverly Place, New York 10003, NY, USA; New York Consortium in Evolutionary Primatology, New York 10024, NY, USA
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6
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Milewski TM, Lee W, Champagne FA, Curley JP. Behavioural and physiological plasticity in social hierarchies. Philos Trans R Soc Lond B Biol Sci 2022; 377:20200443. [PMID: 35000436 PMCID: PMC8743892 DOI: 10.1098/rstb.2020.0443] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 12.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/19/2021] [Accepted: 11/08/2021] [Indexed: 12/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Individuals occupying dominant and subordinate positions in social hierarchies exhibit divergent behaviours, physiology and neural functioning. Dominant animals express higher levels of dominance behaviours such as aggression, territorial defence and mate-guarding. Dominants also signal their status via auditory, visual or chemical cues. Moreover, dominant animals typically increase reproductive behaviours and show enhanced spatial and social cognition as well as elevated arousal. These biobehavioural changes increase energetic demands that are met via shifting both energy intake and metabolism and are supported by coordinated changes in physiological systems including the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal and hypothalamic-pituitary-gonadal axes as well as altered gene expression and sensitivity of neural circuits that regulate these behaviours. Conversely, subordinate animals inhibit dominance and often reproductive behaviours and exhibit physiological changes adapted to socially stressful contexts. Phenotypic changes in both dominant and subordinate individuals may be beneficial in the short-term but lead to long-term challenges to health. Further, rapid changes in social ranks occur as dominant animals socially ascend or descend and are associated with dynamic modulations in the brain and periphery. In this paper, we provide a broad overview of how behavioural and phenotypic changes associated with social dominance and subordination are expressed in neural and physiological plasticity. This article is part of the theme issue 'The centennial of the pecking order: current state and future prospects for the study of dominance hierarchies'.
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Affiliation(s)
- T. M. Milewski
- Department of Psychology, University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX 78712, USA
| | - W. Lee
- Department of Psychology, University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX 78712, USA
| | - F. A. Champagne
- Department of Psychology, University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX 78712, USA
| | - J. P. Curley
- Department of Psychology, University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX 78712, USA
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7
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Socio-sexual behaviors and fecal hormone metabolites but not age predict female aggressive interactions in Macaca arctoides. Behav Ecol Sociobiol 2022. [DOI: 10.1007/s00265-021-03118-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/25/2022]
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8
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Braconnier M, González-Mariscal G, Wauters J, Gebhardt-Henrich SG. Levels of testosterone, progesterone and oestradiol in pregnant-lactating does in relation to aggression during group housing. WORLD RABBIT SCIENCE 2021. [DOI: 10.4995/wrs.2021.14897] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/01/2022]
Abstract
The neuroendocrine regulation of rabbit maternal behaviour has been explored in detail. However, little is yet known about the hormonal regulation of aggression in concurrently pregnant-lactating does, a reproductive condition that prevails during group housing of rabbits on farms. Therefore, in this study we determined the relation between a) the levels of progesterone, testosterone, and oestradiol during lactation; b) the anogenital distance at artificial insemination; and c) the timing of grouping with the intensity of agonistic behaviour, published previously. We performed four consecutive trials, where three groups of eight does each were artificially inseminated on day 10 postpartum (pp) and grouped on either day 12, 18 or 22 pp. Using Dipetalogaster maxima, a reduviid blood-sucking bug, we collected blood samples during the pregnant-lactating phase (days 13, 15, 17, 19, 21, 23 pp) on one or two randomly chosen does per treatment group. Testosterone levels varied little across the pregnant-lactating phase, agreeing with results from pregnant-only rabbits, while progesterone levels increased from day 3 (=13 dpp) to day 7 (=17 dpp) and remained unchanged until day 13 (=23 dpp) of pregnancy. All oestradiol concentrations fell below the limit of detection. Overall, all concentrations were slightly lower in comparison to rabbit studies with pregnantonly does. The agonistic behaviour was not related to the respective hormonal concentrations at grouping. In conclusion, the time point of grouping does after artificial insemination (AI) in the semi-group housing system only had a weak influence on aggression and the hormonal profile did not indicate an optimum time for grouping.
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9
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Sonnweber R, Stevens JMG, Hohmann G, Deschner T, Behringer V. Blood testosterone levels in sickness and in health: Male chimpanzee testosterone levels decrease in face of an immune challenge. Am J Primatol 2021; 84:e23334. [PMID: 34662432 DOI: 10.1002/ajp.23334] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/28/2021] [Revised: 09/11/2021] [Accepted: 09/25/2021] [Indexed: 11/08/2022]
Abstract
As an integral part of the immune response, testosterone secretion is inhibited when an individual is confronted with an immune challenge. Testosterone-mediated physiological, morphological, and behavioral traits are compromised at times of impaired health. Nevertheless, males of some species seem to maintain high levels of testosterone when confronted with an immune challenge, upholding competitive strength but compromising their immune response. It has been argued that this phenomenon will occur only in species living in social systems with high degrees of male-male competition over mating opportunities. Male chimpanzees contest over access to fertile females and dominants sire the majority of offspring. This male mating pattern makes chimpanzees a candidate species where we could expect males to maintain high testosterone levels, compromising their immune response, to ensure immediate reproductive success. We measured blood testosterone levels in male and female chimpanzees, who expressed clinical symptoms (symptomatic) or showed no evidence of clinical disease on assessment (asymptomatic). For females, we expected to find lower testosterone levels in symptomatic individuals than in asymptomatic subjects. In males, we would predict lower testosterone levels in symptomatic individuals than in asymptomatic males, if the immune response leads to a decrease in testosterone secretion. Alternatively, males could have equal levels of testosterone when symptomatic and asymptomatic, upholding competitive strength. Our results show that male chimpanzees exhibit lower levels of testosterone when confronted with an immune challenge than when being asymptomatic. This suggests that male testosterone secretion is suppressed as part of the immune response, which potentially increases survival and lifetime reproductive success. It will, however, negatively impact momentary competitive ability. Also, males may employ different mating strategies, some of which are less testosterone-driven (e.g., affiliative strategies). Consequently, in some individuals, the costs of maintaining high testosterone levels may not outweigh the potential gain in reproductive success.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ruth Sonnweber
- Department of Behavioral and Cognitive Biology, Faculty of Life Sciences, University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria
| | - Jeroen M G Stevens
- Department of Biology, Behavioral Ecology and Ecophysiology, University of Antwerp, Wilrijk, Belgium.,SALTO, Agro- and Biotechnology, Odisee University College, Brussels, Belgium
| | - Gottfried Hohmann
- Department of Human Evolution, Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology, Leipzig, Germany
| | - Tobias Deschner
- Interim Group Primatology, Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology, Leipzig, Germany
| | - Verena Behringer
- Interim Group Primatology, Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology, Leipzig, Germany.,Endocrinology Laboratory, German Primate Center, Leibniz Institute for Primate Research, Göttingen, Germany
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10
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Rosvall KA, Bentz AB, George EM. How research on female vertebrates contributes to an expanded challenge hypothesis. Horm Behav 2020; 123:104565. [PMID: 31419407 PMCID: PMC7061077 DOI: 10.1016/j.yhbeh.2019.104565] [Citation(s) in RCA: 34] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/09/2019] [Revised: 08/08/2019] [Accepted: 08/09/2019] [Indexed: 12/21/2022]
Abstract
The bi-directional links between hormones and behavior have been a rich area of research for decades. Theory on the evolution of testosterone (T) was greatly advanced by the challenge hypothesis, which presented a framework for understanding interspecific, seasonal, and social variation in T levels in males, and how they are shaped by the competing demands of parental care and male-male competition. Female competition is also widespread in nature, although it is less clear whether or how the challenge hypothesis applies to females. Here, we evaluate this issue in four parts: (1) We summarize and update prior analyses of seasonal plasticity and interspecific variation in T in females. (2) We evaluate experimental links between T and female aggression on shorter timescales, asking how T manipulations affect aggression and conversely, how social manipulations affect T levels in female mammals, birds, lizards, and fishes. (3) We examine alternative mechanisms that may link aggression to the social environment independently of T levels in circulation. (4) We present a case study, including new data analyses, in an aggressive female bird (the tree swallow, Tachycineta bicolor) to explore how variation in tissue-level processing of T may bridge the gap between circulating T and variation in behavior that is visible to natural selection. We close by connecting these multivariate levels of sex steroid signaling systems alongside different temporal scales (social, seasonal, and evolutionary) to generate broadly applicable insights into how animals respond to their social environment, regardless of whether they are male or female.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kimberly A Rosvall
- Department of Biology, Indiana University, Bloomington, IN 47405, USA; Center for the Integrative Study of Animal Behavior, Indiana University, Bloomington, IN 47405, USA.
