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Shibata S, Furuichi T. Comparative analysis of intragroup intermale relationships: a study of wild bonobos (Pan paniscus) in Wamba, Democratic Republic of Congo and chimpanzees (Pan troglodytes) in Kalinzu Forest Reserve, Uganda. Primates 2024; 65:243-255. [PMID: 38816634 DOI: 10.1007/s10329-024-01134-8] [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: 04/14/2023] [Accepted: 04/24/2024] [Indexed: 06/01/2024]
Abstract
Although chimpanzees (Pan troglodytes) and bonobos (Pan paniscus) share a multi-male/multi-female societal organization and form male-philopatric groups, disparities in terms of male aggression and stability of temporary parties are thought to exist among them. However, existing research in bonobos has mainly focused on the high social status, prolonged receptivity, and characteristic sexual behaviors of females, leaving the behaviors of males understudied. Moreover, prior comparative studies on Pan suffer from methodological inconsistencies. This study addresses these gaps by employing a uniform observation method to explore party attendance and aggressive interactions among male bonobos in Wamba and male chimpanzees in Kalinzu. Unlike male chimpanzees, which exhibit dispersion in the absence of receptive females in the group, male bonobos showed a lesser degree of such dispersion. Although the overall frequency of aggressive interactions per observation unit did not significantly differ between the two species, the nature of these interactions varied. Notably, severe aggressive behaviors such as physical confrontations among adult males were absent in bonobos, with most aggression occurring between the sons of the two highest-ranking females. Additionally, in bonobos, females actively engaged in polyadic aggressive behavior as aggressors, while all instances of coalitionary aggression in chimpanzees originated from male aggressors. These findings underscore the substantial impact of female behaviors on the observed distinctions in male aggressive interactions between the two species.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shohei Shibata
- Wildlife Research Center, Kyoto University, 41-2, Kanrin, Inuyama, Aichi, 484-8506, Japan.
| | - Takeshi Furuichi
- Wildlife Research Center, Kyoto University, 41-2, Kanrin, Inuyama, Aichi, 484-8506, Japan
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2
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Kleindorfer S, Krupka MA, Katsis AC, Frigerio D, Common LK. Aggressiveness predicts dominance rank in greylag geese: mirror tests and agonistic interactions. ROYAL SOCIETY OPEN SCIENCE 2024; 11:231686. [PMID: 38577211 PMCID: PMC10987982 DOI: 10.1098/rsos.231686] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/12/2023] [Revised: 01/10/2024] [Accepted: 02/07/2024] [Indexed: 04/06/2024]
Abstract
Individual differences in aggressiveness, if consistent across time and contexts, may contribute to the long-term maintenance of social hierarchies in complex animal societies. Although agonistic interactions have previously been used to calculate individuals' positions within a dominance hierarchy, to date the repeatability of agonistic behaviour has not been tested when calculating social rank. Here, we examined the consistency and social relevance of aggressiveness as a personality trait in a free-flying population of greylag geese (Anser anser). For each individual, we quantified (i) aggressiveness using a standardized mirror stimulation test and (ii) dominance ranking based on the number of agonistic interactions won and lost in a feeding context. We found that individual differences in aggressiveness were significantly repeatable and that individuals' aggressiveness predicted their dominance rank position. The flock showed a robust and intermediately steep dominance hierarchy. Social rank was higher in paired birds, males and older birds, and most agonistic interactions occurred between individuals with moderate rank differences. We suggest that selection favours aggressiveness as a personality trait associated with resource acquisition and social rank, whereby a dominance hierarchy may increase the benefits of group living and reduce costs over conflict within dyads.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sonia Kleindorfer
- Konrad Lorenz Research Center for Behavior and Cognition, Core Facility of the University of Vienna, Grünau im Almtal, Vienna4645, Austria
- Department of Behavioral and Cognitive Biology, University of Vienna, Vienna1030, Austria
- College of Science and Engineering, Flinders University, Adelaide, South Australia5042, Australia
| | - Mara A. Krupka
- Biology Department, Kalamazoo College, Kalamazoo, MI49006, USA
| | - Andrew C. Katsis
- Konrad Lorenz Research Center for Behavior and Cognition, Core Facility of the University of Vienna, Grünau im Almtal, Vienna4645, Austria
- Department of Behavioral and Cognitive Biology, University of Vienna, Vienna1030, Austria
| | - Didone Frigerio
- Konrad Lorenz Research Center for Behavior and Cognition, Core Facility of the University of Vienna, Grünau im Almtal, Vienna4645, Austria
- Department of Behavioral and Cognitive Biology, University of Vienna, Vienna1030, Austria
| | - Lauren K. Common
- Konrad Lorenz Research Center for Behavior and Cognition, Core Facility of the University of Vienna, Grünau im Almtal, Vienna4645, Austria
- Department of Behavioral and Cognitive Biology, University of Vienna, Vienna1030, Austria
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Correa LA, Aspillaga-Cid A, Bauer CM, Silva-Álvarez D, León C, Ramírez-Estrada J, Soto-Gamboa M, Hayes LD, Ebensperger LA. Social environment and anogenital distance length phenotype interact to explain testosterone levels in a communally rearing rodent: Part 1: The male side. Horm Behav 2024; 160:105479. [PMID: 38278060 DOI: 10.1016/j.yhbeh.2024.105479] [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: 08/30/2023] [Revised: 01/08/2024] [Accepted: 01/09/2024] [Indexed: 01/28/2024]
Abstract
In vertebrates, male testosterone levels vary across the year being generally higher during the mating season relative to the offspring rearing season. However, male testosterone levels may also be associated with male anogenital distance (AGD) length (a proxy of prenatal androgen exposition), and influenced by the social group environment. In social species, it has been proposed that high levels of testosterone could be incompatible with the development of an amicable social environment. Thus, in these species, it is predicted that males have relatively low levels of testosterone. Our goal was to examine the potential association between male serum testosterone levels, season, male AGD length, and the social environment in the rodent Octodon degus under natural conditions. We quantified male serum testosterone levels during the mating and offspring rearing seasons, and we determined the number of females and males in each social group, as well as the composition of groups, in terms of the AGD length of the female and male group mates, from 2009 to 2019. Our results revealed that male testosterone levels covary with season, being highest during the offspring rearing season. Additionally, male testosterone levels vary with male AGD length, and female and male social group environments. More importantly, male degus exhibit low levels of testosterone that are indistinguishable from female levels during offspring rearing season. Similar to other highly social mammals, where males and females live together year-round, male amicable behavior could be the best male mating strategy, thus leading to a reduction in circulating testosterone levels.
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Affiliation(s)
- Loreto A Correa
- Escuela de Medicina Veterinaria, Facultad de Medicina y Ciencias de la Salud, Universidad Mayor, Camino la Pirámide 5750, Huechuraba, Santiago, Chile.
| | - Antonia Aspillaga-Cid
- Facultad de Ciencias Biológicas, Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile, Santiago, Chile
| | - Carolyn M Bauer
- Department of Biology, Swarthmore College, Swarthmore, PA, USA
| | - Danna Silva-Álvarez
- Escuela de Medicina Veterinaria, Facultad de Medicina y Ciencias de la Salud, Universidad Mayor, Camino la Pirámide 5750, Huechuraba, Santiago, Chile
| | - Cecilia León
- Facultad de Ciencias Biológicas, Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile, Santiago, Chile
| | - Juan Ramírez-Estrada
- Facultad de Ciencias Biológicas, Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile, Santiago, Chile
| | - Mauricio Soto-Gamboa
- Laboratorio de Ecología Conductual y Conservación, Instituto de Ciencias Ambientales y Evolutivas, Facultad de Ciencias, Universidad Austral de Chile, Valdivia, Chile
| | - Loren D Hayes
- Department of Biology, Geology and Environmental Sciences, University of Tennessee at Chattanooga, Chattanooga, TN 37403, USA
| | - Luis A Ebensperger
- Facultad de Ciencias Biológicas, Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile, Santiago, Chile
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4
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Mouginot M, Cheng L, Wilson ML, Feldblum JT, Städele V, Wroblewski EE, Vigilant L, Hahn BH, Li Y, Gilby IC, Pusey AE, Surbeck M. Reproductive inequality among males in the genus Pan. Philos Trans R Soc Lond B Biol Sci 2023; 378:20220301. [PMID: 37381849 DOI: 10.1098/rstb.2022.0301] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/14/2022] [Accepted: 03/21/2023] [Indexed: 06/30/2023] Open
Abstract
Reproductive inequality, or reproductive skew, drives natural selection, but has been difficult to assess, particularly for males in species with promiscuous mating and slow life histories, such as bonobos (Pan paniscus) and chimpanzees (Pan troglodytes). Although bonobos are often portrayed as more egalitarian than chimpanzees, genetic studies have found high male reproductive skew in bonobos. Here, we discuss mechanisms likely to affect male reproductive skew in Pan, then re-examine skew patterns using paternity data from published work and new data from the Kokolopori Bonobo Reserve, Democratic Republic of Congo and Gombe National Park, Tanzania. Using the multinomial index (M), we found considerable overlap in skew between the species, but the highest skew occurred among bonobos. Additionally, for two of three bonobo communities, but no chimpanzee communities, the highest ranking male had greater siring success than predicted by priority-of-access. Thus, an expanded dataset covering a broader demographic range confirms that bonobos have high male reproductive skew. Detailed comparison of data from Pan highlights that reproductive skew models should consider male-male dynamics including the effect of between-group competition on incentives for reproductive concessions, but also female grouping patterns and factors related to male-female dynamics including the expression of female choice. This article is part of the theme issue 'Evolutionary ecology of inequality'.
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Affiliation(s)
- Maud Mouginot
- Department of Anthropology, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN 55455, USA
| | - Leveda Cheng
- Department of Human Evolutionary Biology, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA 02138, USA
- Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology, Leipzig 04103, Germany
| | - Michael L Wilson
- Department of Ecology, Evolution and Behavior, University of Minnesota, Saint Paul, MN 55108, USA
- Institute on the Environment, University of Minnesota, Saint Paul, MN 55108, USA
| | - Joseph T Feldblum
- Department of Evolutionary Anthropology, Duke University, Durham, NC 27708, USA
| | - Veronika Städele
- School of Human Evolution and Social Change, and Institute of Human Origins, Arizona State University, Tempe, AZ 85287, USA
- Cognitive Ethology Laboratory, German Primate Center, Göttingen 37077, Germany
| | - Emily E Wroblewski
- Department of Anthropology, Washington University in St Louis, St Louis, MO 63130, USA
| | - Linda Vigilant
- Department of Primate Behavior and Evolution, Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology, Leipzig 04103, Germany
| | - Beatrice H Hahn
- Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA
| | - Yingying Li
- Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA
| | - Ian C Gilby
- School of Human Evolution and Social Change, and Institute of Human Origins, Arizona State University, Tempe, AZ 85287, USA
| | - Anne E Pusey
- Department of Evolutionary Anthropology, Duke University, Durham, NC 27708, USA
| | - Martin Surbeck
- Department of Human Evolutionary Biology, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA 02138, USA
- Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology, Leipzig 04103, Germany
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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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6
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Thierry B, Rebout N, Heistermann M. Hormonal responses to mating competition in male Tonkean macaques. Horm Behav 2023; 154:105395. [PMID: 37390781 DOI: 10.1016/j.yhbeh.2023.105395] [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: 01/16/2023] [Revised: 03/30/2023] [Accepted: 06/17/2023] [Indexed: 07/02/2023]
Abstract
Glucocorticoid and androgen hormones play a prominent role in male reproductive effort. Their production usually increases in non-human primates during mating competition, which may include rivalry for access to receptive females, struggles for high dominance rank, or social pressure on low-ranking individuals. It is generally assumed that glucocorticoids and androgens are associated with mating challenges rather than dominance status, but the involvement of multiple factors makes it difficult to disentangle the two. In this regard, Tonkean macaques provide a suitable model because they are characterized by relaxed dominance and year-round breeding, meaning that there is typically no more than one receptive female in a group, and thus first-ranking males can easily monopolize her. We studied two captive groups of Tonkean macaques over an 80-month period, recording the reproductive status of females, collecting urine from males and sampling behaviors in both sexes. Male urinary hormone concentrations could be affected by increased competition caused by the mating period, the number of males and the degree of female attractiveness. The highest increases in androgens were recorded in males performing female mate-guarding. Despite the importance of dominance status in determining which males can mate, we found no significant effect of male rank on glucocorticoids and only a marginal effect on androgens during mate-guarding. Both types of hormones were more directly involved in the mating effort of males than in their dominance status. Our results show that their function can be understood in light of the particular competitive needs generated by the species-specific social system.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bernard Thierry
- Laboratoire de Psychologie Sociale et Cognitive, CNRS, Université Clermont Auvergne, Clermont-Ferrand, France.
