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Otridge J, Meyer JS, Dettmer AM. Amniotic fluid cortisol predicts neonatal and infant development in non-stressed rhesus monkeys: Implications for prenatal stress. Neurotoxicol Teratol 2023; 100:107308. [PMID: 37890675 PMCID: PMC10872548 DOI: 10.1016/j.ntt.2023.107308] [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: 09/05/2023] [Revised: 10/20/2023] [Accepted: 10/24/2023] [Indexed: 10/29/2023]
Abstract
Prenatal stress adversely affects offspring development, with fetal cortisol (CORT) exposure being a primary hypothesized mechanism for stress-induced developmental deficits. Fetal CORT exposure can be assessed via measurements in amniotic fluid. However, in humans, amniocentesis is typically only performed for clinical reasons such as karyotyping; thus, amniotic fluid CORT cannot be obtained from a random sample. To test the hypothesis that fetal CORT exposure predicts neonatal and infant development in healthy primates, we measured amniotic fluid CORT in N = 18 healthy rhesus macaque (Macaca mulatta) dams (50:50 female:male infants) between 80 and 124 days gestation (mean ± SEM = 98.3 ± 2.9 days out of 165 days gestational length; i.e., second trimester). Maternal hair cortisol concentrations (HCCs) were assessed throughout pregnancy and lactation. Offspring were assessed for physical growth, neurological development, cognitive development, and HCCs across postnatal days 30-180. Controlling for gestational age at amniocentesis, higher amniotic fluid CORT significantly predicted slower infant growth rate (g/day) in the first 30 days (β = -0.19; R2 = 0.71, p = .008), poorer sensorimotor scores on the day 30 neonatal assessment (β = -0.28; R2 = 0.76, p = .015), and longer time to complete training (β = 0.48; R2 = 0.54, p = .026), but better performance (β = 0.91; R2 = 0.60, p = .011) on a discrimination cognitive task at 120-180 days. Amniotic fluid CORT was not associated with maternal or infant HCCs. Although these results are correlative, they raise the intriguing possibility that fetal CORT exposure in non-stress-exposed primates, as measured by amniotic fluid CORT, programs multiple aspects of neonatal and infant development. On the other hand, amniotic fluid CORT may not relate to chronic CORT levels in either mothers or infants when assessed by hair sampling.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Jerrold S Meyer
- Department of Psychological & Brain Sciences, University of Massachusetts Amherst, Amherst, MA, USA
| | - Amanda M Dettmer
- Yale Child Study Center, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, CT, USA.
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2
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Cooper EB, Brent LJN, Snyder-Mackler N, Singh M, Sengupta A, Khatiwada S, Malaivijitnond S, Qi Hai Z, Higham JP. The natural history of model organisms: the rhesus macaque as a success story of the Anthropocene. eLife 2022; 11:78169. [PMID: 35801697 PMCID: PMC9345599 DOI: 10.7554/elife.78169] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/25/2022] [Accepted: 07/07/2022] [Indexed: 11/25/2022] Open
Abstract
Of all the non-human primate species studied by researchers, the rhesus macaque (Macaca mulatta) is likely the most widely used across biological disciplines. Rhesus macaques have thrived during the Anthropocene and now have the largest natural range of any non-human primate. They are highly social, exhibit marked genetic diversity, and display remarkable niche flexibility (which allows them to live in a range of habitats and survive on a variety of diets). These characteristics mean that rhesus macaques are well-suited for understanding the links between sociality, health and fitness, and also for investigating intra-specific variation, adaptation and other topics in evolutionary ecology.