| | - Alexandra B Bentz
- Department of Biology, Indiana University, Bloomington, IN 47405, USA; Center for the Integrative Study of Animal Behavior, Indiana University, Bloomington, IN 47405, USA
| | - Elizabeth M George
- Department of Biology, Indiana University, Bloomington, IN 47405, USA; Center for the Integrative Study of Animal Behavior, Indiana University, Bloomington, IN 47405, USA
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11
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Teichroeb JA, Stead SM, Edwards PD, Landry F, Palme R, Boonstra R. Anogenital distance as a measure of male competitive ability in Rwenzori Angolan colobus. Am J Primatol 2020; 82:e23111. [PMID: 32083334 DOI: 10.1002/ajp.23111] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/22/2019] [Revised: 01/15/2020] [Accepted: 02/09/2020] [Indexed: 01/08/2023]
Abstract
Anogenital distance (AGD) is positively correlated to fetal androgen exposure and developmental masculinization in mammals. Independent of overall body size, AGD shows a strong positive correlation with male fertility and in rodents, AGD is a good indicator of male competitive ability and is associated with female choice. We hypothesized that AGD will also predict male competitive ability in non-human primates. To test this, we measured AGD noninvasively with a parallel laser in a wild population of Angolan colobus monkeys (Colobus angolensis ruwenzorii) in Uganda and correlated to it to their social structure. C. angolensis ruwenzorii form a multilevel society with both one-male/multifemale units (OMUs) and multimale/multifemale units (MMUs). We compared AGD in males from five OMUs and six MMUs and related it to their fecal androgen metabolite concentrations, dominance rank and body size, and to the number of females in their unit. Males in OMUs had greater access to females, so were predicted to have longer AGDs, but this was not found. AGD also did not correlate overall with mean fecal androgen metabolites in MMUs. However, AGD was correlated with dominance rank in MMUs, demonstrating that higher-ranking males in these multimale units had longer AGDs. Body size did not show the same relationship with dominance rank, suggesting that male rank was not just a reflection of absolute male size. Our findings indicate that AGD predicts male competitive ability in this species and that it may be a useful correlate throughout the non-human primates. These results also support the idea that prenatal androgen exposure increases the likelihood of the expression of behaviors that maintain high dominance rank.
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Affiliation(s)
- Julie A Teichroeb
- Department of Anthropology, University of Toronto Scarborough, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
| | - Samantha M Stead
- Department of Anthropology, University of Toronto Scarborough, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
| | - Phoebe D Edwards
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Toronto Scarborough, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
| | - Florence Landry
- Department of Anthropology, University of Toronto Scarborough, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
| | - Rupert Palme
- Unit of Physiology, Pathophysiology and Experimental Endocrinology, Department of Biomedical Sciences, University of Veterinary Medicine, Vienna, Austria
| | - Rudy Boonstra
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Toronto Scarborough, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
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12
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13
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Auer KE, Kußmaul M, Möstl E, Hohlbaum K, Rülicke T, Palme R. Measurement of Fecal Testosterone Metabolites in Mice: Replacement of Invasive Techniques. Animals (Basel) 2020; 10:ani10010165. [PMID: 31963733 PMCID: PMC7023058 DOI: 10.3390/ani10010165] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/08/2019] [Revised: 01/11/2020] [Accepted: 01/15/2020] [Indexed: 11/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Testosterone is the main reproductive hormone in male vertebrates and conventional methods to measure testosterone rely on invasive blood sampling procedures. Here, we aimed to establish a non-invasive alternative by assessing testosterone metabolites (TMs) in fecal and urinary samples in mice. We performed a radiometabolism study to determine the effects of daytime and sex on the metabolism and excretion pattern of radiolabeled TMs. We performed physiological and biological validations of the applied EIA to measure TMs and assessed diurnal fluctuations in TM excretions in male and female mice and across strains. We found that males excreted significantly more radiolabeled TMs via the feces (59%) compared to females (49.5%). TM excretion patterns differed significantly between urinary and fecal samples and were affected by the daytime of ³H-testosterone injection. Overall, TM excretion occurred faster in urinary than fecal samples. Peak excretion of fecal TMs occurred after 8 h when animals received the 3H-testosterone in the morning, or after 4 h when they received the 3H-testosterone injection in the evening. Daytime had no effect on the formed TMs; however, males and females formed different types of TMs. As expected, males showed higher fecal TM levels than females. Males also showed diurnal fluctuations in their TM levels but we found no differences in the TM levels of C57BL/6J and B6D2F1 hybrid males. Finally, we successfully validated our applied EIA (measuring 17β-hydroxyandrostane) by showing that hCG (human chorionic gonadotropin) administration increased TM levels, whereas castration reduced them. In conclusion, our EIA proved suitable for measuring fecal TMs in mice. Our non-invasive method to assess fecal TMs can be widely used in various research disciplines like animal behavior, reproduction, animal welfare, ecology, conservation, and biomedicine.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kerstin E. Auer
- Department for Biomedical Sciences, Institute of Laboratory Animal Science, University of Veterinary Medicine Vienna, Veterinärplatz 1, 1210 Vienna, Austria
- Correspondence:
| | - Marius Kußmaul
- Department for Biomedical Sciences, Unit of Physiology, Pathophysiology and Experimental Endocrinology, University of Veterinary Medicine Vienna, Veterinärplatz 1, 1210 Vienna, Austria
| | - Erich Möstl
- Department for Biomedical Sciences, Unit of Physiology, Pathophysiology and Experimental Endocrinology, University of Veterinary Medicine Vienna, Veterinärplatz 1, 1210 Vienna, Austria
| | - Katharina Hohlbaum
- Department of Veterinary Medicine, Institute of Animal Welfare, Animal Behavior and Laboratory Animal Science, Freie Universität Berlin, Königsweg 67, 14163 Berlin, Germany
| | - Thomas Rülicke
- Department for Biomedical Sciences, Institute of Laboratory Animal Science, University of Veterinary Medicine Vienna, Veterinärplatz 1, 1210 Vienna, Austria
| | - Rupert Palme
- Department for Biomedical Sciences, Unit of Physiology, Pathophysiology and Experimental Endocrinology, University of Veterinary Medicine Vienna, Veterinärplatz 1, 1210 Vienna, Austria
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14
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Tombak KJ, Wikberg EC, Rubenstein DI, Chapman CA. Reciprocity and rotating social advantage among females in egalitarian primate societies. Anim Behav 2019. [DOI: 10.1016/j.anbehav.2019.09.010] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/16/2022]
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15
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Charapata P, Horstmann L, Jannasch A, Misarti N. A novel method to measure steroid hormone concentrations in walrus bone from archaeological, historical, and modern time periods using liquid chromatography/tandem mass spectrometry. RAPID COMMUNICATIONS IN MASS SPECTROMETRY : RCM 2018; 32:1999-2023. [PMID: 30192037 PMCID: PMC6282614 DOI: 10.1002/rcm.8272] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/23/2018] [Revised: 08/15/2018] [Accepted: 08/19/2018] [Indexed: 05/24/2023]
Abstract