| | - Nancy Rebout
- UMR Herbivores, INRAE, VetAgro Sup, Université Clermont Auvergne, Clermont-Ferrand, France
| | - Michael Heistermann
- Endocrinology Laboratory, German Primate Center, Leibniz Institute for Primate Research, Göttingen, Germany
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7
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Kreyer M, Behringer V, Deimel C, Fruth B. Neopterin Levels in Bonobos Vary Seasonally and Reflect Symptomatic Respiratory Infections. ECOHEALTH 2023:10.1007/s10393-023-01633-y. [PMID: 37184594 DOI: 10.1007/s10393-023-01633-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/10/2022] [Revised: 02/27/2023] [Accepted: 03/05/2023] [Indexed: 05/16/2023]
Abstract
As environmental changes exacerbate the threat coming from infectious diseases in wild mammal species, monitoring their health and gaining a better understanding of the immune functioning at the species level have become critically important. Neopterin is a biomarker of cell-mediated immune responses to intracellular infections. We investigated the variation of urinary neopterin (uNeo) levels of wild, habituated bonobos (Pan paniscus) in relation to individual and environmental factors. We used 309 urine samples collected between 2010 and 2018 at the LuiKotale field site, DRC. Based on current knowledge on zoo-housed conspecifics and closely related species, we predicted uNeo levels to increase (1) during infections, (2) with increasing age, (3) over the gestation period and in estrous females; and (4) to vary seasonally. Our results showed uNeo levels varied over a one-year period and increased in individuals showing respiratory symptoms. Contrary to chimpanzees, uNeo levels did not vary with age or female reproductive status, possibly due to our small sample size. Our study provides a baseline for a better understanding of bonobo's immunocompetence in the context of socio-ecological pressures and for monitoring the health of wild populations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mélodie Kreyer
- Department for the Ecology of Animal Societies, Max-Planck Institute of Animal Behavior, Bücklestraße 5 a, 78467, Constance, Germany.
- Centre for Research and Conservation, Royal Zoological Society of Antwerp, Antwerp, Belgium.
- School of Biological and Environmental Sciences, Faculty of Science, Liverpool John Moores University, Liverpool, UK.
| | - Verena Behringer
- Endocrinology Laboratory, German Primate Center, Leibniz Institute for Primate Research, Göttingen, Germany
| | - Caroline Deimel
- Research Group Evolutionary Physiology, Max Planck Institute for Ornithology, Seewiesen, Germany
| | - Barbara Fruth
- Department for the Ecology of Animal Societies, Max-Planck Institute of Animal Behavior, Bücklestraße 5 a, 78467, Constance, Germany
- Centre for Research and Conservation, Royal Zoological Society of Antwerp, Antwerp, Belgium
- School of Biological and Environmental Sciences, Faculty of Science, Liverpool John Moores University, Liverpool, UK
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8
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Sarkar A, Wrangham RW. Evolutionary and neuroendocrine foundations of human aggression. Trends Cogn Sci 2023; 27:468-493. [PMID: 37003880 DOI: 10.1016/j.tics.2023.02.003] [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: 11/13/2022] [Revised: 02/14/2023] [Accepted: 02/17/2023] [Indexed: 04/03/2023]
Abstract
Humans present a behavioural paradox: they are peaceful in many circumstances, but they are also violent and kill conspecifics at high rates. We describe a social evolutionary theory to resolve this paradox. The theory interprets human aggression as a combination of low propensities for reactive aggression and coercive behaviour and high propensities for some forms of proactive aggression (especially coalitionary proactive aggression). These tendencies are associated with the evolution of groupishness, self-domestication, and social norms. This human aggression profile is expected to demand substantial plasticity in the evolved biological mechanisms responsible for aggression. We discuss the contributions of various social signalling molecules (testosterone, cortisol, oxytocin, vasopressin, serotonin, and dopamine) as the neuroendocrine foundation conferring such plasticity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Amar Sarkar
- Department of Human Evolutionary Biology, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA, USA.
| | - Richard W Wrangham
- Department of Human Evolutionary Biology, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA, USA
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9
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Sonnweber R, Stevens JMG, Hohmann G, Deschner T, Behringer V. Plasma Testosterone and Androstenedione Levels Follow the Same Sex-Specific Patterns in the Two Pan Species. BIOLOGY 2022; 11:biology11091275. [PMID: 36138754 PMCID: PMC9495489 DOI: 10.3390/biology11091275] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/05/2022] [Revised: 07/27/2022] [Accepted: 08/24/2022] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Abstract
Simple Summary Generally male mammals are more aggressive than their female peers. In these males, aggressive behavior is linked to levels of androgens; higher levels of testosterone are predictive of higher aggression rates or more severe aggression. There are some species where the pattern of sex-specific aggression is reversed, and it was hypothesized that high levels of androgens may be responsible for social dominance and aggressiveness in these females. Studies so far found that females of species with sex-reversed aggression patterns (e.g., spotted hyenas and ring-tailed lemurs) had lower plasma testosterone levels than their male peers, but a precursor of testosterone, androstenedione, was comparable or even higher in females than in males. This supported the idea that selection for female aggressiveness may be facilitated through augmented androgen secretion. Here we show that in two sister species, bonobos and chimpanzees, that differ in terms of sex-specific aggression patterns, females have lower plasma testosterone levels and higher plasma androstenedione levels than their male peers. Thus, our data do not support a theory of a role of female androgen levels on the expression of sex-specific patterns of aggression. Abstract In most animals, males are considered more aggressive, in terms of frequency and intensity of aggressive behaviors, than their female peers. However, in several species this widespread male-biased aggression pattern is either extenuated, absent, or even sex-reversed. Studies investigating potential neuro-physiological mechanisms driving the selection for female aggression in these species have revealed an important, but not exclusive role of androgens in the expression of the observed sex-specific behavioral patterns. Two very closely related mammalian species that markedly differ in the expression and degree of sex-specific aggression are the two Pan species, where the chimpanzee societies are male-dominated while in bonobos sex-biased aggression patterns are alleviated. Using liquid chromatography–mass spectrometry (LC-MS) methods, we measured levels of plasma testosterone and androstenedione levels in male and female zoo-housed bonobos (N = 21; 12 females, 9 males) and chimpanzees (N = 41; 27 females, 14 males). Our results show comparable absolute and relative intersexual patterns of blood androgen levels in both species of Pan. Plasma testosterone levels were higher in males (bonobos: females: average 0.53 ± 0.30 ng/mL; males 6.70 ± 2.93 ng/mL; chimpanzees: females: average 0.40 ± 0.23 ng/mL; males 5.84 ± 3.63 ng/mL) and plasma androstenedione levels were higher in females of either species (bonobos: females: average 1.83 ± 0.87 ng/mL; males 1.13 ± 0.44 ng/mL; chimpanzees: females: average 1.84 ± 0.92 ng/mL; males 1.22 ± 0.55 ng/mL). The latter result speaks against a role of androstenedione in the mediation of heightened female aggression, as had been suggested based on studies in other mammal species where females are dominant and show high levels of female aggressiveness.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ruth Sonnweber
- Department of Behavioral and Cognitive Biology, University of Vienna, Djerassiplatz 1, 1030 Vienna, Austria
- Correspondence:
| | - Jeroen M. G. Stevens
- Behavioral Ecology and Ecophysiology, Department of Biology, University of Antwerp, Campus Drie Eiken, Building D, D1.21, Universiteitsplein 1, 2610 Antwerp, Belgium
| | - Gottfried Hohmann
- Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology, Deutscher Platz 6, 04103 Leipzig, Germany
- Max Planck Institute of Animal Behavior, Am Obstberg 1, 78315 Radolfzell/Konstanz, Germany
| | - Tobias Deschner
- Comparative BioCognition, Institute of Cognitive Science, University of Osnabrück, Artilleriestrasse 34, 49090 Osnabrück, Germany
| | - Verena Behringer
- Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology, Deutscher Platz 6, 04103 Leipzig, Germany
- Endocrinology Laboratory, German Primate Center, Leibniz Institute for Primate Research, Kellnerweg 4, 37077 Göttingen, Germany
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10
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Lavín EG, Polo P, Newton-Fisher NE, Izquierdo IB. Dominance style and intersexual hierarchy in wild bonobos from Wamba. Behav Processes 2022:104627. [PMID: 35364224 DOI: 10.1016/j.beproc.2022.104627] [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: 01/26/2021] [Revised: 03/18/2022] [Accepted: 03/21/2022] [Indexed: 11/02/2022]
Abstract
Dominance hierarchies vary between species and possess particular characteristics depending on the distribution and abundance of food resources that affect the competitive regime. Bonobos have been described as having female intersexual dominance, based mainly on female coalitionary support against males, and more egalitarian hierarchies than chimpanzees. In this study, we tested whether female intersexual dominance is dependent on female coalitions or whether it still arises when only dyadic interactions are considered. We also examined the role of food abundance in shaping dominance style in a wild population of bonobos in Wamba, Democratic Republic of Congo. We found partial support concerning our first prediction in which we expected a male dominance over females when only dyadic agonistic interactions were considered because females were not systematically dominant over males, finding instead an intersexual codominance pattern. We failed to find support for our second prediction that hierarchies become more despotic under low fruit abundance, in fact, we found the opposite pattern. We discuss that codominance based on dyadic interactions in this group may arise as a consequence of male deference rather than females winning conflicts against males and that more despotic hierarchies during high fruit season may arise as a consequence of competition for high-quality resources or variation in party size.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Pablo Polo
- Centro de Investigación en Complejidad Social, Facultad de Gobierno Universidad del Desarrollo, Chile.
| | | | - Isabel Behncke Izquierdo
- Centro de Investigación en Complejidad Social, Facultad de Gobierno Universidad del Desarrollo, Chile; Social and Evolutionary Neuroscience Research Group, Oxford University, UK
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11
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Love thy neighbour: behavioural and endocrine correlates of male strategies during intergroup encounters in bonobos. Anim Behav 2022. [DOI: 10.1016/j.anbehav.2022.02.014] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/18/2022]
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12
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Hashimoto C, Ryu H, Mouri K, Shimizu K, Sakamaki T, Furuichi T. Physical, behavioral, and hormonal changes in the resumption of sexual receptivity during postpartum infertility in female bonobos at Wamba. Primates 2022; 63:109-121. [PMID: 35142939 PMCID: PMC9352606 DOI: 10.1007/s10329-021-00968-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/07/2021] [Accepted: 12/01/2021] [Indexed: 11/26/2022]
Abstract
The operational sex ratio (OSR) is used as a predictor for the intensity of mating competition. While many factors affect the OSR, there tends to be a high male bias in primate species with long interbirth intervals and non-seasonal breeding, such as hominid apes. However, the OSR of bonobos (Pan paniscus) is lower than that of chimpanzees (Pan troglodytes), which is thought to reduce competitive and aggressive male behaviors. The low OSR of bonobos is considered to result from the early resumption of female sexual receptivity during postpartum infertility and the receptivity that they continue to show until the late stage of pregnancy. In this study, we aimed to examine the early resumption of sexual receptivity by providing quantitative data on the resumption of maximal swelling (MS) in sexual skin and copulation, and changes in urinary estrone conjugate (E1C) concentrations during postpartum infertility in wild bonobos at Wamba in the Luo Scientific Reserve, Democratic Republic of the Congo. An analysis of 9 years of data revealed that females showed the first MS at 225.4 ± 132.7 days after parturition and performed the first copulation at 186.8 ± 137.5 days after parturition, both of which were in the early stage of postpartum infertility. The proportion of days with MS and the frequency of copulation steadily increased subsequently; however, the rate of increase gradually slowed approximately 42–48 months after parturition. There was a significant correlation between the proportion of days with MS and the frequency of copulation in each period for each female. We confirmed that E1C concentrations were significantly higher during the MS phase than during the non-MS phase. Data collected over 15 months on the E1C concentration during MS showed that it increased linearly from the early stage of lactation to the next conception. These results suggest that, although female bonobos do not usually conceive until 49.7 months after parturition, they resume MS and receptivity at a low level of E1C concentration during an early stage of postpartum infertility. This study of female bonobo receptivity and sex hormone changes during the postpartum non-fertile period provides important insights for examining the evolution of low OSR, which has been considered to contribute to peaceful social relationships among bonobos.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chie Hashimoto
- Primate Research Institute, Kyoto University, Kyoto, Japan.
| | - Heungjin Ryu
- Primate Research Institute, Kyoto University, Kyoto, Japan.
