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MacGillavry T, Spezie G, Fusani L. When less is more: coy display behaviours and the temporal dynamics of animal courtship. Proc Biol Sci 2023; 290:20231684. [PMID: 37788700 PMCID: PMC10547558 DOI: 10.1098/rspb.2023.1684] [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: 07/27/2023] [Accepted: 09/06/2023] [Indexed: 10/05/2023] Open
Abstract
Sexual selection research has been dominated by the notion that mate choice selects for the most vigorous displays that best reflect the quality of the courter. However, courtship displays are often temporally structured, containing different elements with varying degrees of intensity and conspicuousness. For example, highly intense movements are often coupled with more subtle components such as static postures or hiding displays. Here, we refer to such subtle display traits as 'coy', as they involve the withholding of information about maximal display capabilities. We examine the role of intensity variation within temporally dynamic displays, and discuss three hypotheses for the evolution of coy courtship behaviours. We first review the threat reduction hypothesis, which points to sexual coercion and sexual autonomy as important facets of sexual selection. We then suggest that variation in display magnitude exploits pre-existing perceptual biases for temporal contrast. Lastly, we propose that information withholding may leverage receivers' predispositions for filling gaps in information-the 'curiosity bias'. Overall, our goal is to draw attention to temporal variation in display magnitude, and to advocate possible scenarios for the evolution of courtship traits that regularly occur below performance maxima. Throughout, we highlight novel directions for empirical and theoretical investigations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Thomas MacGillavry
- Konrad Lorenz Institute of Ethology, University of Veterinary Medicine, Vienna, Austria
| | - Giovanni Spezie
- Konrad Lorenz Institute of Ethology, University of Veterinary Medicine, Vienna, Austria
| | - Leonida Fusani
- Konrad Lorenz Institute of Ethology, University of Veterinary Medicine, Vienna, Austria
- Department of Behavioural and Cognitive Biology, University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria
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2
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Tkaczynski PJ, Mafessoni F, Girard-Buttoz C, Samuni L, Ackermann CY, Fedurek P, Gomes C, Hobaiter C, Löhrich T, Manin V, Preis A, Valé PD, Wessling EG, Wittiger L, Zommers Z, Zuberbuehler K, Vigilant L, Deschner T, Wittig RM, Crockford C. Shared community effects and the non-genetic maternal environment shape cortisol levels in wild chimpanzees. Commun Biol 2023; 6:565. [PMID: 37237178 DOI: 10.1038/s42003-023-04909-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/10/2022] [Accepted: 05/03/2023] [Indexed: 05/28/2023] Open
Abstract
Mechanisms of inheritance remain poorly defined for many fitness-mediating traits, especially in long-lived animals with protracted development. Using 6,123 urinary samples from 170 wild chimpanzees, we examined the contributions of genetics, non-genetic maternal effects, and shared community effects on variation in cortisol levels, an established predictor of survival in long-lived primates. Despite evidence for consistent individual variation in cortisol levels across years, between-group effects were more influential and made an overwhelming contribution to variation in this trait. Focusing on within-group variation, non-genetic maternal effects accounted for 8% of the individual differences in average cortisol levels, significantly more than that attributable to genetic factors, which was indistinguishable from zero. These maternal effects are consistent with a primary role of a shared environment in shaping physiology. For chimpanzees, and perhaps other species with long life histories, community and maternal effects appear more relevant than genetic inheritance in shaping key physiological traits.
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Affiliation(s)
- Patrick J Tkaczynski
- Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology, Leipzig, Germany.
- Taï Chimpanzee Project, Centre Suisse de Recherches Scientifiques, Abidjan, Côte d'Ivoire.
- School of Biological and Environmental Sciences, Liverpool John Moores University, Liverpool, UK.
| | - Fabrizio Mafessoni
- Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology, Leipzig, Germany.
- Weizmann Institute of Science, Department of Plant and Environmental Sciences, Rehovot, Israel.
| | - Cédric Girard-Buttoz
- Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology, Leipzig, Germany
- Taï Chimpanzee Project, Centre Suisse de Recherches Scientifiques, Abidjan, Côte d'Ivoire
- The Ape Social Mind Lab, Institut des Sciences Cognitives, CNRS UMR 5229, Lyon, France
| | - Liran Samuni
- Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology, Leipzig, Germany
- Taï Chimpanzee Project, Centre Suisse de Recherches Scientifiques, Abidjan, Côte d'Ivoire
- Department of Human Evolutionary Biology, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA, USA
- Centre for Social Learning & Cognitive Evolution, School of Psychology & Neuroscience, University of St Andrews, St Andrews, UK
| | - Corinne Y Ackermann
- Universite de Neuchatel, Institut de Biologie, Cognition Compare, Neuchatel, Switzerland
| | - Pawel Fedurek
- Division of Psychology, University of Stirling, Stirling, UK
| | - Cristina Gomes
- Tropical Conservation Institute, Institute of Environment, College of Arts, Science and Education, Florida International University, Miami, FL, USA
| | - Catherine Hobaiter
- Centre for Social Learning & Cognitive Evolution, School of Psychology & Neuroscience, University of St Andrews, St Andrews, UK
| | - Therese Löhrich
- World Wide Fund for Nature, Dzanga Sangha Protected Areas, BP 1053, Bangui, Central African Republic
- Robert Koch Institute, Epidemiology of Highly Pathogenic Microorganisms, Berlin, Germany
| | - Virgile Manin
- Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology, Leipzig, Germany
- Taï Chimpanzee Project, Centre Suisse de Recherches Scientifiques, Abidjan, Côte d'Ivoire
| | - Anna Preis
- Taï Chimpanzee Project, Centre Suisse de Recherches Scientifiques, Abidjan, Côte d'Ivoire
| | - Prince D Valé
- Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology, Leipzig, Germany
- Taï Chimpanzee Project, Centre Suisse de Recherches Scientifiques, Abidjan, Côte d'Ivoire
- Unité de Formation et de Recherche Agroferesterie, Université Jean Lorougnon Guédé, Daloa, Côte d'Ivoire
| | - Erin G Wessling
- Department of Human Evolutionary Biology, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA, USA
| | | | - Zinta Zommers
- Perry World House, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, USA
| | - Klaus Zuberbuehler
- Universite de Neuchatel, Institut de Biologie, Cognition Compare, Neuchatel, Switzerland
| | - Linda Vigilant
- Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology, Leipzig, Germany
| | - Tobias Deschner
- Institute of Cognitive Science, Comparative BioCognition, University of Osnabrück, Osnabrück, Germany
| | - Roman M Wittig
- Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology, Leipzig, Germany
- Taï Chimpanzee Project, Centre Suisse de Recherches Scientifiques, Abidjan, Côte d'Ivoire
- The Ape Social Mind Lab, Institut des Sciences Cognitives, CNRS UMR 5229, Lyon, France
| | - Catherine Crockford
- Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology, Leipzig, Germany
- Taï Chimpanzee Project, Centre Suisse de Recherches Scientifiques, Abidjan, Côte d'Ivoire
- The Ape Social Mind Lab, Institut des Sciences Cognitives, CNRS UMR 5229, Lyon, France
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3
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Kaisin O, Bufalo F, Amaral R, Palme R, Poncin P, Brotcorne F, Culot L. Linking glucocorticoid variations to monthly and daily behavior in a wild endangered neotropical primate. Am J Primatol 2023:e23503. [PMID: 37157182 DOI: 10.1002/ajp.23503] [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] [Received: 08/23/2022] [Revised: 04/09/2023] [Accepted: 04/29/2023] [Indexed: 05/10/2023]
Abstract
Identifying the factors swaying physiological stress levels in wild animals can help depict how they cope with environmental and social stressors, shedding light on their feeding ecology, behavioral plasticity, and adaptability. Here, we used noninvasive methods to explore the link between glucocorticoid levels and behavior in an endangered neotropical primate facing habitat fragmentation pressure, the black lion tamarin (Leontopithecus chrysopygus). We investigated monthly and day-to-day glucocorticoid variations independently to attempt to disentangle the complex nature of the adrenocortical activity. Between May 2019 to March 2020, we followed two groups of black lion tamarins in two different areas, a continuous forest and a small fragment, and gathered behavioral data (over 95 days in total; 8.6 ± 3.9 days/month) and fecal samples (Nsamples = 468; 4.93 ± 3.5 samples/day) simultaneously. Preliminary analyses enabled us to identify circadian variations linked to the biological rhythm, which were taken into account in subsequent models. Monthly analyses revealed that black lion tamarin fecal glucocorticoid metabolite levels vary according to changes in activity budget associated with the fruit consumption, movement, and resting time of the groups. At a day-to-day level, while intergroup encounters led to increases in fecal glucocorticoid metabolite concentrations, we found that changes in food intake or activity level did not trigger physiological stress responses. These findings suggest that diet and ranging patterns, driven by food availability and distribution, influence physiological stress at a seasonal scale, while acute stressors such as interspecific competition trigger short-term stress responses. Exploring fecal glucocorticoid metabolite variations over different timescales can help uncover the predictive and reactive facets of physiological stress in wild species. Moreover, having a comprehensive understanding of the physiological state of species is a valuable conservation tool for evaluating how they cope in changing environments.