RATIONALE A liquid chromatography/tandem mass spectrometry (LC/MS/MS) method was validated and utilized to measure and analyze four steroid hormones related to stress and reproduction in individual samples from a novel tissue, Pacific walrus (Odobenus rosmarus divergens, herein walrus) bone. This method determines steroid hormone concentrations in the remote walrus population over millennia from archaeological (>200 bp), historical (200-20 bp), and modern (2014-2016) time periods. METHODS Lipids were extracted from walrus bone collected from these periods using methanol before LC/MS/MS analysis. Isotopically labeled internal standards for each target hormone were added to every sample. Analytical and physiological validations were performed. Additionally, a tissue comparison was done among paired walrus bone, serum, and blubber samples. A rapid resolution liquid chromatography system coupled to a QqQ mass spectrometer was used to analyze all samples after derivatization for progesterone, testosterone, cortisol, and estradiol concentrations. Multiple reaction monitoring was used for MS analysis and data were acquired in positive electrospray ionization mode. RESULTS Progesterone, testosterone, cortisol, and estradiol were linear along their respective standard calibration curves based on their R2 values (all > 0.99). Accuracy ranged from 93-111% for all hormones. The recovery of extraction, recovery of hormones without matrix effect, was 92-101%. The overall process efficiency of our method for measuring hormones in walrus bone was 93-112%. Progesterone and testosterone concentrations were not affected by reproductive status among adult females and males, respectively. However, estradiol was different among pregnant and non-pregnant adult females. Overall, steroid hormones reflect a long-term reservoir in cortical bone. This method was also successfully applied to walrus bone as old as 3585 bp. CONCLUSIONS LC/MS/MS analysis of bone tissue (0.2-0.3 g) provides stress and reproductive data from elusive walruses that were alive thousands of years ago. Based on physiological validations, tissue comparison, and published literature, steroid hormone concentrations measured in walrus cortical bone could represent an accumulated average around a 10-20-year time span. By investigating how stress and reproductive physiology may have changed over the past ~3000 years based on bone steroid hormone concentrations, this method will help answer how physiologically resilient walruses are to climate change in the Arctic.
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Affiliation(s)
- Patrick Charapata
- College of Fisheries and Ocean SciencesUniversity of Alaska FairbanksPO Box 757220FairbanksAK99775USA
- Department of BiologyBaylor UniversityOne Bear PlaceWacoTX76706USA
| | - Lara Horstmann
- College of Fisheries and Ocean SciencesUniversity of Alaska FairbanksPO Box 757220FairbanksAK99775USA
| | - Amber Jannasch
- Bindley Bioscience CenterPurdue University1203 W State St.West LafayetteIN47906USA
| | - Nicole Misarti
- Water and Environmental Research CenterUniversity of Alaska FairbanksPO Box 755910FairbanksAK99775USA
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16
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Baxter A, Wood EK, Jarman P, Cameron AN, Capitanio JP, Higley JD. Sex Differences in Rhesus Monkeys' Digit Ratio (2D:4D Ratio) and Its Association With Maternal Social Dominance Rank. Front Behav Neurosci 2018; 12:213. [PMID: 30297989 PMCID: PMC6160532 DOI: 10.3389/fnbeh.2018.00213] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/16/2018] [Accepted: 08/27/2018] [Indexed: 01/30/2023] Open
Abstract
Prenatal androgen exposure (PAE) plays a pivotal role in masculinizing the developing body and brain, and extreme exposure may contribute to autism, anxiety disorder and schizophrenia. One commonly used biomarker for PAE is the pointer-to-ring-finger digit length (2D:4D) ratio. Although this biomarker is widely used in human studies, relatively few studies have investigated 2D:4D ratio in nonhuman primates, particularly rhesus macaques (Macaca mulatta), one of the most commonly used animals in biomedical research. Thus far, data suggest that sexual dimorphism in 2D:4D ratio may be in the opposite direction in some monkey species, when compared to the pattern exhibited by humans and great apes. Using a large sample size, we investigated whether rhesus monkeys' 2D:4D ratio shows the same sex-differentiated pattern present in other Old World monkey species. We also investigated whether individual differences in 2D:4D ratio are associated with the social dominance rank of subjects' mothers during pregnancy, and the social dominance rank the subjects attained as adults. Subjects were 335 rhesus monkeys between 3 years and 24 years of age (M = 6.6). Maternal dominance rank during pregnancy and subjects' adult dominance rank were categorized into tertiles (high, middle and low). Results showed that, across both hands, male rhesus monkeys exhibited higher 2D:4D ratio than females, a pattern consistent with other monkey species and a reversal from the pattern typically observed in humans and apes. This sex difference was modulated by maternal dominance rank, with female offspring of high-ranking and middle-ranking mothers exhibiting masculinized 2D:4D ratio, indicating that maternal dominance rank during pregnancy may influence levels of PAE. There was no association between subjects' 2D:4D ratio and the social dominance rank they attained as adults. These findings show a consistent sex difference in Old World monkeys' 2D:4D ratio that diverges from the pattern observed in apes and humans, and suggest maternal social dominance rank modulates PAE in rhesus monkeys.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alexander Baxter
- Department of Psychology, Brigham Young University, Provo, UT, United States
| | - Elizabeth K. Wood
- Department of Psychology, Brigham Young University, Provo, UT, United States
| | - Parker Jarman
- Department of Psychology, Brigham Young University, Provo, UT, United States
| | - Ashley N. Cameron
- California National Primate Research Center (CNPRC), Davis, CA, United States
| | - John P. Capitanio
- California National Primate Research Center (CNPRC), Davis, CA, United States
- Department of Psychology, University of California, Davis, Davis, CA, United States
| | - J. Dee Higley
- Department of Psychology, Brigham Young University, Provo, UT, United States
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17
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Pikus AE, Guindre-Parker S, Rubenstein DR. Testosterone, social status and parental care in a cooperatively breeding bird. Horm Behav 2018; 97:85-93. [PMID: 29054796 DOI: 10.1016/j.yhbeh.2017.10.008] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/09/2017] [Revised: 10/14/2017] [Accepted: 10/16/2017] [Indexed: 01/14/2023]
Abstract
The steroid hormone testosterone not only plays an important role in gamete production, but also influences social and aggressive behavior. Testosterone varies seasonally, peaking when competition for mates is high and declining during parental care. Surprisingly, little is known about how testosterone mediates social conflict and parental care behavior in highly social species like cooperative breeders, where group members compete for breeding opportunities and provide parental or alloparental care. We examined how testosterone differs across breeding roles in the tropical cooperatively breeding superb starling, Lamprotornis superbus. We determined whether testosterone was elevated in larger groups, and whether testosterone was negatively related to total levels of parental and alloparental care. We found that male breeders had higher testosterone than male helpers and female breeders and helpers during incubation. However, breeding males exhibited a significant decline in testosterone from incubation to chick rearing, and all individuals had similar levels during the chick rearing stage. Additionally, helpers-but not breeders-in large social groups had higher testosterone than those in small groups. Finally, testosterone was not correlated with nestling provisioning rates during chick rearing, suggesting that natural variation in the low levels of testosterone observed during periods of high parental care does not affect nestling provisioning. Together, these results offer insight into how testosterone is related to breeding roles, intra-group conflict, and parental care in a highly social species.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alyxandra E Pikus
- Department of Ecology, Evolution and Environmental Biology, Columbia University, New York, NY 10027, USA
| | - Sarah Guindre-Parker
- Department of Ecology, Evolution and Environmental Biology, Columbia University, New York, NY 10027, USA; Department of Integrative Biology, University of Guelph, Guelph, ON N1G 2W1, Canada
| | - Dustin R Rubenstein
- Department of Ecology, Evolution and Environmental Biology, Columbia University, New York, NY 10027, USA; Center for Integrative Animal Behavior, Columbia University, New York, NY 10027, USA.