- School of Life Science, Ulsan National Institute of Science and Technology, Ulsan, Republic of Korea.
| | - Keiko Mouri
- Primate Research Institute, Kyoto University, Kyoto, Japan
| | - Keiko Shimizu
- Faculty of Science, Okayama University of Science, Okayama, Japan
| | - Tetsuya Sakamaki
- Primate Research Institute, Kyoto University, Kyoto, Japan
- Antwerp Zoo Foundation, Royal Zoological Society of Antwerp, Antwerp, Belgium
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13
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Attractiveness of female sexual signaling predicts differences in female grouping patterns between bonobos and chimpanzees. Commun Biol 2021; 4:1119. [PMID: 34556787 PMCID: PMC8460808 DOI: 10.1038/s42003-021-02641-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/29/2020] [Accepted: 09/06/2021] [Indexed: 12/27/2022] Open
Abstract
Here we show that sexual signaling affects patterns of female spatial association differently in chimpanzees and bonobos, indicating its relevance in shaping the respective social systems. Generally, spatial association between females often mirrors patterns and strength of social relationships and cooperation within groups. While testing for proposed differences in female-female associations underlying female coalition formation in the species of the genus Pan, we find only limited evidence for a higher female-female gregariousness in bonobos. While bonobo females exhibited a slightly higher average number of females in their parties, there is neither a species difference in the time females spent alone, nor in the number of female party members in the absence of sexually attractive females. We find that the more frequent presence of maximally tumescent females in bonobos is associated with a significantly stronger increase in the number of female party members, independent of variation in a behavioural proxy for food abundance. This indicates the need to look beyond ecology when explaining species differences in female sociality as it refutes the idea that the higher gregariousness among bonobo females is driven by ecological factors alone and highlights that the temporal distribution of female sexual receptivity is an important factor to consider when studying mammalian sociality. Surbeck and colleagues investigate the proximate drivers of female gregariousness in bonobos and chimpanzees across different observed communities. Their findings indicate that varied levels of sexual signalling in these two species result in different social behaviours regarding female grouping and potentially cooperation.
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14
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Heesen R, Bangerter A, Zuberbühler K, Iglesias K, Neumann C, Pajot A, Perrenoud L, Guéry JP, Rossano F, Genty E. Assessing joint commitment as a process in great apes. iScience 2021; 24:102872. [PMID: 34471860 PMCID: PMC8390869 DOI: 10.1016/j.isci.2021.102872] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/27/2021] [Revised: 06/12/2021] [Accepted: 07/14/2021] [Indexed: 11/23/2022] Open
Abstract
Many social animals interact jointly, but only humans experience a specific sense of obligation toward their co-participants, a joint commitment. However, joint commitment is not only a mental state but also a process that reveals itself in the coordination efforts deployed during entry and exit phases of joint action. Here, we investigated the presence and duration of such phases in N = 1,242 natural play and grooming interactions of captive chimpanzees and bonobos. The apes frequently exchanged mutual gaze and communicative signals prior to and after engaging in joint activities with conspecifics, demonstrating entry and exit phases comparable to those of human joint activities. Although rank effects were less clear, phases in bonobos were more moderated by friendship compared to phases in chimpanzees, suggesting bonobos were more likely to reflect patterns analogous to human “face management”. This suggests that joint commitment as process was already present in our last common ancestor with Pan. Great apes exchange signals and gaze before entering and exiting joint actions Joint action structure of both ape species resembles that of humans Coordinated joint action phases indicate an underlying joint commitment Social bonds affect joint action structure more in bonobos than in chimpanzees
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Affiliation(s)
- Raphaela Heesen
- Institute of Work and Organizational Psychology, University of Neuchâtel, Switzerland.,Department of Psychology, Durham University, UK
| | - Adrian Bangerter
- Institute of Work and Organizational Psychology, University of Neuchâtel, Switzerland
| | - Klaus Zuberbühler
- School of Psychology and Neuroscience, University of St Andrews, Scotland, UK.,Institute of Biology, University of Neuchatel, Switzerland
| | - Katia Iglesias
- School of Health Sciences (HEdS-FR), HES-SO University of Applied Sciences and Arts of Western Switzerland, Fribourg, Switzerland
| | - Christof Neumann
- Institute of Work and Organizational Psychology, University of Neuchâtel, Switzerland.,German Primate Center (DPZ), Leibniz Institute for Primate Research, Göttingen, Germany
| | - Aude Pajot
- Institute of Work and Organizational Psychology, University of Neuchâtel, Switzerland
| | - Laura Perrenoud
- Institute of Work and Organizational Psychology, University of Neuchâtel, Switzerland
| | | | - Federico Rossano
- Department of Cognitive Science, University of California San Diego, USA
| | - Emilie Genty
- Institute of Work and Organizational Psychology, University of Neuchâtel, Switzerland
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15
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Rosenbaum S, Eckardt W, Stoinski TS, Umuhoza R, Kuzawa CW, Santymire RM. Group structure, but not dominance rank, predicts fecal androgen metabolite concentrations of wild male mountain gorillas (Gorilla beringei beringei). Am J Primatol 2021; 83:e23295. [PMID: 34223661 DOI: 10.1002/ajp.23295] [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: 01/08/2021] [Revised: 04/24/2021] [Accepted: 06/06/2021] [Indexed: 11/11/2022]
Abstract
Androgens are important mediators of male-male competition in many primate species. Male gorillas' morphology is consistent with a reproductive strategy that relies heavily on androgen-dependent traits (e.g., extreme size and muscle mass). Despite possessing characteristics typical of species with an exclusively single-male group structure, multimale groups with strong dominance hierarchies are common in mountain gorillas. Theory predicts that androgens should mediate their dominance hierarchies, and potentially vary with the type of group males live in. We validated the use of a testosterone enzyme immunoassay (T-EIA R156/7, CJ Munro, UC-Davis) for use with mountain gorilla fecal material by (1) examining individual-level androgen responses to competitive events, and (2) isolating assay-specific hormone metabolites via high-performance liquid chromatography. Males had large (2.6- and 6.5-fold), temporary increases in fecal androgen metabolite (FAM) after competitive events, and most captured metabolites were testosterone or 5α-dihydrotestosterone-like androgens. We then examined the relationship between males' dominance ranks, group type, and FAM concentrations. Males in single-male groups had higher FAM concentrations than males in multimale groups, and a small pool of samples from solitary males suggested they may have lower FAM than group-living peers. However, data from two different time periods (n = 1610 samples) indicated there was no clear relationship between rank and FAM concentrations, confirming results from the larger of two prior studies that measured urinary androgens. These findings highlight the need for additional research to clarify the surprising lack of a dominance hierarchy/androgen relationship in mountain gorillas.
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Affiliation(s)
- Stacy Rosenbaum
- Department of Anthropology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan, USA.,Davee Center for Epidemiology and Endocrinology, Lincoln Park Zoo, Chicago, Illinois, USA
| | - Winnie Eckardt
- Karisoke Research Center, Musanze, Rwanda.,The Dian Fossey Gorilla Fund, Atlanta, Georgia, USA
| | | | | | - Christopher W Kuzawa
- Department of Anthropology, Northwestern University, Evanston, Illinois, USA.,Institute for Policy Research, Northwestern University, Evanston, Illinois, USA
| | - Rachel M Santymire
- Davee Center for Epidemiology and Endocrinology, Lincoln Park Zoo, Chicago, Illinois, USA
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16
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Verspeek J, Behringer V, Laméris DW, Murtagh R, Salas M, Staes N, Deschner T, Stevens JMG. Time-lag of urinary and salivary cortisol response after a psychological stressor in bonobos (Pan paniscus). Sci Rep 2021; 11:7905. [PMID: 33846457 PMCID: PMC8041877 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-021-87163-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/21/2020] [Accepted: 03/23/2021] [Indexed: 02/01/2023] Open
Abstract
Cortisol is often measured as a marker for stress. Therefore, a profound validation of the time-lag between the stressor and the increase and peak in cortisol levels is needed. No study measured both the urinary and salivary cortisol time-lag after a psychological stressor. In this study, we used a frequent sampling study design to (1) describe the urinary and salivary cortisol pattern during a control day; and (2) characterize the induced excretion pattern of urinary and salivary cortisol after a psychological stressor in six zoo-housed bonobos. Liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry was used to analyze 71 urine and 162 saliva samples collected on a control and a test day. We found that the time-lag between the stressor and the maximal cortisol concentration was similar in urine and saliva (160 min after the stressor). However, salivary cortisol after the stressor did show a faster and steeper increase than urinary cortisol. We also show inter-individual variation in the baseline and stress levels of cortisol, which should be considered in future cortisol studies. Our research highlights the importance of validation studies to confirm relevant sampling windows for cortisol sampling in order to obtain biologically meaningful results.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jonas Verspeek
- Behavioural Ecology and Ecophysiology Group, Department of Biology, University of Antwerp, Antwerp, Belgium.
- Antwerp ZOO Centre for Research & Conservation (CRC), Royal Zoological Society of Antwerp (RZSA), Antwerp, Belgium.
| | - 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
| | - Daan W Laméris
- Behavioural Ecology and Ecophysiology Group, Department of Biology, University of Antwerp, Antwerp, Belgium
- Antwerp ZOO Centre for Research & Conservation (CRC), Royal Zoological Society of Antwerp (RZSA), Antwerp, Belgium
| | - Róisín Murtagh
- Interim Group Primatology, Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology, Leipzig, Germany
| | - Marina Salas
- Antwerp ZOO Centre for Research & Conservation (CRC), Royal Zoological Society of Antwerp (RZSA), Antwerp, Belgium
| | - Nicky Staes
- Behavioural Ecology and Ecophysiology Group, Department of Biology, University of Antwerp, Antwerp, Belgium
- Antwerp ZOO Centre for Research & Conservation (CRC), Royal Zoological Society of Antwerp (RZSA), Antwerp, Belgium
| | - Tobias Deschner
- Interim Group Primatology, Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology, Leipzig, Germany
| | - Jeroen M G Stevens
- Behavioural Ecology and Ecophysiology Group, Department of Biology, University of Antwerp, Antwerp, Belgium
- SALTO, Agro- and Biotechnology, Odisee University College, Brussels, Belgium
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17
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Cheng L, Lucchesi S, Mundry R, Samuni L, Deschner T, Surbeck M. Variation in aggression rates and urinary cortisol levels indicates intergroup competition in wild bonobos. Horm Behav 2021; 128:104914. [PMID: 33373622 DOI: 10.1016/j.yhbeh.2020.104914] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/04/2020] [Revised: 12/09/2020] [Accepted: 12/10/2020] [Indexed: 01/08/2023]
Abstract
Intergroup competition is a widespread phenomenon across taxa and groups typically compete over access to limited resources, such as food and mates. Such competition may be quantified by changes in individuals' behavioral and physiological status in response to intergroup encounters (IGEs). Bonobos, one of our closest living relatives, are often regarded as xenophilic and exhibit high tolerance towards out-group individuals. This tolerance between groups may still be accompanied by intergroup competition over resources. We hereby compared variation in aggression rates and urinary cortisol levels of bonobos during and outside contexts of IGEs in the Kokolopori Bonobo Reserve and investigated whether food and mate availability influenced males' and females' aggression and cortisol levels, when controlling for dominance rank and the number of individuals present. We found that although females had higher aggression rates and urinary cortisol levels during than outside contexts of IGEs, these increases were not related to food availability or changes in between-group dynamics when maximally tumescent females were present, rather than absent. Furthermore, males showed higher aggression rates and urinary cortisol levels during than outside contexts of IGEs. However, males' responses during IGEs were not related to the presence of maximally tumescent females and food availability. Taken together, while competition intensified during seemingly tolerant IGEs in bonobos, such competition was unrelated to short-term changes in food and mate availability. Despite physical and physiological costs of aggression, bonobos associate with out-group individuals frequently and for extended periods. This suggests potential benefits of bonobo intergroup associations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Leveda Cheng
- Department of Human Evolutionary Biology, Harvard University, 11 Divinity Avenue, Cambridge, MA 02138, USA; Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology, Deutscher Platz 6, 04103 Leipzig, Germany.