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Affiliation(s)
- Olivier Kaisin
- Laboratório de Primatologia, Departamento de Biodiversidade, Universidade Estadual Paulista (UNESP), Rio Claro, São Paulo, Brazil
- Department of Biology, Ecology and Evolution, Research Unit SPHERES, University of Liège, Arlon, Belgium
- Departamento de Biodiversidade, Programa de Pós-Graduação em Ecologia, Evolução e Biodiversidade, Instituto de Biociências, Universidade Estadual Paulista (UNESP), Rio Claro, São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Felipe Bufalo
- Laboratório de Primatologia, Departamento de Biodiversidade, Universidade Estadual Paulista (UNESP), Rio Claro, São Paulo, Brazil
- Departamento de Biodiversidade, Programa de Pós-Graduação em Ecologia, Evolução e Biodiversidade, Instituto de Biociências, Universidade Estadual Paulista (UNESP), Rio Claro, São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Rodrigo Amaral
- Laboratório de Primatologia, Departamento de Biodiversidade, Universidade Estadual Paulista (UNESP), Rio Claro, São Paulo, Brazil
- Departamento de Biodiversidade, Programa de Pós-Graduação em Zoologia, Instituto de Biociências, Universidade Estadual Paulista (UNESP), Rio Claro, São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Rupert Palme
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, Unit of Physiology, Pathophysiology and Experimental Endocrinology, University of Veterinary Medicine, Vienna, Austria
| | - Pascal Poncin
- Department of Biology, Ecology and Evolution, Research Unit FOCUS, University of Liège, Liège, Belgium
| | - Fany Brotcorne
- Department of Biology, Ecology and Evolution, Research Unit SPHERES, University of Liège, Arlon, Belgium
| | - Laurence Culot
- Laboratório de Primatologia, Departamento de Biodiversidade, Universidade Estadual Paulista (UNESP), Rio Claro, São Paulo, Brazil
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Nurmi NO, Sonnweber R, Schülke O, Moscovice LR, Deschner T, Hohmann G. Bonobo mothers have elevated urinary cortisol levels during early but not mid or late lactation. Primates 2023; 64:215-225. [PMID: 36565402 PMCID: PMC10006042 DOI: 10.1007/s10329-022-01044-7] [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: 04/14/2022] [Accepted: 12/02/2022] [Indexed: 12/25/2022]
Abstract
In mammals, the costs of reproduction are biased towards females. Lactation is particularly energetically expensive, and behavioral and physiological data indicate that maternal effort during lactation induces energetic stress. Another source of stress in females is male aggression directed towards them when they are cycling. Evaluating the costs of reproduction in wild and mobile animals can be a challenging task, and requires detailed information on state-dependent parameters such as hormone levels. Glucocorticoid (GC) levels are indicative of nutritional and social stress, and are widely used to assess the costs of reproduction. We investigated variation in urinary levels of cortisol, the main GC in female bonobos (Pan paniscus), between and within reproductive stages. Female chimpanzees (Pan troglodytes), the closest living relative of the bonobos, are often exposed to intense aggression from males, which causes a significant rise in their cortisol levels during the phase of their maximum fecundity. In bonobos, males compete for access to fertile females, but aggressive male mating strategies are absent in this species. Therefore, we expected that GC levels of cycling female bonobos would be lower than those of lactating females. Due to the long period of offspring care in bonobos, we expected that GC levels would remain elevated into the late stage of lactation, when immatures gain body weight but may still be nursed and carried by their mothers. We found elevated urinary GC levels only during the early stage of lactation. The GC levels of cycling females did not differ from those in the mid or late lactation stage. Behavioral strategies of female bonobos may allow them to compensate for the elevated energetic demands of lactation and prolonged maternal care.
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Affiliation(s)
- Niina O Nurmi
- Department of Behavioral Ecology, JFB Institute for Zoology/Anthropology, University of Goettingen, Göttingen, Germany.,Interim Group Primatology, Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology, Leipzig, Germany
| | - Ruth Sonnweber
- Department of Behavioural and Cognitive Biology, University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria.
| | - Oliver Schülke
- Department of Behavioral Ecology, JFB Institute for Zoology/Anthropology, University of Goettingen, Göttingen, Germany.,Research Group Social Evolution in Primates, German Primate Center, Leibniz Institute for Primate Research, Göttingen, Germany
| | - Liza R Moscovice
- Institute of Behavioral Physiology, Leibniz Institute for Farm Animal Biology, Dummerstorf, Germany
| | - Tobias Deschner
- Interim Group Primatology, Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology, Leipzig, Germany
| | - Gottfried Hohmann
- Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology, Leipzig, Germany
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5
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Integrating Reference Intervals into Chimpanzee Welfare Research. Animals (Basel) 2023; 13:ani13040639. [PMID: 36830426 PMCID: PMC9951686 DOI: 10.3390/ani13040639] [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: 12/27/2022] [Revised: 02/07/2023] [Accepted: 02/10/2023] [Indexed: 02/16/2023] Open
Abstract
Animal welfare researchers are committed to developing novel approaches to enhance the quality of life of chimpanzees living in professional care. To systematically monitor physical, mental, and emotional states, welfare scientists highlight the importance of integrating non-invasive, animal-based welfare indicators. This study aimed to create species-specific reference intervals for behavioral measures and physiological biomarkers. Specifically, we analyzed data from 40 adult chimpanzees (22 females, 18 males) residing at 16 zoological facilities to generate reference intervals for behavioral states and events, behavioral diversity, fecal glucocorticoid metabolites (GCMs), and fecal immunoglobulin-A (IgA). Comparisons of sex and age using linear regression models revealed significant differences for several behaviors. The proportion of time spent engaged in mutual/multiple social grooming significantly decreased as individuals aged. Furthermore, males spent a higher proportion of time performing aggressive contact behaviors and displaying to other chimpanzees when compared to females. Males also performed sexual examination behaviors at a higher rate than females. Behavioral diversity, fecal GCM, and fecal IgA did not vary by sex or age. In the future, values for individual chimpanzees can be compared to the ranges reported here for particular age/sex classes. Ultimately, animal care professionals can utilize reference intervals to make evidence-based decisions regarding management practices and environmental conditions.
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6
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Clay AW, Ross SR, Lambeth S, Vazquez M, Breaux S, Pietsch R, Fultz A, Lammey M, Jacobson SL, Perlman JE, Bloomsmith MA. Chimpanzees ( Pan troglodytes) in U.S. Zoos, Sanctuaries, and Research Facilities: A Survey-Based Comparison of Species-Typical Behaviors. Animals (Basel) 2023; 13:251. [PMID: 36670791 PMCID: PMC9854616 DOI: 10.3390/ani13020251] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/29/2022] [Revised: 12/02/2022] [Accepted: 01/04/2023] [Indexed: 01/12/2023] Open
Abstract
A survey was sent to zoos, research facilities, and sanctuaries which housed chimpanzees. Data collected included information about 1122 chimpanzees’ age, sex, social group-size, rearing history, and enclosure. Respondents were also asked to indicate if certain behaviors had been observed in each chimpanzee over the prior two years. Species- typical behaviors (STBs) were queried, including copulation, tool-use, nest-building, and social grooming. Tool-use was reported present for 94.3% of the sample (n = 982), active social grooming for 85.7% (n = 1121), copulation for 68.3% (n = 863) and nest-building for 58.9% (n = 982). Of the subjects for whom we had data regarding all four STBs (n = 860), 45.6% were reported to engage in all four. Logistic regression analyses using forward Wald criteria were conducted to determine the best model for each STB based on the predictors of age, sex, rearing history, group-size, facility-type, and a sex-by-rearing interaction. The best model for copulation (χ2(6) = 124.62, p < 0.001) included rearing, group-size, facility-type, and the sex-by-rearing interaction. Chimpanzees were more likely to copulate if they were mother-reared, in larger groups, living in research facilities, and, if not mother-reared (NOTMR), more likely to copulate if they were female. The best model for tool-use retained the predictors of age category, facility-type, and sex-by-rearing (χ2(5) = 55.78, p < 0.001). Chimpanzees were more likely to use tools if they were adult, living in research facilities, and if NOTMR, were female. The best model for nest-building included facility-type and rearing (χ2(3) = 205.71, p < 0.001). Chimpanzees were more likely to build nests if they were MR and if they were living in zoos or in sanctuaries. The best model for active social grooming retained the predictors of age, sex, rearing, and type of facility (χ2(6) = 102.15, p < 0.001). Chimpanzees were more likely to engage in active social grooming if they were immature, female, mother-reared, and living in zoos. This research provides a basic behavioral profile for many chimpanzees living under human care in the United States and allows us to determine potential methods for improving the welfare of these and future chimpanzees in this population.
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Affiliation(s)
- Andrea W. Clay
- Emory National Primate Research Center, 954 Gatewood Rd., Atlanta, GA 30322, USA
| | - Stephen R. Ross
- Lester E. Fisher Center for the Study and Conservation of Apes, Lincoln Park Zoo, 2001 North Clark Street, Chicago, IL 60614, USA
| | - Susan Lambeth
- National Center for Chimpanzee Care, Bastrop, TX 78602, USA
| | - Maribel Vazquez
- Southwest National Primate Research Center, 8715 W. Military Dr., San Antonio, TX 78227, USA
| | - Sarah Breaux
- New Iberia Research Center, 4401 W. Admiral Doyle Dr., New Iberia, LA 70560, USA
| | - Rhonda Pietsch
- Center for Great Apes, P.O. Box 488, Wauchula, FL 33873, USA
| | - Amy Fultz
- Chimp Haven, 13600 Chimpanzee Pl, Keithville, LA 71047, USA
| | | | - Sarah L. Jacobson
- Lester E. Fisher Center for the Study and Conservation of Apes, Lincoln Park Zoo, 2001 North Clark Street, Chicago, IL 60614, USA
- The Graduate Center, Department of Psychology, City University of New York, 365 Fifth Avenue, New York, NY 10016, USA
| | - Jaine E. Perlman
- Emory National Primate Research Center, 954 Gatewood Rd., Atlanta, GA 30322, USA
| | - Mollie A. Bloomsmith
- Emory National Primate Research Center, 954 Gatewood Rd., Atlanta, GA 30322, USA
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7
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Urlacher SS, Kim EY, Luan T, Young LJ, Adjetey B. Minimally invasive biomarkers in human and non-human primate evolutionary biology: Tools for understanding variation and adaptation. Am J Hum Biol 2022; 34:e23811. [PMID: 36205445 PMCID: PMC9787651 DOI: 10.1002/ajhb.23811] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/06/2022] [Revised: 08/21/2022] [Accepted: 09/10/2022] [Indexed: 01/25/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND The use of minimally invasive biomarkers (MIBs - physiological biomarkers obtained from minimally invasive sample types) has expanded rapidly in science and medicine over the past several decades. The MIB approach is a methodological strength in the field of human and non-human primate evolutionary biology (HEB). Among humans and our closest relatives, MIBs provide unique opportunities to document phenotypic variation and to operationalize evolutionary hypotheses. AIMS This paper overviews the use of MIBs in HEB. Our objectives are to (1) highlight key research topics which successfully implement MIBs, (2) identify promising yet under-investigated areas of MIB application, and (3) discuss current challenges in MIB research, with suggestions for advancing the field. DISCUSSION AND CONCLUSIONS A range of MIBs are used to investigate focal topics in HEB, including energetics and life history variation/evolution, developmental plasticity, and social status and dominance relationships. Nonetheless, we identify gaps in existing MIB research on traits such as physical growth and gut function that are central to the field. Several challenges remain for HEB research using MIBs, including the need for additional biomarkers and methods of assessment, robust validations, and approaches that are standardized across labs and research groups. Importantly, researchers must provide better support for adaptation and fitness effects in hypothesis testing (e.g., by obtaining complementary measures of energy expenditure, demonstrating redundancy of function, and performing lifetime/longitudinal analyses). We point to continued progress in the use of MIBs in HEB to better understand the past, present, and future of humans and our closest primate relatives.