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Affiliation(s)
- Eve B Cooper
- Department of Anthropology, New York University, New York, United States
| | | | | | - Mewa Singh
- Biopsychology Laboratory, University of Mysore, Mysuru, India
| | | | - Sunil Khatiwada
- Institute of Genetics and Animal Biotechnology of the Polish Academy of Sciences, Garbatka, Poland
| | | | - Zhou Qi Hai
- Key Laboratory of Ecology of Rare and Endangered Species and Environmental Protection, Guangxi Normal University, Guilin, China
| | - James P Higham
- Department of Anthropology, New York University, New York, United States
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3
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Strauss ED, Shizuka D. The dynamics of dominance: open questions, challenges and solutions. Philos Trans R Soc Lond B Biol Sci 2022; 377:20200445. [PMID: 35000440 PMCID: PMC8743878 DOI: 10.1098/rstb.2020.0445] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/01/2021] [Accepted: 11/07/2021] [Indexed: 12/14/2022] Open
Abstract
Although social hierarchies are recognized as dynamic systems, they are typically treated as static entities for practical reasons. Here, we ask what we can learn from a dynamical view of dominance, and provide a research agenda for the next decades. We identify five broad questions at the individual, dyadic and group levels, exploring the causes and consequences of individual changes in rank, the dynamics underlying dyadic dominance relationships, and the origins and impacts of social instability. Although challenges remain, we propose avenues for overcoming them. We suggest distinguishing between different types of social mobility to provide conceptual clarity about hierarchy dynamics at the individual level, and emphasize the need to explore how these dynamic processes produce dominance trajectories over individual lifespans and impact selection on status-seeking behaviour. At the dyadic level, there is scope for deeper exploration of decision-making processes leading to observed interactions, and how stable but malleable relationships emerge from these interactions. Across scales, model systems where rank is manipulable will be extremely useful for testing hypotheses about dominance dynamics. Long-term individual-based studies will also be critical for understanding the impact of rare events, and for interrogating dynamics that unfold over lifetimes and generations. 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)
- Eli D. Strauss
- Department of Collective Behavior, Max Planck Institute of Animal Behavior, Konstanz, Germany
- Centre for the Advanced Study of Collective Behaviour, University of Konstanz, Konstanz, Germany
- School of Biological Sciences, University of Nebraska Lincoln, Lincoln, NE, USA
- BEACON Center for the Study of Evolution in Action, Michigan State University, Lansing, MI, USA
| | - Daizaburo Shizuka
- School of Biological Sciences, University of Nebraska Lincoln, Lincoln, NE, USA
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4
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Crast J, Bloomsmith MA, Remillard CM, Meeker T. Contribution of adult sex ratio to trauma and reproductive output in large breeding groups of rhesus macaques (Macaca mulatta). Anim Welf 2021; 30:479-492. [DOI: 10.7120/09627286.30.4.011] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/05/2022]
Abstract
Maintaining stable breeding groups of rhesus macaques (Macaca mulatta) can be challenging due to the complex social dynamics and despotic nature of the species. Trauma from aggression is a common problem in rhesus colonies and can cause social disruption, strain veterinary and
animal management resources, and potentially affect reproduction. Previous research has shown that increasing the number of non-natal adult males in a breeding group can improve group stability, reduce trauma, and increase reproduction. Here, we used mixed-effects regression models to examine
the effects of sex ratio and other factors on trauma and reproduction at the Yerkes National Primate Research Center using a historical dataset made up of four large rhesus groups over an eleven-year period (2003–2013). As expected, sex ratio was a significant predictor for both trauma
and reproduction. However, group age since formation was a stronger predictor of trauma frequency and the amount of space available was a slightly better predictor of reproduction than sex ratio or trauma. These results indicate that improving sex ratios can be a viable management strategy
to reduce trauma and improve reproduction, particularly when it is difficult to manipulate the group compositions and/or their housing situations. Reducing trauma is a primary goal for rhesus breeding colonies, as it directly impacts the monkeys' health and psychological well-being. Such improvements
are necessary for the ethical treatment and care of the animals themselves, but also to reduce financial burdens and maintain a healthy colony for research purposes.
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5
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Young LA, Bloomsmith MA, Remillard CM, Bailey K, Michopoulos V. Effects of medroxyprogesterone acetate on social behavior in female rhesus macaques (Macaca mulatta) depend on male breeding season introductions. J Med Primatol 2021; 50:51-59. [PMID: 33300612 PMCID: PMC7883895 DOI: 10.1111/jmp.12505] [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: 08/14/2020] [Revised: 10/19/2020] [Accepted: 11/20/2020] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Although medroxyprogesterone acetate (MPA) is used commonly as a contraceptive in women and female non-human primates, its effects on social behavior remain unclear. This study examined whether MPA treatment and introduction of new adult males during the breeding season influence the social behaviors of group-housed adult female rhesus macaques. METHODS Subjects were 12 MPA-treated and 12 matched case-control females. Aggressive, affiliative, and sexual behaviors were measured. RESULTS MPA-treated females showed less affiliative and sexual behavior compared to matched controls during the breeding season. MPA treatment was associated with decreased aggression emitted toward and received from females during the breeding season. CONCLUSION MPA treatment is associated with differences in social behavior of female rhesus macaques during the breeding season, when normal hormonal cycles are attenuated by the treatment, but there is no indication that MPA-treated females bring an additional risk for more aggression during the male introduction and breeding season.