| | - Stefano Lucchesi
- Department of Human Evolutionary Biology, Harvard University, 11 Divinity Avenue, Cambridge, MA 02138, USA; Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology, Deutscher Platz 6, 04103 Leipzig, Germany
| | - Roger Mundry
- Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology, Deutscher Platz 6, 04103 Leipzig, Germany
| | - Liran Samuni
- Department of Human Evolutionary Biology, Harvard University, 11 Divinity Avenue, Cambridge, MA 02138, USA; Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology, Deutscher Platz 6, 04103 Leipzig, Germany
| | - Tobias Deschner
- Department of Primatology, Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology, Deutscher Platz 6, 04103 Leipzig, Germany
| | - Martin Surbeck
- Department of Human Evolutionary Biology, Harvard University, 11 Divinity Avenue, Cambridge, MA 02138, USA; Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology, Deutscher Platz 6, 04103 Leipzig, Germany
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18
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Cheng X, DeGiorgio M. Flexible Mixture Model Approaches That Accommodate Footprint Size Variability for Robust Detection of Balancing Selection. Mol Biol Evol 2020; 37:3267-3291. [PMID: 32462188 PMCID: PMC7820363 DOI: 10.1093/molbev/msaa134] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Long-term balancing selection typically leaves narrow footprints of increased genetic diversity, and therefore most detection approaches only achieve optimal performances when sufficiently small genomic regions (i.e., windows) are examined. Such methods are sensitive to window sizes and suffer substantial losses in power when windows are large. Here, we employ mixture models to construct a set of five composite likelihood ratio test statistics, which we collectively term B statistics. These statistics are agnostic to window sizes and can operate on diverse forms of input data. Through simulations, we show that they exhibit comparable power to the best-performing current methods, and retain substantially high power regardless of window sizes. They also display considerable robustness to high mutation rates and uneven recombination landscapes, as well as an array of other common confounding scenarios. Moreover, we applied a specific version of the B statistics, termed B2, to a human population-genomic data set and recovered many top candidates from prior studies, including the then-uncharacterized STPG2 and CCDC169-SOHLH2, both of which are related to gamete functions. We further applied B2 on a bonobo population-genomic data set. In addition to the MHC-DQ genes, we uncovered several novel candidate genes, such as KLRD1, involved in viral defense, and SCN9A, associated with pain perception. Finally, we show that our methods can be extended to account for multiallelic balancing selection and integrated the set of statistics into open-source software named BalLeRMix for future applications by the scientific community.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xiaoheng Cheng
- Huck Institutes of Life Sciences, Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA
- Department of Biology, Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA
| | - Michael DeGiorgio
- Department of Computer and Electrical Engineering and Computer Science, Florida Atlantic University, Boca Raton, FL
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19
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Gray PB, Straftis AA, Bird BM, McHale TS, Zilioli S. Human reproductive behavior, life history, and the Challenge Hypothesis: A 30-year review, retrospective and future directions. Horm Behav 2020; 123:104530. [PMID: 31085183 DOI: 10.1016/j.yhbeh.2019.04.017] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/02/2019] [Revised: 04/29/2019] [Accepted: 04/30/2019] [Indexed: 12/22/2022]
Abstract
The Challenge Hypothesis (Wingfield et al., 1990) originally focused on adult male avian testosterone elevated in response to same-sex competition in reproductive contexts. The purpose of the present paper is to demonstrate how the Challenge Hypothesis has shaped ideas about human life histories. We conduct a citation analysis, drawing upon 400 Google Scholar citations in the human literature to identify patterns in this body of scholarship. We cover key factors, such as context and personality traits, that help explain variable testosterone responses such as winning/losing to adult competitive behavior. Findings from studies on courtship and sexual behavior indicate some variation in testosterone responses depending on factors such as motivation. A large body of research indicates that male testosterone levels are often lower in contexts of long-term committed partnerships and nurturant fathering and aligned with variation in male mating and parenting effort. As the Challenge Hypothesis is extended across the life course, DHEA and androstenedione (rather than testosterone) appear more responsive to juvenile male competitive behavior, and during reproductive senescence, baseline male testosterone levels decrease just as male life history allocations show decreased mating effort. We discuss how research on testosterone administration, particularly in older men, provides causal insight into effects of testosterone in humans, and how this "natural experiment" can be viewed in light of the Challenge Hypothesis. We synthesize central concepts and findings, such as an expanded array of costs of testosterone that inform life history tradeoffs between maintenance and reproductive effort, and we conclude with directions for future research.
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Affiliation(s)
- Peter B Gray
- Department of Anthropology, University of Nevada, Las Vegas, 4505 S. Maryland Parkway, Box 455003, Las Vegas, NV 89154-5003, United States of America.
| | - Alex A Straftis
- Department of Anthropology, University of Nevada, Las Vegas, 4505 S. Maryland Parkway, Box 455003, Las Vegas, NV 89154-5003, United States of America
| | - Brian M Bird
- Department of Psychology, Simon Fraser University, Canada
| | - Timothy S McHale
- Department of Anthropology, Central Washington University, United States of America
| | - Samuele Zilioli
- Department of Psychology, Wayne State University, United States of America; Department of Family Medicine and Public Health Sciences, Wayne State University, United States of America.
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20
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Higham JP, Stahl-Hennig C, Heistermann M. Urinary suPAR: a non-invasive biomarker of infection and tissue inflammation for use in studies of large free-ranging mammals. ROYAL SOCIETY OPEN SCIENCE 2020; 7:191825. [PMID: 32257339 PMCID: PMC7062102 DOI: 10.1098/rsos.191825] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/17/2019] [Accepted: 01/17/2020] [Indexed: 06/11/2023]
Abstract
Studies of large free-ranging mammals incorporating physiological measurements typically require the collection of urine or faecal samples, due to ethical and practical concerns over trapping or darting animals. However, there is a dearth of validated biomarkers of immune activation and inflammation that can be measured non-invasively. We here evaluate the utility of urinary measurements of the soluble form of the urokinase plasminogen activator receptor (suPAR), for use as a health marker in studies of wild large mammals. We investigate how urinary suPAR concentrations change in response to viral infection and surgical trauma (inflammation), comparing it to the measurement of a marker of cellular immune activation, urinary neopterin (uNEO), in captive rhesus macaques. We then test the field utility of urinary suPAR, assessing the effects of soil and faecal contamination, sunlight, storage at different temperatures, freeze-thaw cycles, and lyophilization. We find that suPAR concentrations rise markedly in response to both infection and surgery-associated inflammation, unlike uNEO concentrations, which only rise in response to the former. Our field validation demonstrates that urinary suPAR is reasonably robust to many of the issues associated with field collection, sample processing, and storage, as long as samples can be stored in a freezer. Urinary suPAR is thus a promising biomarker applicable for monitoring various aspects of health in wild primates and potentially also other large mammals.
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Affiliation(s)
- James P. Higham
- Department of Anthropology, New York University, 25 Waverly Place, New York, NY 10003, USA
| | - Christiane Stahl-Hennig
- Unit of Infection Models, German Primate Center, Leibniz Institute for Primate Research, Kellnerweg 4, Göttingen 37077, Germany
| | - Michael Heistermann
- Endocrinology Laboratory, German Primate Center, Leibniz Institute for Primate Research, Kellnerweg 4, Göttingen 37077, Germany
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21
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Ishizuka S, Takemoto H, Sakamaki T, Tokuyama N, Toda K, Hashimoto C, Furuichi T. Comparisons of between-group differentiation in male kinship between bonobos and chimpanzees. Sci Rep 2020; 10:251. [PMID: 31937864 PMCID: PMC6959343 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-019-57133-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/05/2019] [Accepted: 12/23/2019] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Patterns of kinship among individuals in different groups have been rarely examined in animals. Two closest living relatives of humans, bonobos and chimpanzees share many characteristics of social systems including male philopatry, whereas one major difference between the two species is the nature of intergroup relationship. Intergroup relationship is basically antagonistic and males sometimes kill individuals of other groups in chimpanzees, whereas it is much more moderate in bonobos and copulations between individuals of different groups are often observed during intergroup encounters. Such behavioural differences may facilitate more frequent between-group male gene flow and greater between-group differentiation in male kinship in bonobos than in chimpanzees. Here we compared differences between average relatedness among males within groups and that among males of neighbouring groups, and between-group male genetic distance between bonobos and chimpanzees. Contrary to expectation, the differences between average relatedness among males within groups and that among males of neighbouring groups were significantly greater in bonobos than in chimpanzees. There were no significant differences in autosomal and Y-chromosomal between-group male genetic distance between the two species. Our results showed that intergroup male kinship is similarly or more differentiated in bonobos than in chimpanzees.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shintaro Ishizuka
- Primate Research Institute, Kyoto University, Inuyama, Japan.
- Japan Society for the Promotion of Science, Chiyoda-ku, Japan.
| | | | - Tetsuya Sakamaki
- Primate Research Institute, Kyoto University, Inuyama, Japan
- Antwerp Zoo Foundation, Antwerp, Belgium
| | - Nahoko Tokuyama
- Primate Research Institute, Kyoto University, Inuyama, Japan
- Japan Society for the Promotion of Science, Chiyoda-ku, Japan
- Department of Evolutionary Studies of Biosystems, The Graduate University for Advanced Studies, Yokosuka, Japan
| | - Kazuya Toda
- Primate Research Institute, Kyoto University, Inuyama, Japan
- Japan Society for the Promotion of Science, Chiyoda-ku, Japan
| | - Chie Hashimoto
- Primate Research Institute, Kyoto University, Inuyama, Japan
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22
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Lucchesi S, Cheng L, Janmaat K, Mundry R, Pisor A, Surbeck M. Beyond the group: how food, mates, and group size influence intergroup encounters in wild bonobos. Behav Ecol 2020. [DOI: 10.1093/beheco/arz214] [Citation(s) in RCA: 27] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/17/2022] Open
Abstract
Abstract
In social-living animals, interactions between groups are frequently agonistic, but they can also be tolerant and even cooperative. Intergroup tolerance and cooperation are regarded as a crucial step in the formation of highly structured multilevel societies. Behavioral ecological theory suggests that intergroup tolerance and cooperation can emerge either when the costs of hostility outweigh the benefits of exclusive resource access or when both groups gain fitness benefits through their interactions. However, the factors promoting intergroup tolerance are still unclear due to the paucity of data on intergroup interactions in tolerant species. Here, we examine how social and ecological factors affect the onset and termination of intercommunity encounters in two neighboring communities of wild bonobos, a species exhibiting flexible patterns of intergroup interactions, at Kokolopori Bonobo Reserve, Democratic Republic of the Congo. We recorded the timing and location of intercommunity encounters and measured fruit abundance and distribution, groups’ social characteristics, and space-use dynamics over a 19-month period. We found that intercommunity tolerance was facilitated by a decrease in feeding competition, with high fruit abundance increasing the likelihood of communities to encounter, and high clumpiness of fruit patches increasing the probability to terminate encounters likely due to increased contest. In addition, the possibility for extra-community mating, as well as the potential benefits of more efficient foraging in less familiar areas, reduced the probability that the communities terminated encounters. By investigating the factors involved in shaping relationships across groups, this study contributes to our understanding of how animal sociality can extend beyond the group level.
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Affiliation(s)
- Stefano Lucchesi
- Department of Primatology, Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology, Leipzig, Germany
- Department of Human Evolutionary Biology, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA, USA
| | - Leveda Cheng
- Department of Primatology, Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology, Leipzig, Germany
- Department of Human Evolutionary Biology, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA, USA
| | - Karline Janmaat
- Institute for Biodiversity and Ecosystem Dynamics, Faculty of Science, University of Amsterdam, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
- Department for the Ecology of Animal Societies, Max Planck Institute of Animal Behavior, Universitätsstrasse 10, Konstanz, Germany
| | - Roger Mundry
- Department of Primatology, Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology, Leipzig, Germany
| | - Anne Pisor
- Department of Anthropology, Washington State University, Pullman, WA, USA
| | - Martin Surbeck
- Department of Primatology, Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology, Leipzig, Germany
- Department of Human Evolutionary Biology, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA, USA
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23
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Abstract
In bonobos, strong bonds have been documented between unrelated females and between mothers and their adult sons, which can have important fitness benefits. Often age, sex or kinship similarity have been used to explain social bond strength variation. Recent studies in other species also stress the importance of personality, but this relationship remains to be investigated in bonobos. We used behavioral observations on 39 adult and adolescent bonobos housed in 5 European zoos to study the role of personality similarity in dyadic relationship quality. Dimension reduction analyses on individual and dyadic behavioral scores revealed multidimensional personality (Sociability, Openness, Boldness, Activity) and relationship quality components (value, compatibility). We show that, aside from relatedness and sex combination of the dyad, relationship quality is also associated with personality similarity of both partners. While similarity in Sociability resulted in higher relationship values, lower relationship compatibility was found between bonobos with similar Activity scores. The results of this study expand our understanding of the mechanisms underlying social bond formation in anthropoid apes. In addition, we suggest that future studies in closely related species like chimpanzees should implement identical methods for assessing bond strength to shed further light on the evolution of this phenomenon.