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18
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Biological Validations of Fecal Glucocorticoid, Testosterone, and Progesterone Metabolite Measurements in Captive Stumptail Macaques (Macaca arctoides). INT J PRIMATOL 2017. [DOI: 10.1007/s10764-017-9992-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/06/2023]
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19
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Hierarchical Status Predicts Behavioral Vulnerability and Nucleus Accumbens Metabolic Profile Following Chronic Social Defeat Stress. Curr Biol 2017; 27:2202-2210.e4. [PMID: 28712571 DOI: 10.1016/j.cub.2017.06.027] [Citation(s) in RCA: 126] [Impact Index Per Article: 18.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/09/2017] [Revised: 05/09/2017] [Accepted: 06/09/2017] [Indexed: 11/21/2022]
Abstract
Extensive data highlight the existence of major differences in individuals' susceptibility to stress [1-4]. While genetic factors [5, 6] and exposure to early life stress [7, 8] are key components for such neurobehavioral diversity, intriguing observations revealed individual differences in response to stress in inbred mice [9-12]. This raised the possibility that other factors might be critical in stress vulnerability. A key challenge in the field is to identify non-invasively risk factors for vulnerability to stress. Here, we investigated whether behavioral factors, emerging from preexisting dominance hierarchies, could predict vulnerability to chronic stress [9, 13-16]. We applied a chronic social defeat stress (CSDS) model of depression in C57BL/6J mice to investigate the predictive power of hierarchical status to pinpoint which individuals will exhibit susceptibility to CSDS. Given that the high social status of dominant mice would be the one particularly challenged by CSDS, we predicted and found that dominant individuals were the ones showing a strong susceptibility profile as indicated by strong social avoidance following CSDS, while subordinate mice were not affected. Data from 1H-NMR spectroscopy revealed that the metabolic profile in the nucleus accumbens (NAc) relates to social status and vulnerability to stress. Under basal conditions, subordinates show lower levels of energy-related metabolites compared to dominants. In subordinates, but not dominants, levels of these metabolites were increased after exposure to CSDS. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first study that identifies non-invasively the origin of behavioral risk factors predictive of stress-induced depression-like behaviors associated with metabolic changes.
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20
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Eisenegger C, Kumsta R, Naef M, Gromoll J, Heinrichs M. Testosterone and androgen receptor gene polymorphism are associated with confidence and competitiveness in men. Horm Behav 2017; 92:93-102. [PMID: 27702564 DOI: 10.1016/j.yhbeh.2016.09.011] [Citation(s) in RCA: 29] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/07/2016] [Revised: 09/24/2016] [Accepted: 09/29/2016] [Indexed: 11/27/2022]
Abstract
A contribution to a special issue on Hormones and Human Competition. Studies in non-human animals and humans have demonstrated the important role of testosterone in competitive interactions. Here, we investigated whether endogenous testosterone levels predict the decision to compete, in a design excluding spite as a motive underlying competitiveness. In a laboratory experiment with real monetary incentives, 181 men solved arithmetic problems, first under a noncompetitive piece rate, followed by a competition incentive scheme. We also assessed several parameters relevant to competition, such as risk taking, performance, and confidence in one's own performance. Salivary testosterone levels were measured before and 20min after the competition task using mass spectrometry. Participants were also genotyped for the CAG repeat polymorphism of the androgen receptor gene, known to influence the efficacy of testosterone signaling in a reciprocal relationship to the number of CAG repeats. We observed a significant positive association between basal testosterone levels and the decision to compete, and that higher testosterone levels were related to greater confidence in one's own performance. Whereas the number of CAG repeats was not associated with the choice to compete, a lower number of CAG repeats was related to greater confidence in those who chose to compete, but this effect was attributable to the polymorphism's effect on actual performance. An increase in testosterone levels was observed following the experiment, and this increase varied with self-reported high-school math grades. We expand upon the latest research by documenting effects of the androgen system in confidence in one's own ability, and conclude that testosterone promotes competitiveness without spite.
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Affiliation(s)
- Christoph Eisenegger
- Neuropsychopharmacology and Biopsychology Unit, Faculty of Psychology, University of Vienna, Austria.
| | - Robert Kumsta
- Department of Genetic Psychology, Faculty of Psychology, Ruhr-University Bochum, Germany.
| | - Michael Naef
- Department of Economics, Royal Holloway, University of London, United Kingdom
| | - Jörg Gromoll
- Department of Reproductive Medicine, University of Münster, Germany
| | - Markus Heinrichs
- Department of Psychology, Laboratory for Biological and Personality Psychology, University of Freiburg, Freiburg, Germany; Freiburg Brain Imaging Center, University Medical Center, University of Freiburg, Germany
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21
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Taylor GT, Manzella FM, Huffman J, Cabrera OH, Hoffman J. Cognition in female rats after blocking conversion of androgens to estrogens. Horm Behav 2017; 90:84-89. [PMID: 28257758 DOI: 10.1016/j.yhbeh.2017.02.011] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/30/2016] [Revised: 11/22/2016] [Accepted: 02/22/2017] [Indexed: 11/18/2022]
Abstract
Women and non-human females have surprisingly high levels of circulating testosterone, yet the effects of androgens on non-reproductive behaviors, including cognition, of females are not well characterized. The current project used an aromatase inhibitor, letrozole, to block conversion of androgens to estrogens. Adult female rats were ovariectomized and administered either vehicle only, testosterone propionate only (400μg/kg, TP only), letrozole only (1mg/kg, Letro only), or the combination of letrozole and testosterone (TP+Letro) over 4weeks. A gonadally intact group was used for comparisons. During the last 3weeks, the animals were tested for working memory in both a spatial task (radial arm maze) and a non-spatial task (object recognition). At sacrifice, uterine weights and serum testosterone and estradiol were determined. Behavioral results were the intact animals showed better working memories on the object recognition task, but that there were no differences among the ovariectomized groups. In the radial arm maze task, groups with best to worst performance were TP only>Intact=TP+Letro>vehicle=Letro only. Highest to lowest serum titers, for testosterone, were TP+Letro>TP only>Intact=Letro only>vehicle and, for estradiol, Intact>TP only>Vehicle>Letro only=TP+Letro. Our interpretation is that testosterone enhanced spatial performance when bioavailability of both TP and E2 are high, and high testosterone can rescue spatial memory when E2 bioavailability is low.