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Affiliation(s)
- Leigh A. Young
- Yerkes National Primate Research Center, Atlanta, Georgia, USA
| | | | | | - Kelly Bailey
- Yerkes National Primate Research Center, Atlanta, Georgia, USA
| | - Vasiliki Michopoulos
- Yerkes National Primate Research Center, Atlanta, Georgia, USA
- Department of Psychiatry & Behavioral Sciences, Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta, Georgia, USA
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Johnston JR, Meeker TL, Ramsey JK, Crane MM, Cohen JK, Ethun KF. Utility of Automated Feeding Data to Detect Social Instability in a Captive Breeding Colony of Rhesus Macaques ( Macaca mulatta): A Case Study of Intrafamily Aggression. JOURNAL OF THE AMERICAN ASSOCIATION FOR LABORATORY ANIMAL SCIENCE : JAALAS 2020; 59:46-57. [PMID: 31739825 PMCID: PMC6978572 DOI: 10.30802/aalas-jaalas-18-000139] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/04/2018] [Revised: 02/12/2019] [Accepted: 04/29/2019] [Indexed: 11/05/2022]
Abstract
Some captive breeding colonies of rhesus macaques live in large outdoor multimale, multifemale social groups. These groups are composed of several matrilineal families, governed by a clear female dominance hierarchy. Aggression within the same or between different matrilineal families due to social instability can result in trauma and mortality. Therefore, a primary management goal is to detect emerging social unrest before the onset of significant fighting and wounding. Accordingly, groups are monitored routinely for changes in dominance and alliance relations as well as for increases in trauma frequency and severity. Decreased food intake is a normal physiologic response to acute stress; therefore, inappetence in key animals or groups of monkeys might be used as an indicator of increased social stress and emerging instability. An incident of intrafamily aggression occurred recently in a breeding group at our facility and resulted in considerable fighting. Because this compound was equipped with an automated feeding system that tracks the caloric intake of individual animals, we retrospectively analyzed feeding data to determine whether significant reduction in caloric consumption occurred prior to the onset of aggression, compared with baseline values. Neither the entire group nor individual families showed any significant differences in total caloric intake between baseline and previous 24 h values; however, the affected family exhibited a 20% reduction in total caloric during the 24 h prior to the aggression. Most notably, the deposed subfamily showed a marked 58% reduction in caloric intake during the prior 24 h, whereas remaining subfamilies showed no significant changes in intake. High-ranking animals of the group, including the α female, β female, and α male, similarly exhibited marked decreases in caloric intake during that period. These findings indicate that automated feeders can assist management staff with monitoring social stability in breeding colonies of rhesus macaque.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | | | - Joyce K Cohen
- Divisions of Animal Resources and
- Departments of Psychiatry and
| | - Kelly F Ethun
- Divisions of Animal Resources and
- Developmental and Cognitive Neurosciences, Yerkes National Primate Research Center, and
- Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta, Georgia
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7
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Social alliances improve rank and fitness in convention-based societies. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2019; 116:8919-8924. [PMID: 30858321 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.1810384116] [Citation(s) in RCA: 49] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Social hierarchies are widespread in human and animal societies, and an individual's position in its hierarchy affects both its access to resources and its fitness. Hierarchies are traditionally thought of in terms of variation in individual ability to win fights, but many are structured around arbitrary conventions like nepotistic inheritance rather than such traits as physical strength or weapon size. These convention-based societies are perplexing because position in the hierarchy appears to be gained irrespective of individual physical ability, yet social status strongly affects access to resources and fitness. It remains unclear why individuals abide by seemingly arbitrary conventions regarding social status when they stand to benefit by ignoring these conventions and competing for top positions or access to resources. Using data from wild spotted hyenas collected over 27 y and five generations, we show that individuals who repeatedly form coalitions with their top allies are likely to improve their position in the hierarchy, suggesting that social alliances facilitate revolutionary social change. Using lifetime reproductive success as a fitness measure, we go on to demonstrate that these status changes can have major fitness consequences. Finally, we show that the consequences of these changes may become even more dramatic over multiple generations, as small differences in social rank become amplified over time. This work represents a first step in reconciling the advantages of high status with the appearance of "arbitrary" conventions that structure inequality in animal and human societies.