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Tokuyama N, Sakamaki T, Furuichi T. Inter‐group aggressive interaction patterns indicate male mate defense and female cooperation across bonobo groups at Wamba, Democratic Republic of the Congo. AMERICAN JOURNAL OF PHYSICAL ANTHROPOLOGY 2019; 170:535-550. [DOI: 10.1002/ajpa.23929] [Citation(s) in RCA: 27] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/15/2019] [Revised: 07/19/2019] [Accepted: 09/05/2019] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Nahoko Tokuyama
- Department of Evolutionary Studies of BiosystemsSokendai, The Graduate University for Advanced Studies Hayama Kanagawa Japan
- Primate Research Institute of Kyoto University Inuyama Aichi Japan
| | - Tetsuya Sakamaki
- Primate Research Institute of Kyoto University Inuyama Aichi Japan
| | - Takeshi Furuichi
- Primate Research Institute of Kyoto University Inuyama Aichi Japan
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25
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Martin JS, Staes N, Weiss A, Stevens JMG, Jaeggi AV. Facial width-to-height ratio is associated with agonistic and affiliative dominance in bonobos (Pan paniscus). Biol Lett 2019; 15:20190232. [PMID: 31455170 DOI: 10.1098/rsbl.2019.0232] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/28/2022] Open
Abstract
Facial width-to-height ratio (fWHR) is associated with social dominance in human and non-human primates, which may reflect the effects of testosterone on facial morphology and behaviour. Given that testosterone facilitates status-seeking motivation, the association between fWHR and behaviour should be contingent on the relative costs and benefits of particular dominance strategies across species and socioecological contexts. We tested this hypothesis in bonobos (Pan paniscus), who exhibit female dominance and rely on both affiliation and aggression to achieve status. We measured fWHR from facial photographs, affiliative dominance with Assertiveness personality scores and agonistic dominance with behavioural data. Consistent with our hypothesis, agonistic and affiliative dominance predicted fWHR in both sexes independent of age and body weight, supporting the role of status-seeking motivation in producing the link between fWHR and socioecologically relevant dominance behaviour across primates.
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Affiliation(s)
- J S Martin
- Behavioral Ecology Lab, Department of Anthropology, Emory University, Atlanta, GA, USA.,Institute of Evolutionary Medicine, University of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland.,Department of Anthropology, Miami University, Oxford, OH, USA
| | - N Staes
- Centre for Research and Conservation, Royal Zoological Society of Antwerp, Antwerp, Belgium.,Behavioural Ecology and Ecophysiology Group, Department of Biology, University of Antwerp, Antwerp, Belgium.,Center for Advanced Study of Human Paleobiology, Department of Anthropology, George Washington University, Washington, DC, USA
| | - A Weiss
- Department of Psychology, School of Philosophy, Psychology and Language Sciences, The University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK.,The Scottish Primate Research Group, UK
| | - J M G Stevens
- Centre for Research and Conservation, Royal Zoological Society of Antwerp, Antwerp, Belgium.,Behavioural Ecology and Ecophysiology Group, Department of Biology, University of Antwerp, Antwerp, Belgium
| | - A V Jaeggi
- Behavioral Ecology Lab, Department of Anthropology, Emory University, Atlanta, GA, USA.,Institute of Evolutionary Medicine, University of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
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Gottfried H, Vigilant L, Mundry R, Behringer V, Surbeck M. Aggression by male bonobos against immature individuals does not fit with predictions of infanticide. Aggress Behav 2019; 45:300-309. [PMID: 30710459 DOI: 10.1002/ab.21819] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/16/2017] [Revised: 11/20/2018] [Accepted: 12/04/2018] [Indexed: 12/27/2022]
Abstract
The selective advantage of male infanticide is enhancement of reproductive success of the aggressor. This implies that aggression is directed at individuals sired by others, infant loss shortens the mother's inter-birth interval, and the aggressor has a greater likelihood of siring the next offspring of the victims' mother. As these conditions are not always met, the occurrence of male infanticide is expected to vary, and hominoid primates offer an interesting example of variation in male infanticide. Infanticide has been reported in gorillas and chimpanzees but appears to be absent in orangutans and bonobos. One argument for the absence of infanticide in bonobos is reduction of male aggression. However, given that male aggression against immature individuals occurs and that females engage in behavior that is considered to be counterstrategy against male infanticide, the risk of male infanticide may pose a potential threat. Here, we explored whether aggression by male bonobos fits predictions of male infanticide. Male aggression toward immature individuals was rare and did not have lethal consequences, but the majority of observed cases exposed targets to risks of injury. Males did not target their own offspring less frequently than unrelated immatures, and the risk of being the target of male aggression increased with the targets' age. Overall, these results do not match the predictions of the adaptive male infanticide hypothesis. Instead, aggression by males may promote the emigration of the targets and older males may reinforce their superior status toward individuals that will soon compete for the same resources.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Linda Vigilant
- Max‐Planck‐Institute for Evolutionary AnthropologyLeipzigGermany
| | - Roger Mundry
- Max‐Planck‐Institute for Evolutionary AnthropologyLeipzigGermany
| | - Verena Behringer
- Max‐Planck‐Institute for Evolutionary AnthropologyLeipzigGermany
| | - Martin Surbeck
- Max‐Planck‐Institute for Evolutionary AnthropologyLeipzigGermany
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27
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Tagg N, McCarthy M, Dieguez P, Bocksberger G, Willie J, Mundry R, Stewart F, Arandjelovic M, Widness J, Landsmann A, Agbor A, Angedakin S, Ayimisin AE, Bessone M, Brazzola G, Corogenes K, Deschner T, Dilambaka E, Eno-Nku M, Eshuis H, Goedmakers A, Granjon AC, Head J, Hermans V, Jones S, Kadam P, Kambi M, Langergraber KE, Lapeyre V, Lapuente J, Lee K, Leinert V, Maretti G, Marrocoli S, Meier A, Nicholl S, Normand E, Ormsby LJ, Piel A, Robinson O, Sommer V, Ter Heegde M, Tickle A, Ton E, van Schijndel J, Vanleeuwe H, Vergnes V, Wessling E, Wittig RM, Zuberbuehler K, Kuehl H, Boesch C. Nocturnal activity in wild chimpanzees (Pan troglodytes): Evidence for flexible sleeping patterns and insights into human evolution. AMERICAN JOURNAL OF PHYSICAL ANTHROPOLOGY 2018; 166:510-529. [PMID: 29989158 DOI: 10.1002/ajpa.23478] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/15/2017] [Revised: 03/23/2018] [Accepted: 03/23/2018] [Indexed: 02/02/2023]
Abstract
OBJECTIVES We investigated occurrences and patterns of terrestrial nocturnal activity in wild chimpanzees (Pan troglodytes) and modelled the influence of various ecological predictors on nocturnal activity. METHODS Data were extracted from terrestrial camera-trap footage and ecological surveys from 22 chimpanzee study sites participating in the Pan African Programme: The Cultured Chimpanzee. We described videos demonstrating nocturnal activity, and we tested the effects of the percentage of forest, abundance of predators (lions, leopards and hyenas), abundance of large mammals (buffalos and elephants), average daily temperature, rainfall, human activity, and percent illumination on the probability of nocturnal activity. RESULTS We found terrestrial nocturnal activity to occur at 18 of the 22 study sites, at an overall average proportion of 1.80% of total chimpanzee activity, and to occur during all hours of the night, but more frequently during twilight hours. We found a higher probability of nocturnal activity with lower levels of human activity, higher average daily temperature, and at sites with a larger percentage of forest. We found no effect of the abundance of predators and large mammals, rainfall, or moon illumination. DISCUSSION Chimpanzee terrestrial nocturnal activity appears widespread yet infrequent, which suggests a consolidated sleeping pattern. Nocturnal activity may be driven by the stress of high daily temperatures and may be enabled at low levels of human activity. Human activity may exert a relatively greater influence on chimpanzee nocturnal behavior than predator presence. We suggest that chimpanzee nocturnal activity is flexible, enabling them to respond to changing environmental factors.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nikki Tagg
- Antwerp Zoo Centre for Research and Conservation, Royal Zoological Society of Antwerp, Belgium
| | - Maureen McCarthy
- Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology, Leipzig, Germany
| | - Paula Dieguez
- Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology, Leipzig, Germany
| | | | - Jacob Willie
- Antwerp Zoo Centre for Research and Conservation, Royal Zoological Society of Antwerp, Belgium
- Terrestrial Ecology Department, University of Gent, Belgium
| | - Roger Mundry
- Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology, Leipzig, Germany
| | - Fiona Stewart
- School of Natural Sciences and Psychology, University of Liverpool, Liverpool, United Kingdom
| | - Mimi Arandjelovic
- Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology, Leipzig, Germany
| | - Jane Widness
- Department of Anthropology, Yale University, New Haven, Connecticut
| | - Anja Landsmann
- University Medical Center, University of Leipzig, Leipzig, Germany
| | - Anthony Agbor
- Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology, Leipzig, Germany
| | - Samuel Angedakin
- Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology, Leipzig, Germany
| | | | - Mattia Bessone
- Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology, Leipzig, Germany
| | - Gregory Brazzola
- Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology, Leipzig, Germany
| | | | - Tobias Deschner
- Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology, Leipzig, Germany
| | | | | | - Henk Eshuis
- Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology, Leipzig, Germany
| | | | | | - Josephine Head
- Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology, Leipzig, Germany
| | - Veerle Hermans
- Antwerp Zoo Centre for Research and Conservation, Royal Zoological Society of Antwerp, Belgium
| | - Sorrel Jones
- School of Biological Sciences, Royal Holloway University of London, Egham, United Kingdom
| | - Parag Kadam
- Faculty of Forestry, University of Toronto, Toronto, Canada
| | - Mohamed Kambi
- Pennsylvania State University (USA), Tanzania Program, c/o Udzungwa Mountains National Park, Kilombero, Tanzania
| | - Kevin E Langergraber
- School of Human Evolution and Social Change, Arizona State University, Tempe, Arizona
| | - Vincent Lapeyre
- Wild Chimpanzee Foundation (WCF), Abidjan, Côte d'Ivoire, Africa
| | - Juan Lapuente
- Comoé Chimpanzee Conservation Project, Comoé Research Station, Animal Ecology and Tropical Biology, Biozentrum, Universität Würzburg Tierökologie und Tropenbiologie (Zoologie III), Würzburg, Germany
| | - Kevin Lee
- Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology, Leipzig, Germany
| | - Vera Leinert
- Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology, Leipzig, Germany
| | - Giovanna Maretti
- Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology, Leipzig, Germany
| | - Sergio Marrocoli
- Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology, Leipzig, Germany
| | - Amelia Meier
- Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology, Leipzig, Germany
- Nicholas School of the Environment, Duke University, Durham
| | - Sonia Nicholl
- Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology, Leipzig, Germany
| | | | - Lucy Jayne Ormsby
- Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology, Leipzig, Germany
| | - Alex Piel
- School of Natural Sciences and Psychology Liverpool John Moores University, Liverpool, United Kingdom
| | - Orume Robinson
- Korup Rainforest Conservation Society, Mundemba, Cameroon, Africa
| | - Volker Sommer
- Department of Anthropology, University College London, London, United Kingdom
| | - Martijn Ter Heegde
- KfW Biodiversity Conservation and Sustainable Forest Management Program for GFA Consulting Group, Kinshasa, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Africa
| | - Alexander Tickle
- Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology, Leipzig, Germany
| | - Els Ton
- Chimbo Foundation, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | | | | | - Virginie Vergnes
- Wild Chimpanzee Foundation (WCF), Abidjan, Côte d'Ivoire, Africa
| | - Erin Wessling
- Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology, Leipzig, Germany
- German Centre for Integrative Biodiversity Research (iDiv), Leipzig, Germany
| | - Roman M Wittig
- Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology, Leipzig, Germany
- Taï Chimpanzee Project, Centre Suisse des Recherche Scientifique, Abidjan, Côte d'Ivoire, Africa
| | | | - Hjalmar Kuehl
- Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology, Leipzig, Germany
- German Centre for Integrative Biodiversity Research (iDiv), Leipzig, Germany
| | - Christophe Boesch
- Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology, Leipzig, Germany
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Behringer V, Stevens JMG, Deschner T, Sonnweber R, Hohmann G. Aging and sex affect soluble alpha klotho levels in bonobos and chimpanzees. Front Zool 2018; 15:35. [PMID: 30250491 PMCID: PMC6146871 DOI: 10.1186/s12983-018-0282-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/09/2018] [Accepted: 09/07/2018] [Indexed: 01/28/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Throughout life, physiological homeostasis is challenged and the capacity to cope with such challenges declines with increasing age. In many species, sex differences exist in life expectancy. Sex-specific differences have been related to extrinsic factors like mate competition and/or intrinsic proximate mechanisms such as hormonal changes. In humans, an intrinsic factor related to aging is soluble alpha klotho (α-Kl). Both sexes show an age-related decline in α-Kl, but throughout life women have higher levels than men of the same age. Sex differences in α-Kl have been linked to a shorter lifespan, as well as to specific morbidity factors such as atherosclerosis and arteries calcifications. In non-human animals, information on α-Kl levels is rare and restricted to experimental work. Our cross-sectional study is the first on α-Kl levels in two long-lived species: bonobos (Pan paniscus) and chimpanzees (Pan troglodytes). As in most mammals, female bonobos and chimpanzees have longer life expectancy than males. METHODS We measured serum α-Kl levels of 140 subjects from 16 zoos with an ELISA to examine if α-Kl levels reflect this difference in life expectancy. RESULTS In both species and in both sexes, α-Kl levels declined with age suggesting that this marker has potential for aging studies beyond humans. We also found species-specific differences. Adult female bonobos had higher α-Kl levels than males, a difference that corresponds to the pattern found in humans. In chimpanzees, we found the opposite: males had higher α-Kl levels than females. CONCLUSION We suggest that contrasting sex differences in adult α-Kl levels mirror the dominance relations between females and males of the two Pan species; and that this might be related to corresponding sex differences in their exposure to stress. In humans, higher cortisol levels were found to be related to lower α-Kl levels. We conclude that there is great potential for studying aging processes in hominoids, and perhaps also in other non-human primates, by measuring α-Kl levels. To better understand the causes for sex differences in this aging marker, consideration of behavioural parameters such as competition and stress exposure will be required as well as other physiological markers.