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Affiliation(s)
- Samuel S. Urlacher
- Department of AnthropologyBaylor UniversityWacoTexasUSA
- Human Evolutionary Biology and Health LabBaylor UniversityWacoTexasUSA
- Child and Brain Development ProgramCIFARTorontoOntarioCanada
| | - Elizabeth Y. Kim
- Human Evolutionary Biology and Health LabBaylor UniversityWacoTexasUSA
- Department of BiologyBaylor UniversityWacoTexasUSA
| | - Tiffany Luan
- Human Evolutionary Biology and Health LabBaylor UniversityWacoTexasUSA
| | - Lauren J. Young
- Human Evolutionary Biology and Health LabBaylor UniversityWacoTexasUSA
| | - Brian Adjetey
- Human Evolutionary Biology and Health LabBaylor UniversityWacoTexasUSA
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8
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Taborsky B, Kuijper B, Fawcett TW, English S, Leimar O, McNamara JM, Ruuskanen S. An evolutionary perspective on stress responses, damage and repair. Horm Behav 2022; 142:105180. [PMID: 35569424 DOI: 10.1016/j.yhbeh.2022.105180] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/11/2022] [Revised: 04/16/2022] [Accepted: 04/21/2022] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Abstract
Variation in stress responses has been investigated in relation to environmental factors, species ecology, life history and fitness. Moreover, mechanistic studies have unravelled molecular mechanisms of how acute and chronic stress responses cause physiological impacts ('damage'), and how this damage can be repaired. However, it is not yet understood how the fitness effects of damage and repair influence stress response evolution. Here we study the evolution of hormone levels as a function of stressor occurrence, damage and the efficiency of repair. We hypothesise that the evolution of stress responses depends on the fitness consequences of damage and the ability to repair that damage. To obtain some general insights, we model a simplified scenario in which an organism repeatedly encounters a stressor with a certain frequency and predictability (temporal autocorrelation). The organism can defend itself by mounting a stress response (elevated hormone level), but this causes damage that takes time to repair. We identify optimal strategies in this scenario and then investigate how those strategies respond to acute and chronic exposures to the stressor. We find that for higher repair rates, baseline and peak hormone levels are higher. This typically means that the organism experiences higher levels of damage, which it can afford because that damage is repaired more quickly, but for very high repair rates the damage does not build up. With increasing predictability of the stressor, stress responses are sustained for longer, because the animal expects the stressor to persist, and thus damage builds up. This can result in very high (and potentially fatal) levels of damage when organisms are exposed to chronic stressors to which they are not evolutionarily adapted. Overall, our results highlight that at least three factors need to be considered jointly to advance our understanding of how stress physiology has evolved: (i) temporal dynamics of stressor occurrence; (ii) relative mortality risk imposed by the stressor itself versus damage caused by the stress response; and (iii) the efficiency of repair mechanisms.
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Affiliation(s)
- Barbara Taborsky
- Behavioural Ecology Division, Institute of Ecology and Evolution, University of Bern, Switzerland.
| | - Bram Kuijper
- Centre for Ecology and Conservation, University of Exeter, Penryn Campus, UK; Institute for Data Science and Artificial Intelligence, University of Exeter, UK
| | - Tim W Fawcett
- Centre for Research in Animal Behaviour (CRAB), University of Exeter, UK
| | - Sinead English
- School of Biological Sciences, University of Bristol, UK
| | - Olof Leimar
- Department of Zoology, Stockholm University, Sweden
| | | | - Suvi Ruuskanen
- Department of Biological and Environmental Science, University of Jyväskylä, Finland
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9
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Christensen C, Bracken AM, Justin O'Riain M, Heistermann M, King AJ, Fürtbauer I. Simultaneous investigation of urinary and faecal glucocorticoid metabolite concentrations reveals short- versus long-term drivers of HPA-axis activity in a wild primate (Papio ursinus). Gen Comp Endocrinol 2022; 318:113985. [PMID: 35093315 DOI: 10.1016/j.ygcen.2022.113985] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/21/2021] [Revised: 01/07/2022] [Accepted: 01/24/2022] [Indexed: 12/24/2022]
Abstract
Glucocorticoids (GCs), a class of steroid hormones released through activation of the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis, perform many vital functions essential for survival, including orchestrating an organism's response to stressors by modulating physiological and behavioural responses. Assessing changes and variation in GC metabolites from faecal or urine samples allows for the non-invasive monitoring of HPA-axis activity across vertebrates. The time lag of hormone excretion differs between these sample matrices, which has implications for their suitability for studying effects of different temporal nature on HPA-axis activity. However, simultaneous comparisons of predictors of faecal and urinary GC metabolites (fGCs and uGCs, respectively) are lacking. To address this gap, we employ frequent non-invasive sampling to investigate correlates of fGCs and uGCs in wild chacma baboons (Papio ursinus) (n = 17), including long-term (dominance rank, season, female reproductive state) and short-term (time of day, daily weather conditions) factors. Correlated with increasing day length, fGCs gradually decreased from winter to summer. No seasonal effect on uGCs was found but 'rain days' were associated with increased uGCs. Pregnant females had significantly higher fGCs compared to cycling and lactating females, whereas uGCs were not statistically different across reproductive states. A circadian effect was observed in uGCs but not in fGCs. Dominance rank did not affect either fGCs or uGCs. Our study highlights the difference in inherent fluctuation between uGCs and fGCs and its potential consequences for HPA-axis activity monitoring. While uGCs offer the opportunity to study short-term effects, they undergo more pronounced fluctuations, reducing their ability to capture long-term effects. Given the increasing use of urine for biological monitoring, knowledge of this potential limitation is crucial. Where possible, uGCs and fGCs should be monitored in tandem to obtain a comprehensive understanding of short- and long-term drivers of HPA-axis activity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Charlotte Christensen
- Biosciences, School of Biosciences, Geography and Physics, Faculty of Science and Engineering, Swansea University, SA2 8PP Swansea, UK.
| | - Anna M Bracken
- Biosciences, School of Biosciences, Geography and Physics, Faculty of Science and Engineering, Swansea University, SA2 8PP Swansea, UK
| | - M Justin O'Riain
- Institute for Communities and Wildlife in Africa, Department of Biological Sciences, University of Cape Town, Rondebosch 7701, South Africa
| | | | - Andrew J King
- Biosciences, School of Biosciences, Geography and Physics, Faculty of Science and Engineering, Swansea University, SA2 8PP Swansea, UK
| | - Ines Fürtbauer
- Biosciences, School of Biosciences, Geography and Physics, Faculty of Science and Engineering, Swansea University, SA2 8PP Swansea, UK
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10
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Girard-Buttoz C, Tkaczynski PJ, Samuni L, Fedurek P, Gomes C, Löhrich T, Manin V, Preis A, Valé PF, Deschner T, Wittig RM, Crockford C. Early maternal loss leads to short- but not long-term effects on diurnal cortisol slopes in wild chimpanzees. eLife 2021; 10:e64134. [PMID: 34133269 PMCID: PMC8208813 DOI: 10.7554/elife.64134] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/19/2020] [Accepted: 05/19/2021] [Indexed: 12/18/2022] Open
Abstract
The biological embedding model (BEM) suggests that fitness costs of maternal loss arise when early-life experience embeds long-term alterations to hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis activity. Alternatively, the adaptive calibration model (ACM) regards physiological changes during ontogeny as short-term adaptations. Both models have been tested in humans but rarely in wild, long-lived animals. We assessed whether, as in humans, maternal loss had short- and long-term impacts on orphan wild chimpanzee urinary cortisol levels and diurnal urinary cortisol slopes, both indicative of HPA axis functioning. Immature chimpanzees recently orphaned and/or orphaned early in life had diurnal cortisol slopes reflecting heightened activation of the HPA axis. However, these effects appeared short-term, with no consistent differences between orphan and non-orphan cortisol profiles in mature males, suggesting stronger support for the ACM than the BEM in wild chimpanzees. Compensatory mechanisms, such as adoption, may buffer against certain physiological effects of maternal loss in this species.