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8
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Strauss ED, Holekamp KE. Inferring longitudinal hierarchies: Framework and methods for studying the dynamics of dominance. J Anim Ecol 2019; 88:521-536. [PMID: 30664242 DOI: 10.1111/1365-2656.12951] [Citation(s) in RCA: 30] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/29/2017] [Accepted: 01/09/2019] [Indexed: 12/31/2022]
Abstract
Social inequality is a consistent feature of animal societies, often manifesting as dominance hierarchies, in which each individual is characterized by a dominance rank denoting its place in the network of competitive relationships among group members. Most studies treat dominance hierarchies as static entities despite their true longitudinal, and sometimes highly dynamic, nature. To guide study of the dynamics of dominance, we propose the concept of a longitudinal hierarchy: the characterization of a single, latent hierarchy and its dynamics over time. Longitudinal hierarchies describe the hierarchy position (r) and dynamics (∆) associated with each individual as a property of its interaction data, the periods into which these data are divided based on a period delineation rule (p) and the method chosen to infer the hierarchy. Hierarchy dynamics result from both active (∆a) and passive (∆p) processes. Methods that infer longitudinal hierarchies should optimize accuracy of rank dynamics as well as of the rank orders themselves, but no studies have yet evaluated the accuracy with which different methods infer hierarchy dynamics. We modify three popular ranking approaches to make them better suited for inferring longitudinal hierarchies. Our three "informed" methods assign ranks that are informed by data from the prior period rather than calculating ranks de novo in each observation period and use prior knowledge of dominance correlates to inform placement of new individuals in the hierarchy. These methods are provided in an R package. Using both a simulated dataset and a long-term empirical dataset from a species with two distinct sex-based dominance structures, we compare the performance of these methods and their unmodified counterparts. We show that choice of method has dramatic impacts on inference of hierarchy dynamics via differences in estimates of ∆a. Methods that calculate ranks de novo in each period overestimate hierarchy dynamics, but incorporation of prior information leads to more accurately inferred ∆a. Of the modified methods, Informed MatReorder infers the most conservative estimates of hierarchy dynamics and Informed Elo infers the most dynamic hierarchies. This work provides crucially needed conceptual framing and methodological validation for studying social dominance and its dynamics.
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Affiliation(s)
- Eli D Strauss
- Department of Integrative Biology, Michigan State University, East Lansing, Michigan.,Program in Ecology, Evolutionary Biology, and Behavior, Michigan State University, East Lansing, Michigan.,BEACON Center for the Study of Evolution in Action, Michigan State University, East Lansing, Michigan
| | - Kay E Holekamp
- Department of Integrative Biology, Michigan State University, East Lansing, Michigan.,Program in Ecology, Evolutionary Biology, and Behavior, Michigan State University, East Lansing, Michigan.,BEACON Center for the Study of Evolution in Action, Michigan State University, East Lansing, Michigan
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9
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Kissel M, Kim NC. The emergence of human warfare: Current perspectives. AMERICAN JOURNAL OF PHYSICAL ANTHROPOLOGY 2018; 168 Suppl 67:141-163. [PMID: 30575025 DOI: 10.1002/ajpa.23751] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/29/2018] [Revised: 10/08/2018] [Accepted: 10/21/2018] [Indexed: 11/11/2022]
Abstract
The origins of warfare have long been of interest for researchers across disciplines. Did our earliest ancestors engage in forms of organized violence that are appropriately viewed as approximations, forms of, or analogs for more recent forms of warfare? Assessed in this article are contrasting views that see warfare as being either a product of more recent human societies or a phenomenon with a much deeper chronology. The article provides an overview of current debates, theories, and methodological approaches, citing literature and data from archaeological, ethnographic, genetic, primatological, and paleoanthropological studies. Synthetic anthropological treatments are needed, especially in efforts to inform debates among nonacademic audiences, because the discipline's approaches are ideally suited to study the origins of warfare. Emphasized is the need to consider possible forms of violence and intergroup aggression within Pleistocene contexts, despite the methodological challenges associated with fragmentary, equivocal, or scarce data. Finally, the review concludes with an argument about the implications of the currently available data. We propose that socially cooperative violence, or "emergent warfare," became possible with the onset of symbolic thought and complex cognition. Viewing emergent warfare as a byproduct of the human capacity for symbolic thought explains how the same capacities for communication and sociality allowed for elaborate peacemaking, conflict resolution, and avoidance. Cultural institutions around war and peace are both made possible by these changes. Accordingly, we suggest that studies on warfare's origins should be tied to research on the advent of cooperation, sociality, and communication.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marc Kissel