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Affiliation(s)
- V. Behringer
- Department of Primatology, Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology, Deutscher Platz 6, 04103 Leipzig, Germany
| | - J. M. G. Stevens
- Antwerp Zoo Centre for Research and Conservation, Royal Zoological Society of Antwerp, K. Astridplein 26, 2018 Antwerp, Belgium
- Behavioral Ecology and Ecophysiology, Department of Biology, University of Antwerp, 2610 Wilrijk, Belgium
| | - T. Deschner
- Department of Primatology, Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology, Deutscher Platz 6, 04103 Leipzig, Germany
| | - R. Sonnweber
- Department of Primatology, Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology, Deutscher Platz 6, 04103 Leipzig, Germany
| | - G. Hohmann
- Department of Primatology, Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology, Deutscher Platz 6, 04103 Leipzig, Germany
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29
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Kutsukake N, Teramoto M, Honma S, Mori Y, Ikeda K, Yamamoto R, Ishida T, Hasegawa T. The presence of females induces elevated cortisol levels in an alpha male: Experimental evidence in chimpanzees. AMERICAN JOURNAL OF PHYSICAL ANTHROPOLOGY 2018; 167:327-336. [PMID: 30222182 DOI: 10.1002/ajpa.23633] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/22/2018] [Revised: 05/29/2018] [Accepted: 05/29/2018] [Indexed: 11/10/2022]
Abstract
OBJECTIVES In group-living primates, it has been reported that the alpha male exhibits high concentrations of cortisol and testosterone in the context of mating competition. We investigated how the presence of females affected salivary cortisol and testosterone levels in males from a small captive group of chimpanzees (Pan troglodytes). Specifically, we assessed whether the presence of females resulted in a rapid increase in salivary cortisol and testosterone levels in the alpha male. MATERIALS AND METHODS We compared the social behavior and salivary hormone concentrations of four males before and after the presentation of receptive females. Three times a day, we collected saliva samples, a useful matrix for investigating short-term hormonal changes, and measured cortisol and testosterone concentration by liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS). RESULTS The frequency of inter-male aggression increased in the presence of females, indicating intense competition among males. Salivary cortisol levels increased in all males in the presence of females; however, the increase was significantly more pronounced in the alpha male. We found a complex three-way interaction among the presence of females, sampling timings, and male dominance rank in the analysis of salivary testosterone. Contrary to our prediction, a post hoc analysis revealed that salivary testosterone levels decreased after female introduction and that the alpha male did not show a higher level of salivary testosterone. CONCLUSIONS Our study provides experimental evidence suggesting that the presence of females plays a significant role in the rank-related variation in the cortisol levels in male chimpanzees. Furthermore, our findings demonstrate the usefulness of salivary hormones for detecting short-term physiological changes in studies of socioendocrinology.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nobuyuki Kutsukake
- Department of Evolutionary Studies of Biosystems, Sokendai, The Graduate University for Advanced Studies, Hayama, Kanagawa, Japan.,Department of Biological Sciences, Graduate School of Science, The University of Tokyo, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Migaku Teramoto
- Kumamoto Sanctuary, Wildlife Research Center, Kyoto University, Kumamoto, Japan
| | | | - Yusuke Mori
- Kumamoto Sanctuary, Wildlife Research Center, Kyoto University, Kumamoto, Japan
| | - Koki Ikeda
- Department of Cognitive and Behavioral Science, The University of Tokyo, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Rain Yamamoto
- Department of Biological Sciences, Graduate School of Science, The University of Tokyo, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Takafumi Ishida
- Department of Biological Sciences, Graduate School of Science, The University of Tokyo, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Toshikazu Hasegawa
- Department of Cognitive and Behavioral Science, The University of Tokyo, Tokyo, Japan
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30
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Increased Frequency of Intergroup Encounters in Wild Bonobos (Pan paniscus) Around the Yearly Peak in Fruit Abundance at Wamba. INT J PRIMATOL 2018. [DOI: 10.1007/s10764-018-0058-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/28/2022]
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31
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The costs of living at the edge: Seasonal stress in wild savanna-dwelling chimpanzees. J Hum Evol 2018; 121:1-11. [DOI: 10.1016/j.jhevol.2018.03.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 45] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/08/2017] [Revised: 02/28/2018] [Accepted: 03/01/2018] [Indexed: 11/18/2022]
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Jaeggi AV, Trumble BC, Brown M. Group-level competition influences urinary steroid hormones among wild red-tailed monkeys, indicating energetic costs. Am J Primatol 2018; 80:e22757. [PMID: 29635811 DOI: 10.1002/ajp.22757] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/11/2017] [Revised: 03/22/2018] [Accepted: 03/22/2018] [Indexed: 02/28/2024]
Abstract
Various theories emphasize that intergroup competition should affect intragroup cooperation and social relationships, especially if the cost of intergroup competition outweighs that of intragroup competition. This cost of intergroup competition may be quantified by changes in physiological status, such as in the steroid hormones cortisol (C) and testosterone (T), which rise or are depressed during periods of energetic stress, respectively. Here we tested for changes in urinary C and T after intergroup encounters (IGEs) among wild red-tailed monkeys (Cercopithecus ascanius), a species that experiences frequent intergroup feeding competition, at the Ngogo station in Kibale National Park, Uganda. We assayed 108 urine samples, of which 36 were collected after IGEs, from 23 individuals in four social groups. Bayesian multilevel models controlling for various confounds revealed that IGEs increased C and decreased T relative to baseline, consistent with an energetic cost to IGEs. The C change was more apparent in samples collected early after IGEs, suggesting an anticipatory increase, whereas the T change was stronger in later samples, suggesting sustained energetic trade-offs. Hormone responses were not affected by the IGE outcome. This cost to intergroup competition, together with little evidence for intragroup competition in redtails and other guenons, establishes an interesting test case for theories emphasizing the effect of intergroup competition on intragroup cooperation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Adrian V Jaeggi
- Departmentof Anthropology, Emory University, Atlanta, Georgia
| | - Benjamin C Trumble
- Center for Evolution and Medicine, Arizona State University, Tempe, Arizona
- School of Human Evolution and Social Change, Arizona State University, Tempe, Arizona
| | - Michelle Brown
- Department of Anthropology, University of California, Santa Barbara, California
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Abstract
Two major types of aggression, proactive and reactive, are associated with contrasting expression, eliciting factors, neural pathways, development, and function. The distinction is useful for understanding the nature and evolution of human aggression. Compared with many primates, humans have a high propensity for proactive aggression, a trait shared with chimpanzees but not bonobos. By contrast, humans have a low propensity for reactive aggression compared with chimpanzees, and in this respect humans are more bonobo-like. The bimodal classification of human aggression helps solve two important puzzles. First, a long-standing debate about the significance of aggression in human nature is misconceived, because both positions are partly correct. The Hobbes-Huxley position rightly recognizes the high potential for proactive violence, while the Rousseau-Kropotkin position correctly notes the low frequency of reactive aggression. Second, the occurrence of two major types of human aggression solves the execution paradox, concerned with the hypothesized effects of capital punishment on self-domestication in the Pleistocene. The puzzle is that the propensity for aggressive behavior was supposedly reduced as a result of being selected against by capital punishment, but capital punishment is itself an aggressive behavior. Since the aggression used by executioners is proactive, the execution paradox is solved to the extent that the aggressive behavior of which victims were accused was frequently reactive, as has been reported. Both types of killing are important in humans, although proactive killing appears to be typically more frequent in war. The biology of proactive aggression is less well known and merits increased attention.
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Affiliation(s)
- Richard W Wrangham
- Department of Human Evolutionary Biology, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA 02138
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Ishizuka S, Kawamoto Y, Sakamaki T, Tokuyama N, Toda K, Okamura H, Furuichi T. Paternity and kin structure among neighbouring groups in wild bonobos at Wamba. ROYAL SOCIETY OPEN SCIENCE 2018; 5:171006. [PMID: 29410812 PMCID: PMC5792889 DOI: 10.1098/rsos.171006] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/28/2017] [Accepted: 01/02/2018] [Indexed: 06/08/2023]
Abstract
Although both bonobos and chimpanzees are male-philopatric species, outcomes of male-male reproductive competition seem to be more closely associated with mating success in chimpanzees. This suggests that the extent of male reproductive skew is lower in bonobos. In addition, between-group male-male reproductive competition is more lethal in chimpanzees. This suggests that between-group differentiation in male kinship is lower in bonobos. We analysed the paternity of 17 offspring in two bonobo groups and estimated the relatedness of individuals among three neighbouring groups by using DNA extracted from non-invasive samples at Wamba, in the Democratic Republic of the Congo. The alpha males sired at least nine of 17 offspring. This supports a previous finding that the male reproductive skew is higher in bonobos than that in chimpanzees. Average relatedness among males within groups was significantly higher than that among males across groups, whereas there was no significant difference among females between within and across groups. These results are consistent with male philopatry, highly skewed reproductive success of males and female dispersal. Higher average relatedness among males within groups suggest that the differences in hostility towards males of different groups between bonobos and chimpanzees may be explained by factors other than kinship.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shintaro Ishizuka
- Primate Research Institute, Kyoto University, Inuyama, Aichi 484-8506, Japan
- Japan Society for the Promotion of Science, Kojimachi, Chiyoda-ku, Tokyo 102-0083, Japan
| | - Yoshi Kawamoto
- Primate Research Institute, Kyoto University, Inuyama, Aichi 484-8506, Japan
| | - Tetsuya Sakamaki
- Primate Research Institute, Kyoto University, Inuyama, Aichi 484-8506, Japan
| | - Nahoko Tokuyama
- Japan Society for the Promotion of Science, Kojimachi, Chiyoda-ku, Tokyo 102-0083, Japan
- Department of Evolutionary Studies of Biosystems, The Graduate University for Advanced Studies, Hayama, Kanagawa 240-0193, Japan
| | - Kazuya Toda
- Primate Research Institute, Kyoto University, Inuyama, Aichi 484-8506, Japan
- Japan Society for the Promotion of Science, Kojimachi, Chiyoda-ku, Tokyo 102-0083, Japan
| | - Hiroki Okamura
- Primate Research Institute, Kyoto University, Inuyama, Aichi 484-8506, Japan
| | - Takeshi Furuichi
- Primate Research Institute, Kyoto University, Inuyama, Aichi 484-8506, Japan
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Thomas J, Kirby S. Self domestication and the evolution of language. BIOLOGY & PHILOSOPHY 2018; 33:9. [PMID: 29606782 PMCID: PMC5871649 DOI: 10.1007/s10539-018-9612-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 37] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/10/2017] [Accepted: 03/13/2018] [Indexed: 05/09/2023]
Abstract
We set out an account of how self-domestication plays a crucial role in the evolution of language. In doing so, we focus on the growing body of work that treats language structure as emerging from the process of cultural transmission. We argue that a full recognition of the importance of cultural transmission fundamentally changes the kind of questions we should be asking regarding the biological basis of language structure. If we think of language structure as reflecting an accumulated set of changes in our genome, then we might ask something like, "What are the genetic bases of language structure and why were they selected?" However, if cultural evolution can account for language structure, then this question no longer applies. Instead, we face the task of accounting for the origin of the traits that enabled that process of structure-creating cultural evolution to get started in the first place. In light of work on cultural evolution, then, the new question for biological evolution becomes, "How did those precursor traits evolve?" We identify two key precursor traits: (1) the transmission of the communication system through learning; and (2) the ability to infer the communicative intent associated with a signal or action. We then describe two comparative case studies-the Bengalese finch and the domestic dog-in which parallel traits can be seen emerging following domestication. Finally, we turn to the role of domestication in human evolution. We argue that the cultural evolution of language structure has its origin in an earlier process of self-domestication.