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Affiliation(s)
- Cédric Girard-Buttoz
- Department of Human Behavior, Ecology and Culture, Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary AnthropologyLeipzigGermany
- Taï Chimpanzee Project, Centre Suisse de Recherches ScientifiquesAbidjanCôte d'Ivoire
| | - Patrick J Tkaczynski
- Department of Human Behavior, Ecology and Culture, Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary AnthropologyLeipzigGermany
- Taï Chimpanzee Project, Centre Suisse de Recherches ScientifiquesAbidjanCôte d'Ivoire
| | - Liran Samuni
- Taï Chimpanzee Project, Centre Suisse de Recherches ScientifiquesAbidjanCôte d'Ivoire
- Department of Primatology, Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary AnthropologyLeipzigGermany
- Department of Human Evolutionary Biology, Harvard UniversityCambridgeUnited States
| | - Pawel Fedurek
- Division of Psychology, University of StirlingStirlingUnited Kingdom
| | - Cristina Gomes
- Tropical Conservation Institute, Florida International UniversityMiamiUnited States
| | - Therese Löhrich
- World Wide Fund for Nature, Dzanga Sangha Protected AreasBanguiCentral African Republic
- Robert Koch Institute, Epidemiology of Highly Pathogenic MicroorganismsBerlinGermany
| | - Virgile Manin
- Department of Human Behavior, Ecology and Culture, Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary AnthropologyLeipzigGermany
- Taï Chimpanzee Project, Centre Suisse de Recherches ScientifiquesAbidjanCôte d'Ivoire
| | - Anna Preis
- Department of Primatology, Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary AnthropologyLeipzigGermany
| | - Prince F Valé
- Taï Chimpanzee Project, Centre Suisse de Recherches ScientifiquesAbidjanCôte d'Ivoire
- Department of Primatology, Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary AnthropologyLeipzigGermany
- Centre Suisse de Recherches Scientifiques en Côte d'IvoireAbidjanCôte d'Ivoire
- Unité de Formation et de Recherche Biosciences, Université Félix Houphouët BoignyAbidjanCôte d'Ivoire
| | - Tobias Deschner
- Interim Group Primatology, Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary AnthropologyLeipzigGermany
| | - Roman M Wittig
- Department of Human Behavior, Ecology and Culture, Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary AnthropologyLeipzigGermany
- Taï Chimpanzee Project, Centre Suisse de Recherches ScientifiquesAbidjanCôte d'Ivoire
| | - Catherine Crockford
- Department of Human Behavior, Ecology and Culture, Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary AnthropologyLeipzigGermany
- Taï Chimpanzee Project, Centre Suisse de Recherches ScientifiquesAbidjanCôte d'Ivoire
- Institut des Sciences Cognitives, CNRSLyonFrance
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11
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Enigk DK, Emery Thompson M, Machanda ZP, Wrangham RW, Muller MN. Female-directed aggression by adolescent male chimpanzees primarily constitutes dominance striving, not sexual coercion. AMERICAN JOURNAL OF PHYSICAL ANTHROPOLOGY 2021; 176:66-79. [PMID: 33938563 DOI: 10.1002/ajpa.24296] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/20/2020] [Revised: 04/06/2021] [Accepted: 04/17/2021] [Indexed: 11/11/2022]
Abstract
OBJECTIVES Chimpanzees (Pan troglodytes) are notable for exhibiting high levels of male-to-female aggression. Much of this aggression from adult males serves sexually coercive functions. Despite being smaller and lower-ranking than adult males, adolescent males also engage in regular aggression against adult females. Here, we test whether the primary function of this aggression is sexual coercion, as in adult males, or, alternatively, whether adolescent males use aggression to establish social dominance over females. MATERIALS AND METHODS We analyzed 1771 copulations and 1812 instances of male-initiated aggression between adolescent males (aged nine through 14 years) and adult females across 21 years of observation of the Kanyawara chimpanzee community in Kibale National Park, Uganda. RESULTS Our test of the sexual coercion hypothesis revealed that adolescent males did not selectively target cycling females for aggression, nor did aggression against cycling females predict rates of copulation with those females. Our test of the social dominance hypothesis showed that males succeeded in dominating all adult females before, or soon after, dominating their first adult male. Additionally, we found that adolescent males dominated females approximately in the order of the females' own ranks, from the bottom to the top of the female hierarchy. DISCUSSION Our data illustrate that the establishment of social dominance was more important than sexual coercion in explaining patterns of adolescent male aggression toward females. In comparison, evidence for sexual coercion was clear and compelling in adult males. These findings highlight that the primary function of male-to-female aggression differs between adolescent and adult males.
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Affiliation(s)
- Drew K Enigk
- Department of Anthropology, University of New Mexico, Albuquerque, New Mexico, USA
| | - Melissa Emery Thompson
- Department of Anthropology, University of New Mexico, Albuquerque, New Mexico, USA.,Kibale Chimpanzee Project, Fort Portal, Uganda
| | - Zarin P Machanda
- Kibale Chimpanzee Project, Fort Portal, Uganda.,Department of Anthropology, Tufts University, Medford, USA
| | - Richard W Wrangham
- Kibale Chimpanzee Project, Fort Portal, Uganda.,Department of Human Evolutionary Biology, Harvard University, Cambridge, Massachusetts, USA
| | - Martin N Muller
- Department of Anthropology, University of New Mexico, Albuquerque, New Mexico, USA.,Kibale Chimpanzee Project, Fort Portal, Uganda
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12
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Houle A, Wrangham RW. Contest competition for fruit and space among wild chimpanzees in relation to the vertical stratification of metabolizable energy. Anim Behav 2021. [DOI: 10.1016/j.anbehav.2021.03.003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/05/2023]
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13
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Touitou S, Heistermann M, Schülke O, Ostner J. Triiodothyronine and cortisol levels in the face of energetic challenges from reproduction, thermoregulation and food intake in female macaques. Horm Behav 2021; 131:104968. [PMID: 33872928 DOI: 10.1016/j.yhbeh.2021.104968] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/09/2020] [Revised: 03/10/2021] [Accepted: 03/11/2021] [Indexed: 01/10/2023]
Abstract
Energy availability drives an individual's fitness and can be affected by diverse energetic challenges. The assessment of hormones involved in metabolic activity and energy mobilization provides a gateway to the study of physiological adaptations in response to changes in energy availability. Here, we investigated immunoreactive urinary total triiodothyronine (uTT3, thyroid hormone secreted through the hypothalamus-pituitary-thyroid axis and regulating the basal metabolic rate) alongside glucocorticoids (i.e. urinary cortisol, uCort, secreted through the hypothalamus-pituitary-adrenal axis and mediating energy mobilization) in wild female Assamese macaques (Macaca assamensis). Combining more than 2900; of behavioral data from 42 adult females with physiological data from 382 urine samples, we evaluated both uTT3 and uCort in relation to potential energetic challenges encountered by a female, namely fluctuations in energy intake, travel distance, reproductive state and minimum ambient temperature. As predicted, levels of both hormones changed in response to variation in energy intake with a tendency toward a positive effect on uTT3 and a significant negative effect on uCort levels. Unexpectedly, neither hormone was influenced by variation in travel distance. Reproductive state affected both hormones with higher levels of uTT3 and uCort in the second half of gestation. Finally, a decrease of minimum temperature triggered an increase in uCort but unexpectedly not in uTT3. Collectively, our results highlight the respective contribution of two endocrine axes when facing energetic challenges and the underlying metabolic strategies to cope with them. Overall, assessing thyroid hormones together with glucocorticoids provides an integrative picture in the evaluation of an individual's energy status.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sonia Touitou
- Department of Behavioral Ecology, Johann-Friedrich-Blumenbach Institute for Zoology and Anthropology, University of Goettingen, Goettingen, Germany; Leibniz Science Campus Primate Cognition, Goettingen, Germany; Primate Social Evolution Group, German Primate Centre, Leibniz Institute for Primate Research, Goettingen, Germany.
| | - Michael Heistermann
- Endocrinology Laboratory, German Primate Centre, Leibniz Institute for Primate Research, Goettingen, Germany
| | - Oliver Schülke
- Department of Behavioral Ecology, Johann-Friedrich-Blumenbach Institute for Zoology and Anthropology, University of Goettingen, Goettingen, Germany; Leibniz Science Campus Primate Cognition, Goettingen, Germany; Primate Social Evolution Group, German Primate Centre, Leibniz Institute for Primate Research, Goettingen, Germany
| | - Julia Ostner
- Department of Behavioral Ecology, Johann-Friedrich-Blumenbach Institute for Zoology and Anthropology, University of Goettingen, Goettingen, Germany; Leibniz Science Campus Primate Cognition, Goettingen, Germany; Primate Social Evolution Group, German Primate Centre, Leibniz Institute for Primate Research, Goettingen, Germany
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14
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Muller MN, Enigk DK, Fox SA, Lucore J, Machanda ZP, Wrangham RW, Emery Thompson M. Aggression, glucocorticoids, and the chronic costs of status competition for wild male chimpanzees. Horm Behav 2021; 130:104965. [PMID: 33676127 PMCID: PMC8043126 DOI: 10.1016/j.yhbeh.2021.104965] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/07/2020] [Revised: 01/18/2021] [Accepted: 02/19/2021] [Indexed: 10/22/2022]
Abstract
Across vertebrates, high social status affords preferential access to resources, and is expected to correlate positively with health and longevity. Increasing evidence, however, suggests that although dominant females generally enjoy reduced exposure to physiological and psychosocial stressors, dominant males do not. Here we test the hypothesis that costly mating competition by high-ranking males results in chronic, potentially harmful elevations in glucocorticoid production. We examined urinary glucocorticoids (n = 8029 samples) in a 20-year longitudinal study of wild male chimpanzees (n = 20 adults) in the Kanyawara community of Kibale National Park, Uganda. We tested whether glucocorticoid production was associated with dominance rank in the long term, and with mating competition and dominance instability in the short term. Using mixed models, we found that both male aggression and glucocorticoid excretion increased when the dominance hierarchy was unstable, and when parous females were sexually available. Glucocorticoid excretion was positively associated with male rank in stable and unstable hierarchies, and in mating and non-mating contexts. Glucorticoids increased with both giving and receiving aggression, but giving aggression was the primary mechanism linking elevated glucocorticoids with high rank. Glucocorticoids also increased with age. Together these results show that investment in male-male competition increases cumulative exposure to glucocorticoids, suggesting a long-term tradeoff with health that may constrain the ability to maintain high status across the life course. Our data suggest that the relationship between social rank and glucocorticoid production often differs in males and females owing to sex differences in the operation of sexual selection.