- Department of Anthropology, Appalachian State University College of Arts and Sciences, Boone, North Carolina
| | - Nam C Kim
- Department of Anthropology, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, Wisconsin
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10
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Stavisky RC, Ramsey JK, Meeker T, Stovall M, Crane MM. Trauma rates and patterns in specific pathogen free (SPF) rhesus macaque (Macaca mulatta) groups. Am J Primatol 2018; 80:e22742. [PMID: 29419883 PMCID: PMC5878745 DOI: 10.1002/ajp.22742] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/07/2017] [Revised: 01/10/2018] [Accepted: 01/14/2018] [Indexed: 11/07/2022]
Abstract
There are some predictable patterns of trauma in captive rhesus macaque (Macaca mulatta) social groups. Several factors have been documented to contribute to these patterns, including group formation of unrelated animals, and the establishment of dominance ranks. Here, we report on how socially induced trauma in groups of rhesus monkeys is influenced by the breeding season, numbers of matrilines per group and matriline size. We analyzed 3 years of data collected from veterinary admittance logs for four groups in our specific pathogen free (SPF) breeding colony. Since the groups differed in time from formation, both the numbers of matrilines and the composition of those matrilines were different. Across the four groups, trauma rates were significantly higher during the fall breeding season than the spring and summer months when births occur. The group that was formed most recently, comprised of the greatest number of matrilines but fewest related animals, showed significantly higher rates of trauma than the older social groups. Further, the middle and lowest ranking families received signifincantly higher rates of trauma than the highest ranking families, suggesting a rank-related phenomenon. Additionally, there was a significant negative correlation between numbers of adult females in a matriline and rates of trauma observed in each matriline, but the numbers of adult females are significantly higher in the top ranked families compared to all of the other matrilines. These findings suggest that trauma rates increase during the breeding season and may be exacerbated in recently formed breeding groups that have smaller matrilines and reduced opportunities for social support to mitigate rank-related aggression. Management practices should be devised to ensure adequate matrilineal size to decrease rates of trauma in captive rhesus macaque groups.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ronda C Stavisky
- Division of Animal Resources, Yerkes National Primate Research Center of Emory University, Atlanta, Georgia
| | - Jacklyn K Ramsey
- Division of Animal Resources, Yerkes National Primate Research Center of Emory University, Atlanta, Georgia
| | - Tracy Meeker
- Division of Animal Resources, Yerkes National Primate Research Center of Emory University, Atlanta, Georgia
| | - Melissa Stovall
- Division of Animal Resources, Yerkes National Primate Research Center of Emory University, Atlanta, Georgia
| | - Maria M Crane
- Division of Animal Resources, Yerkes National Primate Research Center of Emory University, Atlanta, Georgia
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11
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Larson SM, Ruiz-Lambides A, Platt ML, Brent LJ. Social network dynamics precede a mass eviction in group-living rhesus macaques. Anim Behav 2018; 136:185-193. [PMID: 29887618 PMCID: PMC5990275 DOI: 10.1016/j.anbehav.2017.08.019] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/24/2022]
Abstract
Network dynamics can reveal information about the adaptive function of social behaviour and the extent to which social relationships can flexibly respond to extrinsic pressures. Changes in social networks occur following changes to the social and physical environment. By contrast, we have limited understanding of whether changes in social networks precede major group events. Permanent evictions can be important determinants of gene flow and population structure and are a clear example of an event that might be preceded by social network dynamics. Here we examined the social networks of a group of rhesus macaques, Macaca mulatta, in the 2 years leading up to the eviction of 22% of adult females, which are the philopatric sex. We found that females engaged in the same amount of aggression and grooming in the 2 years leading up to the eviction but that there were clear changes in their choice of social partners. Females that would eventually be evicted received more aggression from lower-ranking females as the eviction approached. Evicted females also became more discriminating in their grooming relationships in the year nearer the split, showing a greater preference for one another and becoming more cliquish. Put simply, the females that would later be evicted continued to travel with the rest of the group as the eviction approached but were less likely to interact with other group members in an affiliative manner. These results have potential implications for understanding group cohesion and the balance between cooperation and competition that mediates social groups.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sam M. Larson