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Affiliation(s)
- George T Taylor
- Behavioral Neuroscience Program, Department of Psychological Sciences, University of Missouri - St. Louis, USA, St. Louis, MO 63121, USA; Interfakultäre Biomedizinische Forschungseinrichtung (IBF) der Universität Heidelberg, 69120 Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Francesca M Manzella
- Behavioral Neuroscience Program, Department of Psychological Sciences, University of Missouri - St. Louis, USA, St. Louis, MO 63121, USA; Department of Psychiatry, Washington University in St. Louis School of Medicine, 660 S. Euclid, St. Louis, MO 63110, USA.
| | - Jacob Huffman
- Behavioral Neuroscience Program, Department of Psychological Sciences, University of Missouri - St. Louis, USA, St. Louis, MO 63121, USA
| | - Omar H Cabrera
- Behavioral Neuroscience Program, Department of Psychological Sciences, University of Missouri - St. Louis, USA, St. Louis, MO 63121, USA; Department of Psychiatry, Washington University in St. Louis School of Medicine, 660 S. Euclid, St. Louis, MO 63110, USA
| | - Jessica Hoffman
- Department of Psychology, University of South Florida, Tampa, FL 33620, USA
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22
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Davies CS, Smyth KN, Greene LK, Walsh DA, Mitchell J, Clutton-Brock T, Drea CM. Exceptional endocrine profiles characterise the meerkat: sex, status, and reproductive patterns. Sci Rep 2016; 6:35492. [PMID: 27752129 PMCID: PMC5067592 DOI: 10.1038/srep35492] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/03/2016] [Accepted: 09/30/2016] [Indexed: 11/17/2022] Open
Abstract
In vertebrates, reproductive endocrine concentrations are strongly differentiated by sex, with androgen biases typifying males and estrogen biases typifying females. These sex differences can be reduced in female-dominant species; however, even the most masculinised of females have less testosterone (T) than do conspecific males. To test if aggressively dominant, female meerkats (Suricata suricatta) may be hormonally masculinised, we measured serum androstenedione (A4), T and estradiol (E2) in both sexes and social classes, during both ‘baseline’ and reproductive events. Relative to resident males, dominant females had greater A4, equivalent T and greater E2 concentrations. Males, whose endocrine values did not vary by social status, experienced increased T during reproductive forays, linking T to sexual behaviour, but not social status. Moreover, substantial E2 concentrations in male meerkats may facilitate their role as helpers. In females, dominance status and pregnancy magnified the unusual concentrations of measured sex steroids. Lastly, faecal androgen metabolites replicated the findings derived from serum, highlighting the female bias in total androgens. Female meerkats are thus strongly hormonally masculinised, possibly via A4’s bioavailability for conversion to T. These raised androgen concentrations may explain female aggressiveness in this species and give dominant breeders a heritable mechanism for their daughters’ competitive edge.
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Affiliation(s)
- Charli S Davies
- Kalahari Research Trust, Kuruman River Reserve, Northern Cape, South Africa.,Department of Evolutionary Anthropology, Duke University, Durham, NC 27708, USA
| | - Kendra N Smyth
- Kalahari Research Trust, Kuruman River Reserve, Northern Cape, South Africa.,Department of Evolutionary Anthropology, Duke University, Durham, NC 27708, USA.,University Program in Ecology, Duke University, Durham, NC 27708, USA
| | - Lydia K Greene
- Kalahari Research Trust, Kuruman River Reserve, Northern Cape, South Africa.,Department of Evolutionary Anthropology, Duke University, Durham, NC 27708, USA.,University Program in Ecology, Duke University, Durham, NC 27708, USA
| | - Debbie A Walsh
- Kalahari Research Trust, Kuruman River Reserve, Northern Cape, South Africa.,Department of Evolutionary Anthropology, Duke University, Durham, NC 27708, USA
| | - Jessica Mitchell
- Kalahari Research Trust, Kuruman River Reserve, Northern Cape, South Africa.,Department of Evolutionary Anthropology, Duke University, Durham, NC 27708, USA
| | - Tim Clutton-Brock
- Kalahari Research Trust, Kuruman River Reserve, Northern Cape, South Africa.,Mammal Research Institute, University of Pretoria, Pretoria, South Africa.,Department of Zoology, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK
| | - Christine M Drea
- Kalahari Research Trust, Kuruman River Reserve, Northern Cape, South Africa.,Department of Evolutionary Anthropology, Duke University, Durham, NC 27708, USA.,University Program in Ecology, Duke University, Durham, NC 27708, USA.,Department of Biology, Duke University, Durham, USA
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23
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Setchell JM. Sexual Selection and the differences between the sexes in Mandrills (Mandrillus sphinx). AMERICAN JOURNAL OF PHYSICAL ANTHROPOLOGY 2016; 159:S105-29. [PMID: 26808101 DOI: 10.1002/ajpa.22904] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/01/2023]
Abstract
Sexual selection has become a major focus in evolutionary and behavioral ecology. It is also a popular research topic in primatology. I use studies of mandrills (Mandrillus sphinx), a classic example of extravagant armaments and ornaments in animals, to exemplify how a long-term, multidisciplinary approach that integrates field observations with laboratory methods can contribute to on-going theoretical debates in the field of sexual selection. I begin with a brief summary of the main concepts of sexual selection theory and the differences between the sexes. I then introduce mandrills and the study population and review mandrill life history, the ontogeny of sex differences, and maternal effects. Next, I focus on male-male competition and female choice, followed by the less well-studied questions of female-female competition and male choice. This review shows how different reproductive priorities lead to very different life histories and divergent adaptations in males and females. It demonstrates how broadening traditional perspectives on sexual selection beyond the ostentatious results of intense sexual selection on males leads to an understanding of more subtle and cryptic forms of competition and choice in both sexes and opens many productive avenues in the study of primate reproductive strategies. These include the potential for studies of postcopulatory selection, female intrasexual competition, and male choice. These studies of mandrills provide comparison and, I hope, inspiration for studies of both other polygynandrous species and species with mating systems less traditionally associated with sexual selection.