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Affiliation(s)
- Martin N Muller
- Department of Anthropology, University of New Mexico, United States of America.
| | - Drew K Enigk
- Department of Anthropology, University of New Mexico, United States of America
| | - Stephanie A Fox
- Department of Anthropology, University of New Mexico, United States of America
| | - Jordan Lucore
- Department of Anthropology, University of Michigan, United States of America
| | - Zarin P Machanda
- Department of Anthropology, Tufts University, United States of America
| | - Richard W Wrangham
- Department of Human Evolutionary Biology, Harvard University, United States of America
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15
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The cost of associating with males for Bornean and Sumatran female orangutans: a hidden form of sexual conflict? Behav Ecol Sociobiol 2020; 75:6. [PMID: 33408436 PMCID: PMC7773621 DOI: 10.1007/s00265-020-02948-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/03/2020] [Revised: 12/02/2020] [Accepted: 12/09/2020] [Indexed: 12/29/2022]
Abstract
Abstract Sexual coercion, in the form of forced copulations, is relatively frequently observed in orangutans and generally attributed to their semi-solitary lifestyle. High ecological costs of association for females may be responsible for this lifestyle and may have prevented the evolution of morphological fertility indicators (e.g., sexual swellings), which would attract (male) associates. Therefore, sexual conflict may arise not only about mating per se but also about associations, because males may benefit from associations with females to monitor their reproductive state and attempt to monopolize their sexual activities. Here, we evaluate association patterns and costs for females when associating with both males and females of two different orangutan species at two study sites: Suaq, Sumatra (Pongo abelii), and Tuanan, Borneo (Pongo pygmaeus wurmbii). Female association frequency with both males and females was higher in the Sumatran population, living in more productive habitat. Accordingly, we found that the cost of association, in terms of reduced feeding to moving ratio and increased time being active, is higher in the less sociable Bornean population. Males generally initiated and maintained such costly associations with females, and prolonged associations with males led to increased female fecal cortisol metabolite (FCM) levels at Tuanan, the Bornean population. We conclude that male-maintained associations are an expression of sexual conflict in orangutans, at least at Tuanan. For females, this cost of association may be responsible for the lack of sexual signaling, while needing to confuse paternity. Significance statement Socioecological theory predicts a trade-off between the benefits of sociality and the ecological costs of increased feeding competition. Orangutans’ semi-solitary lifestyle has been attributed to the combination of high association costs and low predation risk. Previous work revealed a positive correlation between association frequencies and habitat productivity, but did not measure the costs of association. In this comparative study, we show that females likely incur costs from involuntary, male-maintained associations, especially when they last for several days and particularly in the population characterized by lower association frequencies. Association maintenance therefore qualifies as another expression of sexual conflict in orangutans, and especially prolonged, male-maintained associations may qualify as an indirect form of sexual coercion. Supplementary Information The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1007/s00265-020-02948-4.
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16
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Thompson ME, Muller MN, Machanda ZP, Otali E, Wrangham RW. The Kibale Chimpanzee Project: Over thirty years of research, conservation, and change. BIOLOGICAL CONSERVATION 2020; 252:108857. [PMID: 33281197 PMCID: PMC7709955 DOI: 10.1016/j.biocon.2020.108857] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/03/2023]
Abstract
Long-term primate field research programs contribute to the protection of endangered primate species and their vanishing habitats by informing and fostering local and international conservation programs. The Kibale Chimpanzee Project (KCP) has studied the Kanyawara community of wild chimpanzees continuously since 1987, investigating a wide range of behavioral, ecological, and physiological questions. The study area includes the northwest boundary of Kibale National Park, Uganda, and has experienced habitat change driven by multiple causes, including forest regeneration, an increasingly warmer and wetter climate, and impacts from the neighboring human population. Here, we review the history of research on Kanyawara chimpanzees and examine how their demography, diet, and social behavior have changed over the last 30+ years. While Kanyawara chimpanzees were protected from the major threats of poaching and habitat loss, respiratory diseases of human origin were a major source of mortality. Many individuals were also injured by wire hunting snares. Nevertheless, the study community has grown modestly in size, individuals have become increasingly gregarious, and birth rates have increased. These results are likely attributable to improved habitat productivity that can be traced to decades-long efforts by wildlife authorities and the associated research and conservation programs in Kibale. Overall, research has contributed both to understanding interactions among nutritional ecology, social behavior, physiology, and health of an endangered species, and also to conservation activities in the Kibale community through direct interventions, positive economic impacts, and conservation education programs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Melissa Emery Thompson
- Department of Anthropology, University of New Mexico, Albuquerque, NM USA
- Kibale Chimpanzee Project, Makerere University Biological Field Station, Fort Portal, Uganda
| | - Martin N. Muller
- Department of Anthropology, University of New Mexico, Albuquerque, NM USA
- Kibale Chimpanzee Project, Makerere University Biological Field Station, Fort Portal, Uganda
| | - Zarin P. Machanda
- Kibale Chimpanzee Project, Makerere University Biological Field Station, Fort Portal, Uganda
- Department of Anthropology, Tufts University, Boston, MA USA
| | - Emily Otali
- Kibale Chimpanzee Project, Makerere University Biological Field Station, Fort Portal, Uganda
| | - Richard W. Wrangham
- Kibale Chimpanzee Project, Makerere University Biological Field Station, Fort Portal, Uganda
- Department of Human Evolutionary Biology, Harvard University, Boston NM USA
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17
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Wessling EG, Dieguez P, Llana M, Pacheco L, Pruetz JD, Kühl HS. Chimpanzee (Pan troglodytes verus) Density and Environmental Gradients at Their Biogeographical Range Edge. INT J PRIMATOL 2020. [DOI: 10.1007/s10764-020-00182-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
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18
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Levy EJ, Gesquiere LR, McLean E, Franz M, Warutere JK, Sayialel SN, Mututua RS, Wango TL, Oudu VK, Altmann J, Archie EA, Alberts SC. Higher dominance rank is associated with lower glucocorticoids in wild female baboons: A rank metric comparison. Horm Behav 2020; 125:104826. [PMID: 32758500 PMCID: PMC7541639 DOI: 10.1016/j.yhbeh.2020.104826] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/24/2020] [Revised: 07/13/2020] [Accepted: 07/26/2020] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Abstract
In vertebrates, glucocorticoid secretion occurs in response to energetic and psychosocial stressors that trigger the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis. Measuring glucocorticoid concentrations can therefore shed light on the stressors associated with different social and environmental variables, including dominance rank. Using 14,172 fecal samples from 237 wild female baboons, we test the hypothesis that high-ranking females experience fewer psychosocial and/or energetic stressors than lower-ranking females. We predicted that high-ranking females would have lower fecal glucocorticoid (fGC) concentrations than low-ranking females. Because dominance rank can be measured in multiple ways, we employ an information theoretic approach to compare 5 different measures of rank as predictors of fGC concentrations: ordinal rank; proportional rank; Elo rating; and two approaches to categorical ranking (alpha vs non-alpha and high-middle-low). Our hypothesis was supported, but it was also too simplistic. We found that alpha females exhibited substantially lower fGCs than other females (typical reduction = 8.2%). If we used proportional rank instead of alpha versus non-alpha status in the model, we observed a weak effect of rank such that fGCs rose 4.2% from the highest- to lowest-ranking female in the hierarchy. Models using ordinal rank, Elo rating, or high-middle-low categories alone failed to explain variation in female fGCs. Our findings shed new light on the association between dominance rank and the stress response, the competitive landscape of female baboons as compared to males, and the assumptions inherent in a researcher's choice of rank metric.
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Affiliation(s)
- Emily J Levy
- Department of Biology, Duke University, 130 Science Drive, Durham, NC 27708, USA,.
| | - Laurence R Gesquiere
- Department of Biology, Duke University, 130 Science Drive, Durham, NC 27708, USA,.
| | - Emily McLean
- Oxford College of Emory University, 801 Emory Street, Oxford, GA 30054, USA.
| | - Mathias Franz
- Institute for Biology, Freie Universitaet Berlin, Königin-Luise-Strasse 1-3, D-14195 Berlin, Germany.
| | | | - Serah N Sayialel
- Amboseli Baboon Research Project, PO Box 72211-0020, Nairobi, Kenya
| | | | - Tim L Wango
- Amboseli Baboon Research Project, PO Box 72211-0020, Nairobi, Kenya; Department of Veterinary Anatomy and Animal Physiology, University of Nairobi, Kenya
| | - Vivian K Oudu
- Amboseli Baboon Research Project, PO Box 72211-0020, Nairobi, Kenya
| | - Jeanne Altmann
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, Princeton University, Princeton, NJ, USA; Institute of Primate Research, National Museums of Kenya, Nairobi 00502, Kenya,.
| | - Elizabeth A Archie
- Institute of Primate Research, National Museums of Kenya, Nairobi 00502, Kenya,; Department of Biological Sciences, University of Notre Dame, Notre Dame, IN 46556, USA.
| | - Susan C Alberts
- Department of Biology, Duke University, 130 Science Drive, Durham, NC 27708, USA,; Institute of Primate Research, National Museums of Kenya, Nairobi 00502, Kenya,; Department of Evolutionary Anthropology, Duke University, 130 Science Drive, Durham, NC 27708, USA.