- Department of Anthropology, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, U.S.A
| | | | - Michael L. Platt
- Departments of Neuroscience, Psychology, and Marketing, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, U.S.A
| | - Lauren J.N. Brent
- Centre for Research in Animal Behaviour, University of Exeter, Exeter, U.K
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12
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Coleman K, Novak MA. Environmental Enrichment in the 21st Century. ILAR J 2017; 58:295-307. [PMID: 28444189 PMCID: PMC6279160 DOI: 10.1093/ilar/ilx008] [Citation(s) in RCA: 32] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/06/2016] [Revised: 02/08/2017] [Accepted: 02/23/2017] [Indexed: 01/13/2023] Open
Abstract
More than a quarter of a century has elapsed since the Animal Welfare Act mandated that research facilities develop and follow a plan to promote the psychological well-being of captive primates. Since passage of this law, considerable effort and resources have been directed to designing environmental enrichment strategies in an effort to improve animal welfare. These plans typically consist of environmental enrichment and socialization efforts. While environmental enhancement has undergone a great deal of improvement in the past 25 years, it should be viewed as a continual work in progress, which takes advantage of emergent and future technologies. In this review, we discuss the objectives of the environmental enhancement plan along with relevant outcome measures, as well as ongoing challenges, costs, and benefits. We then review various enrichment strategies and assess their efficacy in meeting goals and objectives. Finally, we look forward to consider what the future might hold for environmental enrichment of nonhuman primates used in research.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kristine Coleman
- Kristine Coleman, PhD, is a staff scientist and Head of the Behavioral Services Unit at the Oregon National Primate Research Center, Beaverton, Oregon. Melinda A. Novak, PhD, is a Professor in the Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences, University of Massachusetts, Amherst.
| | - Melinda A Novak
- Kristine Coleman, PhD, is a staff scientist and Head of the Behavioral Services Unit at the Oregon National Primate Research Center, Beaverton, Oregon. Melinda A. Novak, PhD, is a Professor in the Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences, University of Massachusetts, Amherst.
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13
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Wooddell LJ, Kaburu SS, Murphy AM, Suomi SJ, Dettmer AM. Rank acquisition in rhesus macaque yearlings following permanent maternal separation: The importance of the social and physical environment. Dev Psychobiol 2017; 59:863-875. [PMID: 28833057 PMCID: PMC5630511 DOI: 10.1002/dev.21555] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/18/2017] [Accepted: 07/17/2017] [Indexed: 11/07/2022]
Abstract
Rank acquisition is a developmental milestone for young primates, but the processes by which primate yearlings attain social rank in the absence of the mother remain unclear. We studied 18 maternally reared yearling rhesus macaques (Macaca mulatta) that differed in their social and physical rearing environments. We found that early social experience and maternal rank, but not individual traits (weight, sex, age), predicted dominance acquisition in the new peer-only social group. Yearlings also used coalitions to reinforce the hierarchy, and social affiliation (play and grooming) was likely a product, rather than a determinant, of rank acquisition. Following relocation to a familiar environment, significant rank changes occurred indicating that familiarity with a physical environment was salient in rank acquisition. Our results add to the growing body of literature emphasizing the role of the social and physical environment on behavioral development, namely social asymmetries among peers.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lauren J. Wooddell
- Neuroscience and Behavior, California National Primate Research Center, Davis, California, 95616 USA
| | - Stefano S.K. Kaburu
- Department of Population Health and Reproduction, School of Veterinary Medicine, University of California, Davis, California, 95616 USA
| | - Ashley M. Murphy
- Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute for Child Health and Human Development, National Institutes of Health, Poolesville, Maryland, 20837 USA
| | - Stephen J. Suomi
- Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute for Child Health and Human Development, National Institutes of Health, Poolesville, Maryland, 20837 USA
| | - Amanda M. Dettmer
- Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute for Child Health and Human Development, National Institutes of Health, Poolesville, Maryland, 20837 USA
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14