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Affiliation(s)
- James Thomas
- Centre for Language Evolution, University of Edinburgh, 3 Charles Street, Edinburgh, EH8 9AD UK
| | - Simon Kirby
- Centre for Language Evolution, University of Edinburgh, 3 Charles Street, Edinburgh, EH8 9AD UK
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Borráz-León JI, Cerda-Molina AL, Rantala MJ, Mayagoitia-Novales L. Choosing Fighting Competitors Among Men: Testosterone, Personality, and Motivations. EVOLUTIONARY PSYCHOLOGY 2018; 16:1474704918757243. [PMID: 29558827 PMCID: PMC10480942 DOI: 10.1177/1474704918757243] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/23/2017] [Accepted: 01/09/2018] [Indexed: 09/09/2023] Open
Abstract
Higher testosterone levels have been positively related to a variety of social behaviors and personality traits associated with intrasexual competition. The aim of this study was to evaluate the role of testosterone levels and personality traits such as aggressiveness, competitiveness, and self-esteem on the task of choosing a fighting competitor (a rival) with or without a motivation to fight. In Study 1, a group of 119 men participated in a task for choosing a rival through pictures of men with high-dominant masculinity versus low-dominant masculinity. Participants completed three personality questionnaires and donated two saliva samples (pre-test and post-test sample) to quantify their testosterone levels. We found that the probability of choosing high-dominant masculine men as rivals increased with higher aggressiveness scores. In Study 2, the task of choosing rivals was accompanied by motivations to fight (pictures of women with high or low waist-to-hip ratio [WHR]). In this context, we observed that the probability of choosing dominant masculine men as rivals depended on the WHR of the women. Overall, average levels of post-test testosterone, aggressiveness, and high self-esteem increased the probability to fight for women with low WHR independently of the dominance masculinity of the rivals. Our results indicate that human decisions, in the context of intrasexual competition and mate choice, are regulated by physiological and psychological mechanisms allowing men to increase their biological fitness. We discuss our results in the light of the plasticity of human behavior according to biological and environmental forces.
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Affiliation(s)
- Javier I. Borráz-León
- Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Ciudad de México, México
- Departamento de Etología, Instituto Nacional de Psiquiatría “Ramón de la Fuente Muñiz,” Ciudad de México, México
| | - Ana Lilia Cerda-Molina
- Departamento de Etología, Instituto Nacional de Psiquiatría “Ramón de la Fuente Muñiz,” Ciudad de México, México
| | - Markus J. Rantala
- Department of Biology, University of Turku, Turku, Finland
- Turku Brain and Mind Center, University of Turku, Turku, Finland
| | - Lilian Mayagoitia-Novales
- Departamento de Etología, Instituto Nacional de Psiquiatría “Ramón de la Fuente Muñiz,” Ciudad de México, México
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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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Surbeck M, Boesch C, Girard-Buttoz C, Crockford C, Hohmann G, Wittig RM. Comparison of male conflict behavior in chimpanzees(Pan troglodytes)and bonobos(Pan paniscus), with specific regard to coalition and post-conflict behavior. Am J Primatol 2017; 79. [DOI: 10.1002/ajp.22641] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/15/2016] [Revised: 01/13/2017] [Accepted: 01/14/2017] [Indexed: 11/06/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Martin Surbeck
- Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology; Department of Primatology; Leipzig Germany
| | - Christophe Boesch
- Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology; Department of Primatology; Leipzig Germany
| | - Cédric Girard-Buttoz
- Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology; Department of Primatology; Leipzig Germany
| | - Catherine Crockford
- Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology; Department of Primatology; Leipzig Germany
| | - Gottfried Hohmann
- Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology; Department of Primatology; Leipzig Germany
| | - Roman M. Wittig
- Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology; Department of Primatology; Leipzig Germany
- Taï Chimpanzee Project; Centre Suisse de Recherches Scientifiques; Abidjan Ivory Coast
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Muller MN. Testosterone and reproductive effort in male primates. Horm Behav 2017; 91:36-51. [PMID: 27616559 PMCID: PMC5342957 DOI: 10.1016/j.yhbeh.2016.09.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 93] [Impact Index Per Article: 13.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/28/2016] [Revised: 09/06/2016] [Accepted: 09/07/2016] [Indexed: 10/21/2022]
Abstract
Considerable evidence suggests that the steroid hormone testosterone mediates major life-history trade-offs in vertebrates, promoting mating effort at the expense of parenting effort or survival. Observations from a range of wild primates support the "Challenge Hypothesis," which posits that variation in male testosterone is more closely associated with aggressive mating competition than with reproductive physiology. In both seasonally and non-seasonally breeding species, males increase testosterone production primarily when competing for fecund females. In species where males compete to maintain long-term access to females, testosterone increases when males are threatened with losing access to females, rather than during mating periods. And when male status is linked to mating success, and dependent on aggression, high-ranking males normally maintain higher testosterone levels than subordinates, particularly when dominance hierarchies are unstable. Trade-offs between parenting effort and mating effort appear to be weak in most primates, because direct investment in the form of infant transport and provisioning is rare. Instead, infant protection is the primary form of paternal investment in the order. Testosterone does not inhibit this form of investment, which relies on male aggression. Testosterone has a wide range of effects in primates that plausibly function to support male competitive behavior. These include psychological effects related to dominance striving, analgesic effects, and effects on the development and maintenance of the armaments and adornments that males employ in mating competition.
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Affiliation(s)
- Martin N Muller
- Department of Anthropology, University of New Mexico, United States.
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Schaebs FS, Perry SE, Cohen D, Mundry R, Deschner T. Social and demographic correlates of male androgen levels in wild white-faced capuchin monkeys (Cebus capucinus). Am J Primatol 2017; 79. [PMID: 28388817 DOI: 10.1002/ajp.22653] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/26/2016] [Revised: 02/22/2017] [Accepted: 02/23/2017] [Indexed: 12/26/2022]
Abstract
The Challenge Hypothesis, designed originally to explain the patterning of competitive behavior and androgen levels in seasonally breeding birds, predicts that males will increase their androgen levels in order to become more competitive in reproductive contexts. Here we test predictions derived from the Challenge Hypothesis in white-faced capuchin monkeys (Cebus capucinus), a species that has somewhat seasonal reproduction. We analyzed demographic and hormonal data collected over a 5.25-year period, from 18 males in nine social groups living in or near Lomas Barbudal Biological Reserve, Costa Rica. Alpha males had higher androgen levels than subordinates. Contrary to our predictions, neither the number of breeding-age males nor the number of potentially fertile females was obviously associated with androgen levels. Furthermore, male androgen levels were not significantly linked to social stability, as measured by stability of male group membership or recency of change in the alpha male position. Androgen levels changed seasonally, but not in a manner that had an obvious relationship to predictions from the Challenge Hypothesis: levels were generally at their lowest near the beginning of the conception season, but instead of peaking when reproductive opportunities were greatest, they were at their highest near the end of the conception season or shortly thereafter. This lack of correspondence to the timing of conceptions suggests that there may be ecological factors not yet identified that influence ifA levels. We expected that the presence of offspring who were young enough to be vulnerable to infanticide during an alpha male takeover might influence androgen levels, at least in the alpha male, but this variable did not significantly impact results.
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Affiliation(s)
- Franka S Schaebs
- Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology, Deutscher Platz 6, Leipzig, Germany
| | - Susan E Perry
- Department of Anthropology and Center for Behavior, Evolution and Culture, University of California, Los Angeles, California.,Proyecto de Monos, Apdo 5, Bagaces, GTE, Costa Rica
| | - Don Cohen
- Proyecto de Monos, Apdo 5, Bagaces, GTE, Costa Rica
| | - Roger Mundry
- Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology, Deutscher Platz 6, Leipzig, Germany
| | - Tobias Deschner
- Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology, Deutscher Platz 6, Leipzig, Germany
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Gruber T, Clay Z. A Comparison Between Bonobos and Chimpanzees: A Review and Update. Evol Anthropol 2016; 25:239-252. [DOI: 10.1002/evan.21501] [Citation(s) in RCA: 88] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/02/2016] [Indexed: 01/07/2023]
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Burger D, Meuwly C, Marti E, Sieme H, Oberthür M, Janda J, Meinecke-Tillmann S, Wedekind C. MHC-correlated preferences in diestrous female horses (Equus caballus). Theriogenology 2016; 89:318-323.e1. [PMID: 27842717 DOI: 10.1016/j.theriogenology.2016.09.015] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/26/2016] [Revised: 09/07/2016] [Accepted: 09/07/2016] [Indexed: 12/29/2022]
Abstract
Genes of the major histocompatibility complex (MHC) have been shown to influence communication in many vertebrates, possibly with context-specific MHC-correlated reactions. Here we test for MHC-linked female preferences in the polygynous horse (Equus caballus) by repeatedly exposing 19 mares to a group of seven sexually experienced stallions. Each mare was tested four times during two consecutive reproductive cycles, twice during estrus and twice during diestrus. Male plasma testosterone concentrations were determined from weekly blood samples, and equine leukocyte antigen (ELA) class I and II alleles were determined serologically at the end of the experiments. Perception of male attractiveness was strongly dependent on estrous cycle: mean preference scores did not correlate for mares in diestrus and estrus and varied more during estrus than during diestrus. We found elevated female interests for MHC-dissimilar stallions, but only during diestrus, not during estrus. Female preferences were not significantly predicted by mean male testosterone plasma concentrations. However, testosterone concentrations changed during the 11 weeks of the experiment. By the end of the experiment, average testosterone concentration was significantly correlated to the average number of MHC alleles the stallions shared with the mares. We conclude that the MHC affects female preferences for stallions, but non-MHC linked male characteristics can overshadow effects of the MHC during estrus.
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Affiliation(s)
- D Burger
- Swiss Institute of Equine Medicine, Agroscope and University of Bern, Avenches, Switzerland.
| | - C Meuwly
- Swiss Institute of Equine Medicine, Agroscope and University of Bern, Avenches, Switzerland
| | - E Marti
- Department of Clinical Research, Vetsuisse Faculty, University of Bern, Bern, Switzerland
| | - H Sieme
- Institute for Reproductive Biology, University of Veterinary Medicine Hanover, Hanover, Germany
| | - M Oberthür
- Unit for Reproductive Medicine-Clinic for Horses, University of Veterinary Medicine Hanover, Hanover, Germany
| | - J Janda
- Department of Clinical Research, Vetsuisse Faculty, University of Bern, Bern, Switzerland
| | - S Meinecke-Tillmann
- Unit for Reproductive Medicine-Clinic for Horses, University of Veterinary Medicine Hanover, Hanover, Germany
| | - C Wedekind
- Department of Ecology and Evolution, Biophore, University of Lausanne, Lausanne, Switzerland
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Higham JP. Field endocrinology of nonhuman primates: past, present, and future. Horm Behav 2016; 84:145-55. [PMID: 27469069 DOI: 10.1016/j.yhbeh.2016.07.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 32] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/05/2015] [Revised: 07/11/2016] [Accepted: 07/12/2016] [Indexed: 01/29/2023]
Abstract
In the past few decades, research on nonhuman primate endocrinology has moved from the lab to the field, leading to a huge increase in both the breadth and depth of primate field studies. Here, I discuss the past, present, and future of primate field endocrinology. I review the history of the field, and go on to discuss methodological developments and the issues that they sometimes entail. Next, I consider ways in which we might conceptualize the role of hormones, and focus on the need to distinguish proximate from ultimate levels of explanation. Current potentially problematic issues in the field include: 1) an inability to obtain noninvasive measurements of Central Nervous System (CNS) rather than peripheral hormone concentrations; 2) research questions that become stuck (e.g., questions regarding sexual swelling expression mechanisms); 3) data dredging and post-hoc linking of hormones to any plausible variable, leading to a lack of clarity on their role in animal ecology and behavior. I finish by discussing several unanswered questions that might benefit from further research. These are how we might: 1) best obtain measurements for CNS hormone concentrations non-invasively; 2) measure hormone receptor expression alongside hormone concentrations; 3) consider the human endocrinology literature more thoroughly and perhaps take more multimarker approaches; 4) better consider the social environment, including audience and dyadic familiarity effects; and 5) apply our findings to conservation issues.