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19
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Fedurek P, Lacroix L, Lehmann J, Aktipis A, Cronk L, Townsend C, Makambi EJ, Mabulla I, Behrends V, Berbesque JC. Status does not predict stress: Women in an egalitarian hunter-gatherer society. EVOLUTIONARY HUMAN SCIENCES 2020; 2:e44. [PMID: 37588349 PMCID: PMC10427491 DOI: 10.1017/ehs.2020.44] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
It is widely believed that there is strong association between physiological stress and an individual's social status in their social hierarchy. This has been claimed for all humans cross-culturally, as well as in non-human animals living in social groups. However, the relationship between stress and social status has not been explored in any egalitarian hunter-gatherer society; it is also under investigated in exclusively female social groups. Most of human evolutionary history was spent in small, mobile foraging bands of hunter-gatherers with little economic differentiation - egalitarian societies. We analysed women's hair cortisol concentration along with two domains of women's social status (foraging reputation and popularity) in an egalitarian hunter-gatherer society, the Hadza. We hypothesized that higher social status would be associated with lower physiological indicators of stress in these women. Surprisingly, we did not find any association between either foraging reputation or popularity and hair cortisol concentration. The results of our study suggest that social status is not a consistent or powerful predictor of physiological stress levels in women in an egalitarian social structure. This challenges the notion that social status has the same basic physiological implications across all demographics and in all human societies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Piotr Fedurek
- Centre for Research in Evolutionary, Social and Inter-Disciplinary Anthropology, Roehampton University, London, UK
| | - Laurent Lacroix
- Health Sciences Research Centre, Roehampton University, London, UK
| | - Julia Lehmann
- Centre for Research in Evolutionary, Social and Inter-Disciplinary Anthropology, Roehampton University, London, UK
| | - Athena Aktipis
- Department of Psychology, Arizona State University, Tempe, AZ, USA
| | - Lee Cronk
- Department of Anthropology, Baylor University, Waco, TX, USA
| | | | | | | | - Volker Behrends
- Health Sciences Research Centre, Roehampton University, London, UK
| | - J. Colette Berbesque
- Centre for Research in Evolutionary, Social and Inter-Disciplinary Anthropology, Roehampton University, London, UK
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20
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Rudolph K, Fichtel C, Heistermann M, Kappeler PM. Dynamics and determinants of glucocorticoid metabolite concentrations in wild Verreaux's sifakas. Horm Behav 2020; 124:104760. [PMID: 32330550 DOI: 10.1016/j.yhbeh.2020.104760] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/08/2019] [Revised: 04/14/2020] [Accepted: 04/16/2020] [Indexed: 10/24/2022]
Abstract
Glucocorticoids have wide-ranging effects on animals' behaviour, but many of these effects remain poorly understood because numerous confounding factors have often been neglected in previous studies. Here, we present data from a 2-year study of 7 groups of wild Verreaux's sifakas (Propithecus verreauxi), in which we examined concentrations of faecal glucocorticoid metabolites (fGCMs, n = 2350 samples) simultaneously in relation to ambient temperatures, food intake, rank, reproduction, adult sex ratios, social interactions, vigilance and self-scratching. Multi-variate analyses revealed that fGCM concentrations were positively correlated with increases in daily temperature fluctuations and tended to decrease with increasing fruit intake. fGCM concentrations increased when males were sexually mature and began to disperse, and dominant males had higher fGCM concentrations than subordinate males. In contrast to males, older females showed a non-significant trend to have lower fGCM levels, potentially reflecting differences in male and female life-history strategies. Reproducing females had the highest fGCM concentrations during late gestation and had higher fGCM levels than non-reproducing females, except during early lactation. Variation in fGCM concentrations was not associated with variation in social interactions, adult sex ratios, vigilance and self-scratching. Altogether, we show that measures of glucocorticoid output constitute appropriate tools for studying energetic burdens of ecological and reproductive challenges. However, they seem to be insufficient indicators for immediate endocrinological responses to social and nonsocial behaviours that are not directly linked to energy metabolism.
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Affiliation(s)
- Katja Rudolph
- Behavioral Ecology & Sociobiology Unit, German Primate Center, Leibniz Institute for Primate Research, Kellnerweg 4, 37077 Göttingen, Germany; Dept. Sociobiology/Anthropology, Johann-Friedrich-Blumenbach Institute of Zoology and Anthropology, University Göttingen, Kellnerweg 6, 37077 Göttingen, Germany; Leibniz Science Campus "Primate Cognition", Göttingen, Germany.
| | - Claudia Fichtel
- Behavioral Ecology & Sociobiology Unit, German Primate Center, Leibniz Institute for Primate Research, Kellnerweg 4, 37077 Göttingen, Germany; Leibniz Science Campus "Primate Cognition", Göttingen, Germany.
| | - Michael Heistermann
- Endocrinology Laboratory, German Primate Center, Leibniz Institute for Primate Research, Kellnerweg 4, 37077 Göttingen, Germany.
| | - Peter M Kappeler
- Behavioral Ecology & Sociobiology Unit, German Primate Center, Leibniz Institute for Primate Research, Kellnerweg 4, 37077 Göttingen, Germany; Dept. Sociobiology/Anthropology, Johann-Friedrich-Blumenbach Institute of Zoology and Anthropology, University Göttingen, Kellnerweg 6, 37077 Göttingen, Germany.
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21
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Carrera SC, Sen S, Heistermann M, Lu A, Beehner JC. Low rank and primiparity increase fecal glucocorticoid metabolites across gestation in wild geladas. Gen Comp Endocrinol 2020; 293:113494. [PMID: 32333913 DOI: 10.1016/j.ygcen.2020.113494] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/13/2019] [Revised: 03/07/2020] [Accepted: 04/21/2020] [Indexed: 11/20/2022]
Abstract
Integrative behavioral ecology requires accurate and non-invasive measures of hormone mediators for the study of wild animal populations. Biologically sensitive assay systems for the measurement of hormones and their metabolites need to be validated for the species and sample medium (e.g. urine, feces, saliva) of interest. Where more than one assay is available for hormone (metabolite) measurement, antibody selection is useful in identifying the assay that tracks changes in an individuaĺs endocrine activity best, i.e., the most biologically sensitive assay. This is particularly important when measuring how glucocorticoids (GCs) respond to the subtle, additive effects of acute stressors during a predictable metabolic challenge, such as gestation. Here, we validate a group-specific enzyme immunoassay, measuring immunoreactive 11β-hydroxyetiocholanolone, for use in a wild primate, geladas (Theropithecus gelada). This group-specific assay produced values correlated with those from a previously validated double-antibody, corticosterone 125I radioimmunoassay. However, the results with the group-specific assay showed a stronger response to an ACTH challenge and identified greater variation in gelada immunoreactive fecal glucocorticoid metabolites (iGCMs) compared with the corticosterone assay, indicating a higher biological sensitivity for assessing adrenocortical activity. We then used the group-specific assay to: (1) determine the normative pattern of iGCM levels across gelada gestation, and (2) identify the ecological, social, and individual factors that influence GC output for pregnant females. Using a general additive mixed model, we found that higher iGCM levels were associated with low rank (compared to high rank) and first time mothers (compared to multiparous mothers). This study highlights the importance of assay selection and the efficacy of group-specific assays for hormonal research in non-invasively collected samples. Additionally, in geladas, our results identify some of the factors that increase GC output over and above the already-elevated GC concentrations associated with gestation. In the burgeoning field of maternal stress, these factors can be examined to identify the effects that GC elevations may have on offspring development.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sofia C Carrera
- Department of Psychology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI 48109, USA.
| | - Sharmi Sen
- Department of Anthropology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI 48109, USA
| | - Michael Heistermann
- Endocrinology Laboratory, German Primate Center, Leibniz Institute for Primate Research, 37077 Göttingen, Germany
| | - Amy Lu
- Department of Anthropology, SUNY Stony Brook, Stony Brook, NY 11794, USA
| | - Jacinta C Beehner
- Department of Psychology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI 48109, USA; Department of Anthropology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI 48109, USA
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22
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Emery Thompson M, Fox SA, Berghänel A, Sabbi KH, Phillips-Garcia S, Enigk DK, Otali E, Machanda ZP, Wrangham RW, Muller MN. Wild chimpanzees exhibit humanlike aging of glucocorticoid regulation. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2020; 117:8424-8430. [PMID: 32229565 PMCID: PMC7165472 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.1920593117] [Citation(s) in RCA: 30] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/22/2023] Open
Abstract
Cortisol, a key product of the stress response, has critical influences on degenerative aging in humans. In turn, cortisol production is affected by senescence of the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis, leading to progressive dysregulation and increased cortisol exposure. These processes have been studied extensively in industrialized settings, but few comparative data are available from humans and closely related species living in natural environments, where stressors are very different. Here, we examine age-related changes in urinary cortisol in a 20-y longitudinal study of wild chimpanzees (n = 59 adults) in the Kanyawara community of Kibale National Park, Uganda. We tested for three key features of HPA aging identified in many human studies: increased average levels, a blunted diurnal rhythm, and enhanced response to stressors. Using linear mixed models, we found that aging was associated with a blunting of the diurnal rhythm and a significant linear increase in cortisol, even after controlling for changes in dominance rank. These effects did not differ by sex. Aging did not increase sensitivity to energetic stress or social status. Female chimpanzees experienced their highest levels of cortisol during cycling (versus lactation), and this effect increased with age. Male chimpanzees experienced their highest levels when exposed to sexually attractive females, but this effect was diminished by age. Our results indicate that chimpanzees share some key features of HPA aging with humans. These findings suggest that impairments of HPA regulation are intrinsic to the aging process in hominids and are side effects neither of extended human life span nor of atypical environments.