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Wooddell LJ, Kaburu SS, Suomi SJ, Dettmer AM. Elo-rating for Tracking Rank Fluctuations after Demographic Changes Involving Semi-free-ranging Rhesus Macaques ( Macaca mulatta). JOURNAL OF THE AMERICAN ASSOCIATION FOR LABORATORY ANIMAL SCIENCE : JAALAS 2017; 56:260-268. [PMID: 28535861 PMCID: PMC5438919] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/23/2016] [Revised: 10/31/2016] [Accepted: 12/12/2016] [Indexed: 06/07/2023]
Abstract
Rhesus macaques (Macaca mulatta) are gregarious primates that form despotic societies characterized by frequent and intense aggression. Within long-term social groups, demographic changes may influence hierarchical stability, potentially resulting in conflict and violently abrupt hierarchical changes. This conflict can result in serious implications for animal welfare, and thus, predictive tools would be invaluable to captive managers in determining social instabilities. Using the method Elo-rating to track rank changes and dominance stability, we predicted that demographic changes to a population of semi-free ranging rhesus macaques would result in changes in hierarchical stability. Over a 3 y period, dominance data were recorded on all troop members to track the hierarchy. Throughout the 3 y, significant changes occurred to the population (mainly due to health and colony management reasons; no changes specifically occurred for this study) including permanent removal of a large group of natal males, temporary and permanent removal of top-ranking females, and depositions of top-ranking families. Our retrospective study suggests that removing natal males was beneficial in promoting overall troop stability (that is, stability of dominance relationships), although remaining males opportunistically attempted to increase in rank, perhaps due to limited competition. Our results also suggest that removing top-ranking females, even temporarily, destabilized dominance relationships; consequently adjacently ranked females opportunistically increased in Elo-rating, both before and after the depositions of the α families. Thus, these challenges to the established hierarchy can be predicted by increases in Elo-rating within the β families after demographic changes to the α families. Our results suggest that the presence of natal males and the removal of top-ranking females should be minimized to maintain stable dominance relationships. In addition, longitudinal data reflecting dominance ranks, collected by using Elo-rating, may help managers of captive colonies in predicting dominance instabilities before they occur.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lauren J Wooddell
- Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute for Child Health and Human Development, NIH, Poolesville, Maryland;,
| | - Stefano Sk Kaburu
- Department of Population Health and Reproduction, School of Veterinary Medicine, University of California, Davis, California
| | - Stephen J Suomi
- Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute for Child Health and Human Development, NIH, Poolesville, Maryland
| | - Amanda M Dettmer
- Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute for Child Health and Human Development, NIH, Poolesville, Maryland
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15
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Haunhorst CB, Heesen M, Ostner J, Schülke O. Social bonds with males lower the costs of competition for wild female Assamese macaques. Anim Behav 2017. [DOI: 10.1016/j.anbehav.2017.01.008] [Citation(s) in RCA: 30] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/14/2022]
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16
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Wooddell LJ, Kaburu SSK, Rosenberg KL, Meyer JS, Suomi SJ, Dettmer AM. Matrilineal Behavioral and Physiological Changes following the Death of a Non-Alpha Matriarch in Rhesus Macaques (Macaca mulatta). PLoS One 2016; 11:e0157108. [PMID: 27275743 PMCID: PMC4898773 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0157108] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/07/2016] [Accepted: 05/24/2016] [Indexed: 11/19/2022] Open
Abstract
In many species, the loss of alpha matriarchs is associated with a number of negative outcomes such as troop fission, eviction, wounding, and reduced vitality. However, whether the dramatic consequences of their loss are due to their role as an old experienced figure or to their alpha status remains unclear. We tested the hypothesis that in a semi-free ranging colony of rhesus macaques (Macaca mulatta), the death of a non-alpha matriarch, who had a large set of kin, would lead to changes in behavior and physiological stress within her matriline. Following her death, her matriline increased in aggression, vigilance, and social grooming. Additionally, hierarchical stability, measured by levels of rank changes, decreased within her matriline, and levels of intense aggression by high-ranking animals were more frequent, as well as matrilineal wounding. Although ordinal rank was positively associated with higher chronic hair cortisol concentrations (HCCs) in the months before the matriarch's death, following her death, only those who experienced large increases in rank within her matriline displayed higher HCCs. Changes in matrilineal stability, aggression, behavior, and HCCs within the other two matrilines in the troop were not evident, although caution is needed due to the small sample sizes. We conclude that the death of the non-alpha matriarch led to matrilineal instability, characterized by higher levels of aggression and subsequent vigilance, rank changes, physiological stress, and grooming. We suggest that non-alpha matriarchs with a large number of kin and social support can be integral to the stability of matrilines.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lauren J. Wooddell
- Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute for Child Health and Human Development, National Institutes of Health, Poolesville, Maryland, United States of America
| | - Stefano S. K. Kaburu
- Department of Population Health and Reproduction, School of Veterinary Medicine, University of California Davis, Davis, California, United States of America
| | - Kendra L. Rosenberg
- Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences, University of Massachusetts Amherst, Amherst, Massachusetts, United States of America
| | - Jerrold S. Meyer
- Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences, University of Massachusetts Amherst, Amherst, Massachusetts, United States of America
| | - Stephen J. Suomi
- Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute for Child Health and Human Development, National Institutes of Health, Poolesville, Maryland, United States of America
| | - Amanda M. Dettmer
- Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute for Child Health and Human Development, National Institutes of Health, Poolesville, Maryland, United States of America
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17
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Dettmer AM, Kaburu SSK, Byers KL, Murphy AM, Soneson E, Wooddell LJ, Suomi SJ. First-time rhesus monkey mothers, and mothers of sons, preferentially engage in face-to-face interactions with their infants. Am J Primatol 2015; 78:238-46. [PMID: 26581804 DOI: 10.1002/ajp.22503] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/13/2015] [Revised: 10/27/2015] [Accepted: 10/27/2015] [Indexed: 01/30/2023]
Abstract
Face-to-face interactions between mothers and infants occur in both human and non-human primates, but there is large variability in the occurrence of these behaviors and the reason for this variability remains largely unexplored. Other types of maternal investment have been shown to be dependent on infant sex (e.g. milk production and maternal responsiveness) and maternal experience (e.g. symmetrical communication). Thus, we sought to determine whether variability in face-to-face interactions, that is, mutual gazing (MG), which are hypothesized to be important for later socio-cognitive development, could be explained by these variables. We studied 28 semi-free ranging rhesus monkey (Macaca mulatta) mother-infant dyads (6 primiparous; 12 male infants) born and reared at the Laboratory of Comparative Ethology field station at the NIH Animal Center in Poolesville, MD, across the first 90 postnatal days. Infant sex (i.e. male) was a significant predictor of maternal grooming (β ± SE = 0.359 ± 0.164, Z = 2.19, P = 0.029) whereas both parity (i.e. first time mothers) and infant sex (i.e. male) significantly predicted MG (parity: β ± SE = -0.735 ± 0.223, Z = -3.30, P < 0.001; infant sex: β ± SE = 0.436 ± 0.201, Z = 2.17, P = 0.029). Separation from the mother (outside of arm's reach) was not influenced by parity or infant sex. Together with existing literature, these findings point toward differential maternal investment for sons versus daughters. Mothers may be investing differentially in sons, behaviorally, to ensure their future social competence and thus later reproductive success. Collectively, our findings add to the literature that is beginning to identify early life experiences that may lead to sex differences in neurological and behavioral development.
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Affiliation(s)
- Amanda M Dettmer
- Laboratory of Comparative Ethology, Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health & Human Development, National Institutes of Health, Poolesville, Maryland
| | - Stefano S K Kaburu
- Laboratory of Comparative Ethology, Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health & Human Development, National Institutes of Health, Poolesville, Maryland.,Dipartimento di Neuroscienze, Università di Parma, Parma, Italy
| | - Kristen L Byers
- Laboratory of Comparative Ethology, Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health & Human Development, National Institutes of Health, Poolesville, Maryland
| | - Ashley M Murphy
- Laboratory of Comparative Ethology, Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health & Human Development, National Institutes of Health, Poolesville, Maryland
| | - Emma Soneson
- Laboratory of Comparative Ethology, Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health & Human Development, National Institutes of Health, Poolesville, Maryland.,Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, Yale University, New Haven, Connecticut
| | - Lauren J Wooddell
- Laboratory of Comparative Ethology, Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health & Human Development, National Institutes of Health, Poolesville, Maryland
| | - Stephen J Suomi
- Laboratory of Comparative Ethology, Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health & Human Development, National Institutes of Health, Poolesville, Maryland
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