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Affiliation(s)
- Joanna M Setchell
- Department of Anthropology, Evolutionary Anthropology Research Group, Behaviour Ecology and Evolution Research (BEER) Centre, Durham University, Durham, DH1 3LE, UK
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24
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Tennenhouse EM, Putman S, Boisseau NP, Brown JL. Relationships between steroid hormones in hair and social behaviour in ring-tailed lemurs (Lemur catta). Primates 2016; 58:199-209. [DOI: 10.1007/s10329-016-0566-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/27/2016] [Accepted: 08/03/2016] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
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25
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26
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van Honk J, Will GJ, Terburg D, Raub W, Eisenegger C, Buskens V. Effects of Testosterone Administration on Strategic Gambling in Poker Play. Sci Rep 2016; 6:18096. [PMID: 26727636 PMCID: PMC4698749 DOI: 10.1038/srep18096] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/16/2014] [Accepted: 11/10/2015] [Indexed: 11/29/2022] Open
Abstract
Testosterone has been associated with economically egoistic and materialistic behaviors, but -defensibly driven by reputable status seeking- also with economically fair, generous and cooperative behaviors. Problematically, social status and economic resources are inextricably intertwined in humans, thus testosterone's primal motives are concealed. We critically addressed this issue by performing a placebo-controlled single-dose testosterone administration in young women, who played a game of bluff poker wherein concerns for status and resources collide. The profit-maximizing strategy in this game is to mislead the other players by bluffing randomly (independent of strength of the hand), thus also when holding very poor cards (cold bluffing). The profit-maximizing strategy also dictates the players in this poker game to never call the other players' bluffs. For reputable-status seeking these materialistic strategies are disadvantageous; firstly, being caught cold bluffing damages one's reputation by revealing deceptive intent, and secondly, not calling the other players' bluffs signals submission in blindly tolerating deception. Here we show that testosterone administration in this game of bluff poker significantly reduces random bluffing, as well as cold bluffing, while significantly increasing calling. Our data suggest that testosterone in humans primarily motivates for reputable-status seeking, even when this elicits behaviors that are economically disadvantageous.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jack van Honk
- Department of Psychology, Utrecht UniversityThe Netherlands
- Institute of Infectious Disease and Molecular Medicine (IDM), University of Cape Town, South Africa
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Cape Town, South Africa
| | - Geert-Jan Will
- Department of Psychology, Leiden University, The Netherlands
| | - David Terburg
- Department of Psychology, Utrecht UniversityThe Netherlands
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Cape Town, South Africa
| | - Werner Raub
- Department of Sociology, Utrecht University, The Netherlands
| | - Christoph Eisenegger
- Department of Basic Psychological Research and Research Methods, University of Vienna, Austria
| | - Vincent Buskens
- Department of Sociology, Utrecht University, The Netherlands
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27
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Heistermann M, Higham JP. Urinary neopterin, a non-invasive marker of mammalian cellular immune activation, is highly stable under field conditions. Sci Rep 2015; 5:16308. [PMID: 26549509 PMCID: PMC4637859 DOI: 10.1038/srep16308] [Citation(s) in RCA: 28] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/29/2015] [Accepted: 10/12/2015] [Indexed: 01/02/2023] Open
Abstract
Studying immunity and immune function in ecology and evolution requires field studies, but there has been a dearth of non-invasive markers of immune activation available for studying large wild mammals. Recently, we analytically and biologically validated the measurement of urinary neopterin (NEO), a biomarker of cellular immune activation, in captive macaques. However, applying this to free-ranging settings is complicated by issues involving sample collection, processing, storage, and transport. Here, we collected urine samples from captive macaques and undertook experiments simulating common field issues. We tested the effects on urinary NEO sample measurements following: dirt and faecal contamination; storage at room temperature; differences in processing and long-term storage methods (freezing, lyophilising, blotting onto filter paper); and freeze-thaw cycles. Our results show that concentrations of urinary NEO are highly stable--they are not affected by soil or faecal contamination, can be collected on filter paper and stored for many months frozen or lyophilised with minimal effect, and are resistant to multiple 24 hr freeze-thaws. With the addition of a biocidal preservative, concentrations are even stable at room temperature for long periods. Urinary NEO is remarkably resilient, and is highly suitable for non-invasive field studies of cellular immune responses in wild large mammals.
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Affiliation(s)
- Michael Heistermann
- Endocrinology Laboratory, German Primate Centre, Leibniz Institute for Primate Research, Goettingen, Germany
| | - James P. Higham
- Department of Anthropology, New York University, New York, NY, USA
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28
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Setchell JM, Smith TE, Knapp LA. Androgens in a female primate: Relationships with reproductive status, age, dominance rank, fetal sex and secondary sexual color. Physiol Behav 2015; 147:245-54. [DOI: 10.1016/j.physbeh.2015.04.051] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/21/2015] [Revised: 04/27/2015] [Accepted: 04/28/2015] [Indexed: 11/25/2022]
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29
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Ziomkiewicz A, Wichary S, Gomula A, Pawlowski B. Trait anxiety moderates the association between estradiol and dominance in women. Physiol Behav 2015; 143:97-103. [DOI: 10.1016/j.physbeh.2015.02.045] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/12/2014] [Revised: 02/16/2015] [Accepted: 02/24/2015] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
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30
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Social Neuroendocrinology of Status: A Review and Future Directions. ADAPTIVE HUMAN BEHAVIOR AND PHYSIOLOGY 2015. [DOI: 10.1007/s40750-015-0025-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 27] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/06/2023]
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31
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Woodward SL, Thompson ME, Gangestad SW. Women Exposed to the Scents of Fertile-Phase and Luteal-Phase Women: Evaluative, Competitive, and Endocrine Responses. ADAPTIVE HUMAN BEHAVIOR AND PHYSIOLOGY 2015. [DOI: 10.1007/s40750-014-0019-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/10/2023]
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32
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Gesquiere LR, Ziegler TE, Chen PA, Epstein KA, Alberts SC, Altmann J. Measuring fecal testosterone in females and fecal estrogens in males: comparison of RIA and LC/MS/MS methods for wild baboons (Papio cynocephalus). Gen Comp Endocrinol 2014; 204:141-9. [PMID: 24798581 PMCID: PMC4155009 DOI: 10.1016/j.ygcen.2014.04.021] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/20/2013] [Revised: 04/14/2014] [Accepted: 04/18/2014] [Indexed: 10/25/2022]
Abstract
The development of non-invasive methods, particularly fecal determination, has made possible the assessment of hormone concentrations in wild animal populations. However, measuring fecal metabolites needs careful validation for each species and for each sex. We investigated whether radioimmunoassays (RIAs) previously used to measure fecal testosterone (fT) in male baboons and fecal estrogens (fE) in female baboons were well suited to measure these hormones in the opposite sex. We compared fE and fT concentrations determined by RIA to those measured by liquid chromatography combined with triple quadropole mass spectrometry (LC/MS/MS), a highly specific method. Additionally, we conducted a biological validation to assure that the measurements of fecal concentrations reflected physiological levels of the hormone of interest. Several tests produced expected results that led us to conclude that our RIAs can reliably measure fT and fE in both sexes, and that within-sex comparisons of these measures are valid: (i) fTRIA were significantly correlated to fTLC/MS/MS for both sexes; (ii) fTRIA were higher in adult than in immature males; (iii) fTRIA were higher in pregnant than non-pregnant females; (iv) fERIA were correlated with 17β-estradiol (fE2) and with estrone (fE1) determined by LC/MS/MS in pregnant females; (v) fERIA were significantly correlated with fE2 in non-pregnant females and nearly significantly correlated in males; (vi) fERIA were higher in adult males than in immature males. fERIA were higher in females than in males, as predicted, but unexpectedly, fTRIA were higher in females than in males, suggesting a difference in steroid metabolism in the two sexes; consequently, we conclude that while within-sex comparisons are valid, fTRIA should not be used for intersexual comparisons. Our results should open the field to important additional studies, as to date the roles of testosterone in females and estrogens in males have been little investigated.