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Affiliation(s)
- Melissa Emery Thompson
- Department of Anthropology, University of New Mexico, Albuquerque, NM 87131;
- Kibale Chimpanzee Project, Fort Portal, Uganda
| | - Stephanie A Fox
- Department of Anthropology, University of New Mexico, Albuquerque, NM 87131
| | - Andreas Berghänel
- Department of Anthropology, University of New Mexico, Albuquerque, NM 87131
- Domestication Lab, Konrad Lorenz Institute of Ethology, Department of Interdisciplinary Life Sciences, University of Veterinary Medicine Vienna, 1160 Vienna, Austria
| | - Kris H Sabbi
- Department of Anthropology, University of New Mexico, Albuquerque, NM 87131
| | | | - Drew K Enigk
- Department of Anthropology, University of New Mexico, Albuquerque, NM 87131
| | - Emily Otali
- Kibale Chimpanzee Project, Fort Portal, Uganda
| | - Zarin P Machanda
- Kibale Chimpanzee Project, Fort Portal, Uganda
- Department of Anthropology, Tufts University, Medford, MA 02155
| | - Richard W Wrangham
- Kibale Chimpanzee Project, Fort Portal, Uganda
- Department of Human Evolutionary Biology, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA 02138
| | - Martin N Muller
- Department of Anthropology, University of New Mexico, Albuquerque, NM 87131
- Kibale Chimpanzee Project, Fort Portal, Uganda
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23
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Thompson NA, Higham JP, Heistermann M, Vogel E, Cords M. Energy balance but not competitive environment corresponds with allostatic load during development in an Old World monkey. Horm Behav 2020; 119:104664. [PMID: 31899261 DOI: 10.1016/j.yhbeh.2019.104664] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/19/2019] [Revised: 12/21/2019] [Accepted: 12/24/2019] [Indexed: 11/24/2022]
Abstract
Primates develop slowly relative to their body size, a pattern posited to result from ecological risk aversion. Little is known, however, about how energy balance contributes to allostatic load in juveniles. Using data collected over 8 consecutive months, we examined variation in energy balance (as measured by urinary C-peptide) and how energy balance, life history status, and social competition related to allostatic load (as measured by deviation from baseline fecal glucocorticoid metabolites, dfGCs) in 41 wild juvenile blue monkeys from 3 social groups. Juvenile energy balance was higher among females, older juveniles, when ripe fruit was more available, and when rainfall was lower. Energy balance, but not life history or competitive environments, predicted dfGC concentrations, such that juveniles generally had lower mean dfGCs when they had higher energy balance. An additional exploratory analysis of how dfGCs relate to social strategies revealed that subjects had lower dfGCs when they groomed less, and played more. Time spent grooming interacted with energy balance in predicting dfGC concentrations, so that individuals that groomed more actually had higher dfGCs when they had higher energy balance. Together these results reveal that energetic deficiencies are a true ecological risk factor in blue monkeys, and suggest that navigating the social environment via overt affiliative behavior is potentially both a stress-relieving and stress-inducing endeavor during development.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nicole A Thompson
- Columbia University, Department of Ecology, Evolution, and Environmental Biology, United States of America; New York Consortium in Evolutionary Primatology, United States of America.
| | - James P Higham
- New York Consortium in Evolutionary Primatology, United States of America; New York University, Department of Anthropology, United States of America
| | | | - Erin Vogel
- Rutgers University, Department of Anthropology, United States of America
| | - Marina Cords
- Columbia University, Department of Ecology, Evolution, and Environmental Biology, United States of America; New York Consortium in Evolutionary Primatology, United States of America
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24
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Roberts AI, Roberts SGB. Communicative roots of complex sociality and cognition. Biol Rev Camb Philos Soc 2020; 95:51-73. [PMID: 31608566 DOI: 10.1111/brv.12553] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/08/2019] [Revised: 08/14/2019] [Accepted: 09/03/2019] [Indexed: 01/24/2023]
Abstract
Mammals living in more complex social groups typically have large brains for their body size and many researchers have proposed that the primary driver of the increase in brain size through primate and hominin evolution was the selection pressures associated with sociality. Many mammals, and especially primates, use flexible signals that show a high degree of voluntary control and these signals may play an important role in forming and maintaining social relationships between group members. However, the specific role that cognitive skills play in this complex communication, and how in turn this relates to sociality, is still unclear. The hypothesis for the communicative roots of complex sociality and cognition posits that cognitive demands behind the communication needed to form and maintain bonded social relationships in complex social settings drives the link between brain size and sociality. We review the evidence in support of this hypothesis and why key features of cognitively complex communication such as intentionality and referentiality should be more effective in forming and maintaining bonded relationships as compared with less cognitively complex communication. Exploring the link between cognition, communication and sociality provides insights into how increasing flexibility in communication can facilitate the emergence of social systems characterised by bonded social relationships, such as those found in non-human primates and humans. To move the field forward and carry out both within- and among-species comparisons, we advocate the use of social network analysis, which provides a novel way to describe and compare social structure. Using this approach can lead to a new, systematic way of examining social and communicative complexity across species, something that is lacking in current comparative studies of social structure.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anna I Roberts
- Department of Psychology, University of Chester, Chester, CH1 4BJ, UK
| | - Sam G B Roberts
- School of Natural Sciences and Psychology, Liverpool John Moores University, Liverpool, L3 3AF, UK
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25
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Riedel J, Polansky L, Wittig RM, Boesch C. Social rank overrides environmental and community fluctuations in determining meat access by female chimpanzees in the Taï National Park, Côte d'Ivoire. PeerJ 2020; 8:e8283. [PMID: 32002324 PMCID: PMC6982416 DOI: 10.7717/peerj.8283] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/08/2019] [Accepted: 11/22/2019] [Indexed: 11/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Meat, long hypothesized as an important food source in human evolution, is still a substantial component of the modern human diet, with some humans relying entirely on meat during certain times of the year. Understanding the socio-ecological context leading to the successful acquisition and consumption of meat by chimpanzees (Pan troglodytes), our closest living relative, can provide insight into the emergence of this trait because humans and chimpanzees are unusual among primates in that they both (i) hunt mammalian prey, (ii) share meat with community members, and (iii) form long-term relationships and complex social hierarchies within their communities. However, females in both human hunter-gatherer societies as well as chimpanzee groups rarely hunt, instead typically accessing meat via males that share meat with group members. In general, female chimpanzee dominance rank affects feeding competition, but so far, the effect of female dominance rank on meat access found different results within and across studied chimpanzee groups. Here we contribute to the debate on how female rank influences meat access while controlling for several socio-ecological variables. Multivariate analyses of 773 separate meat-eating events collected over more than 25 years from two chimpanzee communities located in the Taï National Park, Côte d’Ivoire, were used to test the importance of female dominance rank for being present at, and for acquiring meat, during meat-eating events. We found that high-ranking females were more likely to be present during a meat-eating event and, in addition, were more likely to eat meat compared to the subordinates. These findings were robust to both large demographic changes (decrease of community size) and seasonal ecological changes (fruit abundance dynamics). In addition to social rank, we found that other female properties had a positive influence on presence to meat-eating events and access to meat given presence, including oestrus status, nursing of a small infant, and age. Similar to findings in other chimpanzee populations, our results suggest that females reliably acquire meat over their lifetime despite rarely being active hunters. The implication of this study supports the hypothesis that dominance rank is an important female chimpanzee property conferring benefits for the high-ranking females.
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Affiliation(s)
- Julia Riedel
- Department of Primatology, Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology, Leipzig, Germany.,Taï Chimpanzee Project, Centre Suisse de Recherches Scientifiques, Abidjan, Ivory Coast
| | - Leo Polansky
- Department of Primatology, Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology, Leipzig, Germany.,Bay-Delta Fish and Wildlife Office, US Fish and Wildlife Service, Sacramento, CA, United States of America
| | - Roman M Wittig
- Department of Primatology, Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology, Leipzig, Germany.,Taï Chimpanzee Project, Centre Suisse de Recherches Scientifiques, Abidjan, Ivory Coast
| | - Christophe Boesch
- Department of Primatology, Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology, Leipzig, Germany.,Taï Chimpanzee Project, Centre Suisse de Recherches Scientifiques, Abidjan, Ivory Coast
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26
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Uwimbabazi M, Rothman JM, Basuta GI, Machanda ZP, Conklin‐Brittain NL, Wrangham RW. INFLUENCE OF FRUIT AVAILABILITY ON MACRONUTRIENT AND ENERGY INTAKE BY FEMALE CHIMPANZEES. Afr J Ecol 2019; 57:454-465. [PMID: 32863473 DOI: 10.1111/aje.12636] [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] [Indexed: 12/31/2022]
Abstract
Daily energy intake of adult female mammals is influenced by environmental conditions and physiological requirements, including reproduction. We examined the effects of fruit availability on macronutrient and metabolisable energy intake by adult female chimpanzees (Pan troglodytes schweinfurthii) of the Kanyawara community in Kibale National Park, Uganda from January 2014 through June 2015. Drupe fruits were abundant for four months, whereas the other fourteen months were dominated by fig fruits. The mean daily intake of food (dry matter) and metabolisable energy, did not differ between drupe-months and fig-months. However, foraging costs were higher during fig-months, as indicated by a 20% increase in feeding time. Furthermore, during drupe-months female chimpanzees ingested more water-soluble carbohydrates and lipids, and less available protein and neutral detergent fibre. Although metabolisable energy intake did not differ consistently between drupe-months and fig-months, they consumed more on days when ripe fruit dominated the diet than when leaves and pithy stems dominated the diet. Our data suggest that differences in diet quality between drupes and figs can have important effects on frugivore foraging, and that they influence net energy gain more by their effects on macronutrient composition or foraging cost than by their direct impact on energy intake.