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Affiliation(s)
- James P Higham
- Dept. of Anthropology, New York University, 25 Waverly Place, New York, NY 10003.
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Douglas PH, Hohmann G, Murtagh R, Thiessen-Bock R, Deschner T. Mixed messages: wild female bonobos show high variability in the timing of ovulation in relation to sexual swelling patterns. BMC Evol Biol 2016; 16:140. [PMID: 27356506 PMCID: PMC4928307 DOI: 10.1186/s12862-016-0691-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 46] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/24/2016] [Accepted: 05/24/2016] [Indexed: 11/10/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND The evolution of primate sexual swellings and their influence on mating strategies have captivated the interest of biologists for over a century. Across the primate order, variability in the timing of ovulation with respect to females' sexual swelling patterns differs greatly. Since sexual swellings typically function as signals of female fecundity, the temporal relation between ovulation and sexual swellings can impact the ability of males to pinpoint ovulation and thereby affect male mating strategies. Here, we used endocrine parameters to detect ovulation and examined the temporal relation between the maximum swelling phase (MSP) and ovulation in wild female bonobos (Pan paniscus). Data were collected at the Luikotale field site, Democratic Republic of Congo, spanning 36 months. Observational data from 13 females were used to characterise female swelling cycles (N = 70). Furthermore, we measured urinary oestrone and pregnanediol using liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry, and used pregnanediol to determine the timing of ovulation in 34 cycles (N = 9 females). RESULTS We found that the duration of females' MSP was highly variable, ranging from 1 to 31 days. Timing of ovulation varied considerably in relation to the onset of the MSP, resulting in a very low day-specific probability of ovulation and fecundity across female cycles. Ovulation occurred during the MSP in only 52.9 % of the analysed swelling cycles, and females showed regular sexual swelling patterns in N = 8 swelling cycles where ovulation did not occur. These findings reveal that sexual swellings of bonobos are less reliable indicators of ovulation compared to other species of primates. CONCLUSIONS Female bonobos show unusual variability in the duration of the MSP and in the timing of ovulation relative to the sexual swelling signal. These data are important for understanding the evolution of sexual signals, how they influence male and female mating strategies, and how decoupling visual signals of fecundity from the periovulatory period may affect intersexual conflict. By prolonging the period during which males would need to mate guard females to ascertain paternity, the temporal variability of this signal may constrain mate-guarding efforts by male bonobos.
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Affiliation(s)
- Pamela Heidi Douglas
- Department of Primatology, Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology, Deutscher Platz 6, D-04103, Leipzig, Germany.
| | - Gottfried Hohmann
- Department of Primatology, Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology, Deutscher Platz 6, D-04103, Leipzig, Germany
| | - Róisín Murtagh
- Department of Primatology, Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology, Deutscher Platz 6, D-04103, Leipzig, Germany
| | - Robyn Thiessen-Bock
- Department of Primatology, Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology, Deutscher Platz 6, D-04103, Leipzig, Germany
- Faculty of Biology, Ludwig-Maximilians-University of Munich, Biocenter Großhaderner Str. 2, D-82152, Planegg-Martinsried, Germany
| | - Tobias Deschner
- Department of Primatology, Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology, Deutscher Platz 6, D-04103, Leipzig, Germany
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Herberholz J, Swierzbinski ME, Birke JM. Effects of Different Social and Environmental Conditions on Established Dominance Relationships in Crayfish. THE BIOLOGICAL BULLETIN 2016; 230:152-164. [PMID: 27132137 DOI: 10.1086/bblv230n2p152] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/05/2023]
Abstract
Like most social animals, crayfish readily form dominance relationships and linear social hierarchies when competing for limited resources. Competition often entails dyadic aggressive interactions, from which one animal emerges as the dominant and one as the subordinate. Once dominance relationships are formed, they typically remain stable for extended periods of time; thus, access to future resources is divided unequally among conspecifics. We previously showed that firmly established dominance relationships in juvenile crayfish can be disrupted by briefly adding a larger conspecific to the original pair. This finding suggested that the stability of social relationships in crayfish was highly context-dependent and more transient than previously assumed. We now report results that further identify the mechanisms underlying the destabilization of crayfish dominance relationships. We found that rank orders remained stable when conspecifics of smaller or equal size were added to the original pair, suggesting that both dominant and subordinate must be defeated by a larger crayfish in order to destabilize dominance relationships. We also found that dominance relationships remained stable when both members of the original pair were defeated by larger conspecifics in the absence of their original opponent. This showed that dominance relationships are not destabilized unless both animals experience defeat together. Lastly, we found that dominance relationships of pairs were successfully disrupted by larger intruders, although with reduced magnitude, after all chemical cues associated with earlier agonistic experiences were eliminated. These findings provide important new insights into the contextual features that regulate the stability of social dominance relationships in crayfish and probably in other species as well.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jens Herberholz
- Department of Psychology and Neuroscience and Cognitive Science Program, University of Maryland, College Park, Maryland 20742
| | - Matthew E Swierzbinski
- Department of Psychology and Neuroscience and Cognitive Science Program, University of Maryland, College Park, Maryland 20742
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Clay Z, Furuichi T, de Waal FB. Obstacles and catalysts to peaceful coexistence in chimpanzees and bonobos. BEHAVIOUR 2016. [DOI: 10.1163/1568539x-00003335] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/19/2022]
Abstract
As our closest living relatives, comparisons of the social lives and behavioural ecologies of chimpanzees (Pan troglodytes) and bonobos (Pan paniscus) provide relevant insights into the evolutionary constraints of peaceful coexistence in Hominid societies. In this review, we compare and contrast findings from the two Pan species in order to examine some of the obstacles and catalysts for peaceful behaviour in our ape relatives. Through comparing the social structures, behavioural mechanisms and ecological drivers for peaceful behaviours in Pan, we develop hypotheses regarding the evolutionary constraints of peaceful co-existence in hominid societies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zanna Clay
- aSchool of Psychology, University of Birmingham, Birmingham, UK
| | - Takeshi Furuichi
- bPrimate Research Institute, Kyoto University, Inuyama, Aichi, Japan
| | - Frans B.M. de Waal
- cLiving Links Center, Yerkes National Primate Research Center and Psychology Department, Emory University, Atlanta, GA, USA
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Pribbenow S, East ML, Ganswindt A, Tordiffe ASW, Hofer H, Dehnhard M. Measuring Faecal Epi-Androsterone as an Indicator of Gonadal Activity in Spotted Hyenas (Crocuta crocuta). PLoS One 2015; 10:e0128706. [PMID: 26107516 PMCID: PMC4481319 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0128706] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/05/2015] [Accepted: 04/29/2015] [Indexed: 11/19/2022] Open
Abstract
Enzyme immunoassays (EIA) that measure faecal testosterone metabolites (fTM) are useful tools to monitor gonadal activity. The aim of this study was to validate an "in-house" epiandrosterone EIA to monitor fTM in spotted hyenas. FTM were characterised in a male and a female hyena that each received an injection of 3H-testosterone. High-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) analyses revealed a cluster of highly polar enzyme-hydrolysable hormone metabolite conjugates. We performed hydrolysis using β-glucuronidase to deconjugate metabolites and improve sensitivity of the assay. Because β-glucuronidase from Helix pomatia has been reported to bias testosterone measurements in some species, we compared the enzymatic activity of the commonly used β-glucuronidase extracted from H. pomatia with the same enzyme from Escherichia coli. Our results showed that β-glucuronidases from both sources produced similar results from spotted hyena faeces. We therefore hydrolysed samples with H. pomatia enzymes. HPLC analyses also demonstrated that following hydrolysis the epiandrosterone EIA measured significant amounts of immunoreactive metabolites corresponding to radiolabelled metabolites in both sexes. Additionally, HPLC and GC-MS analyses confirmed the presence of epiandrosterone in faeces of spotted hyenas. The biological relevance of the epiandrosterone EIA was validated by demonstrating (1) a significant increase in fTM levels in response to a testosterone injection within 16 h, (2) no biological responsiveness to an adrenocorticotropic hormone (ACTH) injection and (3) significant differences in fTM levels between juvenile males and adult immigrant males in a free-ranging wild population. Our results clearly demonstrate that the epiandrosterone EIA is a reliable non-invasive method to monitor gonadal activity in spotted hyenas.
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Affiliation(s)
- Susanne Pribbenow
- Department Reproduction Biology and Evolutionary Ecology, Leibniz Institute of Zoo and Wildlife Research, Forschungsverbund Berlin e.V., Berlin, Germany
| | - Marion L. East
- Department Reproduction Biology and Evolutionary Ecology, Leibniz Institute of Zoo and Wildlife Research, Forschungsverbund Berlin e.V., Berlin, Germany
| | - Andre Ganswindt
- Endocrine Research Laboratory, Department of Anatomy and Physiology, Faculty of Veterinary Science, University of Pretoria, Onderstepoort, Republic of South Africa
- National Zoological Gardens of South Africa, Pretoria, Republic of South Africa
| | - Adrian S. W. Tordiffe
- National Zoological Gardens of South Africa, Pretoria, Republic of South Africa
- Department of Companion Animal Clinical Studies, Faculty of Veterinarian Science, University of Pretoria, Onderstepoort, Republic of South Africa
| | - Heribert Hofer
- Department Reproduction Biology and Evolutionary Ecology, Leibniz Institute of Zoo and Wildlife Research, Forschungsverbund Berlin e.V., Berlin, Germany
| | - Martin Dehnhard
- Department Reproduction Biology and Evolutionary Ecology, Leibniz Institute of Zoo and Wildlife Research, Forschungsverbund Berlin e.V., Berlin, Germany
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Surbeck M, Deschner T, Behringer V, Hohmann G. Urinary C-peptide levels in male bonobos (Pan paniscus) are related to party size and rank but not to mate competition. Horm Behav 2015; 71:22-30. [PMID: 25870021 DOI: 10.1016/j.yhbeh.2015.03.007] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/06/2014] [Revised: 03/18/2015] [Accepted: 03/24/2015] [Indexed: 11/22/2022]
Abstract
Within- and between-species variation in male mating strategies has been attributed to a multitude of factors including male competitive ability and the distribution of fertile females across space and time. Differences in energy balance across and within males allow for the identification of some of the trade-offs associated with certain social and mating strategies. Bonobos live in groups with a high degree of fission-fusion dynamics, there is co-dominance between the sexes and a linear dominance hierarchy among males. Males compete over access to females, breeding is aseasonal, and females exhibit sexual swellings over extended time periods. In this study we use urinary C-peptide (UCP) levels in male bonobos (Pan paniscus) obtained from 260 urine samples from a wild bonobo community, to quantify male energy balance during mate competition and levels of gregariousness in the species. Although high ranking males are more aggressive, spend more time in proximity to maximally tumescent females, and have higher mating frequencies, we found no indication that mate guarding or mate competition affected male energy balance. Our results showed a positive correlation between monthly mean UCP levels and mean party size. When traveling in large parties, high ranking males had higher UCP levels than those of the low ranking males. These results support the hypothesis that patterns of fission-fusion dynamics in bonobos are either linked to energy availability in the environment or to the energetic costs of foraging. The finding of a rank-bias in UCP levels in larger parties could also reflect an increase in contest competition among males over access to food.
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Affiliation(s)
- Martin Surbeck
- Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology, Department of Primatology, Deutscher Platz 6, 04103 Leipzig, Germany.
| | - Tobias Deschner
- Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology, Department of Primatology, Deutscher Platz 6, 04103 Leipzig, Germany
| | - Verena Behringer
- Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology, Department of Primatology, Deutscher Platz 6, 04103 Leipzig, Germany
| | - Gottfried Hohmann
- Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology, Department of Primatology, Deutscher Platz 6, 04103 Leipzig, Germany
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Intimate Relationships Then and Now: How Old Hormonal Processes are Influenced by Our Modern Psychology. ADAPTIVE HUMAN BEHAVIOR AND PHYSIOLOGY 2015. [DOI: 10.1007/s40750-015-0021-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/15/2023]
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