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Affiliation(s)
- Laurence R Gesquiere
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, Princeton University, Princeton, NJ 08544, USA; Department of Biology, Duke University, Durham, NC, USA.
| | - Toni E Ziegler
- National Primate Research Center, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI, USA
| | - Patricia A Chen
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, Princeton University, Princeton, NJ 08544, USA
| | - Katherine A Epstein
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, Princeton University, Princeton, NJ 08544, USA
| | - Susan C Alberts
- Department of Biology, Duke University, Durham, NC, USA; Institute of Primate Research, National Museums of Kenya, Nairobi, Kenya
| | - Jeanne Altmann
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, Princeton University, Princeton, NJ 08544, USA; Institute of Primate Research, National Museums of Kenya, Nairobi, Kenya; Department of Veterinary Anatomy and Physiology, University of Nairobi, Chiromo Campus, P.O. Box 30197 00100, Nairobi, Kenya
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Fontani S, Vaglio S, Beghelli V, Mattioli M, Bacci S, Accorsi PA. Fecal Concentrations of Cortisol, Testosterone, and Progesterone in Cotton-Top Tamarins Housed in Different Zoological Parks: Relationships Among Physiological Data, Environmental Conditions, and Behavioral Patterns. J APPL ANIM WELF SCI 2014; 17:228-52. [DOI: 10.1080/10888705.2014.916173] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/25/2022]
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Attunement to the fertility status of same-sex rivals: women's testosterone responses to olfactory ovulation cues. EVOL HUM BEHAV 2013. [DOI: 10.1016/j.evolhumbehav.2013.07.005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 29] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/20/2022]
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Cobey KD, Klipping C, Buunk AP. Hormonal contraceptive use lowers female intrasexual competition in pair-bonded women. EVOL HUM BEHAV 2013. [DOI: 10.1016/j.evolhumbehav.2013.04.003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 32] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/25/2022]
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Lutermann H, Young AJ, Bennett NC. Reproductive status and testosterone among females in cooperative mole-rat societies. Gen Comp Endocrinol 2013; 187:60-5. [PMID: 23583770 DOI: 10.1016/j.ygcen.2013.03.026] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/04/2013] [Revised: 03/20/2013] [Accepted: 03/25/2013] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Abstract
Sexual selection acts on traits that increase reproductive success. Variation in reproductive success is often higher among males than females. Consequently, sexual selection has been studied extensively in males while its possible role in females has only recently attracted considerable attention. In some cooperatively breeding species females compete intensely for reproductive opportunities and may thereby have evolved 'male-like' traits such as increased intra-sexual aggression and exaggerated secondary sexual traits. The expression of the latter tends to be testosterone-dependent in male vertebrates but whether this is also the case among females remains poorly understood. Here, we compare two cooperatively breeding mole-rat species (Natal, Cryptomys hottentotus natalensis, and Damaraland mole-rats, Fukomys damarensis) in which a single female monopolises reproduction through behavioural and physiological suppression, respectively, to evaluate the effect of female intra-sexual competition. Consistent with the hypothesis that intra-sexual competition has shaped patterns of testosterone (T) secretion among females in these species, we show that (i) female T levels in both species are significantly higher among breeding (BFs) (who may face the highest degree of intra-sexual competition) compared to non-breeding females (NBFs), (ii) that T levels in both species are significantly higher when access to unrelated males can be assumed to be greatest (i.e., wet season), and (iii) that the average female T levels are a full order of magnitude higher in the absence of a physiological mechanism of reproductive suppression. Together, our results suggest a role for intra-sexual competition in shaping patterns of T secretion among females of the social mole-rats and raise the possibility of a modulatory role for the mode of reproductive suppression on competition-related traits in females.
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Affiliation(s)
- Heike Lutermann
- Department of Zoology and Entomology, Mammal Research Institute, University of Pretoria, Pretoria 0002, South Africa.
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Brief communication: Female fecal androgens prior to the mating season reflect readiness to conceive in reproductively quiescent wild macaques. AMERICAN JOURNAL OF PHYSICAL ANTHROPOLOGY 2013; 151:311-5. [DOI: 10.1002/ajpa.22273] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/08/2013] [Accepted: 03/15/2013] [Indexed: 11/07/2022]
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Bloemers J, van Rooij K, Poels S, Goldstein I, Everaerd W, Koppeschaar H, Chivers M, Gerritsen J, van Ham D, Olivier B, Tuiten A. Toward Personalized Sexual Medicine (Part 1): Integrating the “Dual Control Model” into Differential Drug Treatments for Hypoactive Sexual Desire Disorder and Female Sexual Arousal Disorder. J Sex Med 2013; 10:791-809. [DOI: 10.1111/j.1743-6109.2012.02984.x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 42] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/20/2022]
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Muehlenbein MP, Ancrenaz M, Sakong R, Ambu L, Prall S, Fuller G, Raghanti MA. Ape conservation physiology: fecal glucocorticoid responses in wild Pongo pygmaeus morio following human visitation. PLoS One 2012; 7:e33357. [PMID: 22438916 PMCID: PMC3305311 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0033357] [Citation(s) in RCA: 98] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/30/2011] [Accepted: 02/08/2012] [Indexed: 11/23/2022] Open
Abstract
Nature-based tourism can generate important revenue to support conservation of biodiversity. However, constant exposure to tourists and subsequent chronic activation of stress responses can produce pathological effects, including impaired cognition, growth, reproduction, and immunity in the same animals we are interested in protecting. Utilizing fecal samples (N = 53) from 2 wild habituated orangutans (Pongo pygmaeus morio) (in addition to 26 fecal samples from 4 wild unhabituated orangutans) in the Lower Kinabatangan Wildlife Sanctuary of Sabah, Malaysian Borneo, we predicted that i) fecal glucocorticoid metabolite concentrations would be elevated on the day after tourist visitation (indicative of normal stress response to exposure to tourists on the previous day) compared to samples taken before or during tourist visitation in wild, habituated orangutans, and ii) that samples collected from habituated animals would have lower fecal glucocorticoid metabolites than unhabituated animals not used for tourism. Among the habituated animals used for tourism, fecal glucocorticoid metabolite levels were significantly elevated in samples collected the day after tourist visitation (indicative of elevated cortisol production on the previous day during tourist visitation). Fecal glucocorticoid metabolite levels were also lower in the habituated animals compared to their age-matched unhabituated counterparts. We conclude that the habituated animals used for this singular ecotourism project are not chronically stressed, unlike other species/populations with documented permanent alterations in stress responses. Animal temperament, species, the presence of coping/escape mechanisms, social confounders, and variation in amount of tourism may explain differences among previous experiments. Acute alterations in glucocorticoid measures in wildlife exposed to tourism must be interpreted conservatively. While permanently altered stress responses can be detrimental, preliminary results in these wild habituated orangutans suggest that low levels of predictable disturbance can likely result in low physiological impact on these animals.
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Affiliation(s)
- Michael P Muehlenbein
- Department of Anthropology, Indiana University, Bloomington, Indiana, United States of America.
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Zinner D, Arnold ML, Roos C. The strange blood: natural hybridization in primates. Evol Anthropol 2012; 20:96-103. [PMID: 22034167 DOI: 10.1002/evan.20301] [Citation(s) in RCA: 99] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/09/2022]
Abstract
Hybridization between two closely related species is a natural evolutionary process that results in an admixture of previously isolated gene pools. The exchange of genes between species may accelerate adaptation and lead to the formation of new lineages. Hybridization can be regarded as one important evolutionary mechanism driving speciation processes. Although recent studies have highlighted the taxonomic breadth of natural hybridization in the primate order, information about primate hybridization is still limited compared to that about the hybridization of fish, birds, or other mammals. In primates, hybridization has occurred mainly between subspecies and species, but has also been detected between genera and even in the human lineage. Here we provide an overview of cases of natural hybridization in all major primate radiations. Our review emphasizes a phylogenetic approach. We use the data presented to discuss the impact of hybridization on taxonomy and conservation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dietmar Zinner
- Ceognitive Ethology Laboratory, German Primate Center, University of Göttingen, Germany.
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Fürtbauer I, Heistermann M, Schülke O, Ostner J. Brief communication: Fecal androgen excretion and fetal sex effects during gestation in wild assamese macaques (Macaca assamensis). AMERICAN JOURNAL OF PHYSICAL ANTHROPOLOGY 2011; 147:334-9. [DOI: 10.1002/ajpa.21646] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/20/2011] [Accepted: 10/28/2011] [Indexed: 11/11/2022]
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Competitive females are successful females; phenotype, mechanism and selection in a common songbird. Behav Ecol Sociobiol 2011; 66:241-252. [PMID: 22345899 DOI: 10.1007/s00265-011-1272-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 76] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/03/2023]
Abstract
In a variety of taxa, male reproductive success is positively related to expression of costly traits such as large body size, ornaments, armaments, and aggression. These traits are thought to improve male competitive ability, and thus access to limited reproductive resources. Females of many species also express competitive traits. However, we know very little about the consequences of individual variation in competitive traits and the mechanisms that regulate their expression in females. Consequently, it is currently unclear whether females express competitive traits owing to direct selection or as an indirect result of selection on males. Here we examine females of a mildly dimorphic songbird (Junco hyemalis) to determine whether females, show positive covariance in traits (morphology and behavior) that may be important in a competition. We also examine whether trait expression relates either to testosterone (T) in terms of mechanism or to reproductive success in terms of function. We found that larger females were more aggressive and that greater ability to produce T in response to a physiological challenge consisting of a standardized injection of gonadotropin releasing hormone (GnRH) predicted some measures of female body size and aggression. Finally, we found that aggressive females had greater reproductive success. We conclude that testosterone may influence female phenotype and that females may benefit from expressing a competitive phenotype. We also suggest that the mild dimorphism observed in many species may be due in part to direct selection on females rather than simply a correlated response to selection in males.
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Ross CN, French JA. Female marmosets' behavioral and hormonal responses to unfamiliar intruders. Am J Primatol 2011; 73:1072-81. [PMID: 21748772 PMCID: PMC6000820 DOI: 10.1002/ajp.20975] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/07/2011] [Revised: 05/31/2011] [Indexed: 02/06/2023]
Abstract
The endocrine control mechanisms for female mammalian aggression have been largely unstudied. Although it has been proposed that androgens may modulate female aggressive behavior in a similar manner to males, very little conclusive evidence exists. Previous work in male marmosets found that post-encounter increases in testosterone (T) were dependent on the intensity of aggression displayed during the aggressive encounter. We exposed female marmosets (Callithrix kuhlii), a monogamous and biparental primate, to aggressive interactions with unfamiliar intruders. Individual female marmosets exhibited changes in T and estradiol (E(2) ) that are associated with aggressiveness dependent on the intensity of aggression displayed as well as their role during the encounter. Resident females exhibited increased E(2) immediately following an encounter in which they displayed high rates of aggression. If resident females received high rates of aggression from the intruder, the resident displayed increased T 24 hr following the encounter. Interestingly, if the female was an intruder in the encounter, the intensity of her aggression was associated with increased cortisol immediately following the trials, whereas received aggression was associated with increased T and E(2) immediately following the trial. Female primates do exhibit situation-dependent changes in gonadal steroids in association with aggression that may serve to prime them for future aggressive interactions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Corinna N Ross
- Department of Cellular and Structural Biology, University of Texas Health Science Center, San Antonio, USA.
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Grant VJ, Konečná M, Sonnweber RS, Irwin RJ, Wallner B. Macaque mothers’ preconception testosterone levels relate to dominance and to sex of offspring. Anim Behav 2011. [DOI: 10.1016/j.anbehav.2011.07.029] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/17/2022]
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Loeding E, Thomas J, Bernier D, Santymire R. Using Fecal Hormonal and Behavioral Analyses to Evaluate the Introduction of Two Sable Antelope at Lincoln Park Zoo. J APPL ANIM WELF SCI 2011; 14:220-46. [DOI: 10.1080/10888705.2011.576968] [Citation(s) in RCA: 30] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/18/2022]
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Mouttham L, Buhr M, Freeman E, Widowski T, Graham L, Brown J. Interrelationship of serum testosterone, dominance and ovarian cyclicity status in female African elephants. Anim Reprod Sci 2011; 126:115-21. [DOI: 10.1016/j.anireprosci.2011.04.006] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/14/2011] [Revised: 04/04/2011] [Accepted: 04/14/2011] [Indexed: 10/18/2022]
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Thompson AL, Whitten PL, Johnson ML, Lampl M. Non-invasive methods for estradiol recovery from infant fecal samples. Front Physiol 2010; 1:148. [PMID: 21423388 PMCID: PMC3059931 DOI: 10.3389/fphys.2010.00148] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/09/2010] [Accepted: 10/07/2010] [Indexed: 11/16/2022] Open
Abstract
While the activation of the infant hypothalamic-pituitary-gonadal axis and the existence of a postnatal gonadotropin surge were first documented in the early 1970s, study of the longitudinal development of gonadal hormones in infancy, and the potential physiological and behavioral correlates of this development, have been hampered by reliance on infrequent serum sampling. The present study reports the validation of a non-invasive method for repeated assessment of steroid hormones in infant fecal samples. Fecal samples were collected in and excised from cotton diaper liners and extracted using methanol. Extracts were analyzed for estradiol using a diluted assay modification. Method validity was supported by a steroid recovery rate of at least 80%, a sensitivity of 0.35 pg/ml, and inter- and intra-assay coefficients of variations of less than 10 and 20%, respectively. Variation in estradiol concentration was assessed across (1) sample type (scraped vs. cut from diaper liner), (2) time of day (morning vs. afternoon/evening samples), (3) time interval between samples, and (4) time-to-assay (1 day vs. 489 days after collection). Of these characteristics, only the time interval between samples within an individual was significantly associated with estradiol concentration. This is the first report of human infant fecal estradiol levels. The results support fecal recovery as a novel and powerful non-invasive tool for longitudinal studies of human infants, expanding research opportunities for investigating development of sex-specific behaviors in infancy, and the potential effects of endocrine disruptors on development.
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Affiliation(s)
- Amanda L. Thompson
- Department of Anthropology, University of North Carolina at Chapel HillChapel Hill, NC, USA
- Carolina Population Center, University of North Carolina at Chapel HillChapel Hill, NC, USA
| | | | - Michael L. Johnson
- Departments of Pharmacology and Medicine, University of Virginia Health SystemCharlottesville, VA, USA
| | - Michelle Lampl
- Department of Anthropology, Emory UniversityAtlanta, GA, USA
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