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Affiliation(s)
- Moreen Uwimbabazi
- Department of Zoology, Entomology and Fisheries Sciences, College of Natural Sciences Makerere University Kampala Uganda
| | - Jessica M. Rothman
- Department of Anthropology Hunter College of the City University of New York New York New York
| | - Gilbert I. Basuta
- Department of Zoology, Entomology and Fisheries Sciences, College of Natural Sciences Makerere University Kampala Uganda
| | | | | | - Richard W. Wrangham
- Department of Human Evolutionary Biology Harvard University Cambridge Massachusetts
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27
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Gale TJ, Garratt M, Brooks RC. Female mice seek refuge from castrated males, but not intact or vasectomized males, mitigating a socially-induced glucocorticoid response. Physiol Behav 2019; 211:112678. [PMID: 31505190 DOI: 10.1016/j.physbeh.2019.112678] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/05/2019] [Revised: 08/07/2019] [Accepted: 09/05/2019] [Indexed: 10/26/2022]
Abstract
Sexual conflict may be manifested during social interactions, shaping the costs of reproduction in sexually reproducing species. This conflict, and the physical necessity of intromission, can intensify the already costly nature of reproduction for female mammals. To identify and partition the costs that males inflict on females during mating and reproduction, we paired female mice with either other females or castrated, vasectomised, or intact (sham-vasectomised) males, thus manipulating exposure to social mating behavior and costs arising from fertilization. We also provided females with refuges where males could not enter, to test whether females show avoidance or attraction to males of different gonadal status expected to exhibit different levels of social behavior. We found that females paired with vasectomised and castrated males spent the most time in their refuge. Females housed with castrated males also had increased glucocorticoid levels, an effect that was mitigated when females could retreat from these males to a refuge. This suggests that females actively refuge from castrated males, and that housing with such males is sufficient to generate an increased glucocorticoid response. Our results show that females choose to refuge from males depending on the partner's gonadal status, choices that are linked to social induced stress responses but not exposure to male mating behaviour.
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Affiliation(s)
- Teagan J Gale
- Evolution & Ecology Research Centre, School of Biological, Earth and Environmental Sciences (BEES), the University of New South Wales, High Street, Kensington, NSW 2052, Australia.
| | - Michael Garratt
- Evolution & Ecology Research Centre, School of Biological, Earth and Environmental Sciences (BEES), the University of New South Wales, High Street, Kensington, NSW 2052, Australia; Department of Anatomy, School of Biomedical Sciences, University of Otago, Dunedin, New Zealand
| | - Robert C Brooks
- Evolution & Ecology Research Centre, School of Biological, Earth and Environmental Sciences (BEES), the University of New South Wales, High Street, Kensington, NSW 2052, Australia
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28
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Thompson NA, Higham JP, Heistermann M, Vogel E, Cords M. Energy balance but not competitive environment corresponds with allostatic load during development in an Old World monkey. Horm Behav 2019; 108:30-41. [PMID: 30597140 DOI: 10.1016/j.yhbeh.2018.12.014] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/15/2018] [Revised: 11/03/2018] [Accepted: 12/25/2018] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
Abstract
Primates develop slowly relative to their body size, a pattern posited to result from ecological risk aversion. Little is known, however, about how energy balance contributes to allostatic load in juveniles. Using data collected over 8 consecutive months, we examined variation in energy balance (as measured by urinary C-peptide) and how energy balance, life history status, and social competition related to allostatic load (as measured by deviation from baseline fecal glucocorticoid metabolites, dfGCs) in 41 wild juvenile blue monkeys from 3 social groups. Juvenile energy balance was higher among females, when ripe fruit was more available, and when rainfall was lower. Energy balance, but not life history or competitive environments, predicted dfGC concentrations, such that juveniles generally had lower mean dfGCs when they had higher energy balance. An additional exploratory analysis of how dfGCs relate to social strategies revealed that subjects had lower dfGCs when they groomed less, and played more. Time spent grooming interacted with energy balance in predicting dfGC concentrations, so that individuals that groomed more actually had higher dfGCs when they had higher energy balance. Together these results reveal that energetic deficiencies are a true ecological risk factor in blue monkeys, and suggest that navigating the social environment via overt affiliative behavior is potentially both a stress-relieving and stress-inducing endeavor during development.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nicole A Thompson
- Columbia University, Department of Ecology, Evolution, and Environmental Biology, United States of America; New York Consortium in Evolutionary Primatology, United States of America.
| | - James P Higham
- New York Consortium in Evolutionary Primatology, United States of America; New York University, Department of Anthropology, United States of America
| | | | - Erin Vogel
- Rutgers University, Department of Anthropology, United States of America
| | - Marina Cords
- Columbia University, Department of Ecology, Evolution, and Environmental Biology, United States of America; New York Consortium in Evolutionary Primatology, United States of America
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29
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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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30
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Fishman R, Vortman Y, Shanas U, Koren L. Cortisol advantage of neighbouring the opposite sex in utero. ROYAL SOCIETY OPEN SCIENCE 2018; 5:171636. [PMID: 30839724 PMCID: PMC6170571 DOI: 10.1098/rsos.171636] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/16/2017] [Accepted: 08/09/2018] [Indexed: 05/14/2023]
Abstract
Population sex ratios naturally fluctuate around equality. It is argued that the production of an equal number of male and female offspring by individual parents should be favoured by selection, if all costs and benefits are equal. Theoretically, an even sex ratio should yield the highest probability for a fetus to be adjacent to a fetus of the opposite sex in utero. This may cause developmental costs or benefits that have been overlooked. We examined the physiological and developmental parameters associated with in utero sex ratios in the nutria (Myocastor coypus), an invasive wildlife species with a strong reproductive output. Using hair testing, we found that litters with even sex ratios had the highest average cortisol levels. Fetuses neighbouring the opposite sex exhibited longer trunks than those neighbouring the same sex, which might imply better lung development. Our results are the first, to our knowledge, to link intra-utero sex ratios and fetal cortisol and suggest that fetal cortisol might be a mechanism by which even sex ratios are maintained via developmental advantages.
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Affiliation(s)
- R. Fishman
- The Mina and Everard Goodman Faculty of Life Sciences, Bar-Ilan University, Ramat-Gan 5290002, Israel
| | - Y. Vortman
- Hula Research Center, Department of Animal Sciences, Tel-Hai College, Upper Galilee 1220800, Israel
| | - U. Shanas
- Faculty of Life Sciences, University of Haifa—Oranim, Tivon 3600600, Israel
| | - L. Koren
- The Mina and Everard Goodman Faculty of Life Sciences, Bar-Ilan University, Ramat-Gan 5290002, Israel
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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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32
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Howell CP, Cheyne SM. Complexities of Using Wild versus Captive Activity Budget Comparisons for Assessing Captive Primate Welfare. J APPL ANIM WELF SCI 2018; 22:78-96. [PMID: 30058408 DOI: 10.1080/10888705.2018.1500286] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/29/2022]
Abstract
Activity budget comparisons between groups or individuals in the wild and those in captivity are commonly used to determine the range of wild-type behaviors that nonhuman animals in captivity perform. These comparisons are conducted with the view that individuals displaying a greater range of wild-type behaviors have enhanced welfare. Such comparisons have a greater appeal when it comes to primates because increased levels of anthropomorphism toward primates lead to welfare concerns. However, the validity of such comparisons has not been assessed. From the reviewed literature, some of the main complexities identified when defining "good welfare" using activity budgets were the ideas of behavioral motivation and adaptation, obstacles when using the wild as a benchmark for good welfare, study methods causing possible variances in behavior, and social and environmental factors. It is proposed that such influencing factors would be controlled for adequately in future studies with the use of multiple indices to measure welfare and methods that infer positive emotional states. It is hoped we can then build evidence of an animal's emotional state and allow welfare to be inferred to a higher degree.
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Affiliation(s)
- Christian P Howell
- a Department of Social Sciences , Oxford Brookes University , Oxford , United Kingdom.,b Research Department , Blackpool Zoo , Blackpool , United Kingdom
| | - Susan M Cheyne
- a Department of Social Sciences , Oxford Brookes University , Oxford , United Kingdom.,c Borneo Nature Foundation , Palangka Raya , Kalimantan Tengah , Indonesia
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33
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Sonnweber R, Araya-Ajoy YG, Behringer V, Deschner T, Tkaczynski P, Fedurek P, Preis A, Samuni L, Zommers Z, Gomes C, Zuberbühler K, Wittig RM, Crockford C. Circadian Rhythms of Urinary Cortisol Levels Vary Between Individuals in Wild Male Chimpanzees: A Reaction Norm Approach. Front Ecol Evol 2018. [DOI: 10.3389/fevo.2018.00085] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
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34
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Wessling EG, Deschner T, Mundry R, Pruetz JD, Wittig RM, Kühl HS. Seasonal Variation in Physiology Challenges the Notion of Chimpanzees (Pan troglodytes verus) as a Forest-Adapted Species. Front Ecol Evol 2018. [DOI: 10.3389/fevo.2018.00060] [Citation(s) in RCA: 46] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
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Charpentier MJE, Givalois L, Faurie C, Soghessa O, Simon F, Kappeler PM. Seasonal glucocorticoid production correlates with a suite of small-magnitude environmental, demographic, and physiological effects in mandrills. AMERICAN JOURNAL OF PHYSICAL ANTHROPOLOGY 2017; 165:20-33. [DOI: 10.1002/ajpa.23329] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/20/2017] [Revised: 09/11/2017] [Accepted: 09/18/2017] [Indexed: 11/07/2022]
Affiliation(s)
| | - L. Givalois
- MMDN Lab - U1198, INSERM, University of Montpellier, EPHE; Montpellier France
| | - C. Faurie
- ISEM, Univ. Montpellier, CNRS, IRD, EPHE; Montpellier France
| | | | - F. Simon
- Faculté de Médecine Paris -Diderot; Service de microbiologie CHU Saint Louis; France
| | - P. M. Kappeler
- Behavioral Ecology and Sociobiology Unit; German Primate Center; Gottingen Germany
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Vera F, Zenuto R, Antenucci CD. Expanding the actions of cortisol and corticosterone in wild vertebrates: A necessary step to overcome the emerging challenges. Gen Comp Endocrinol 2017; 246:337-353. [PMID: 28109824 DOI: 10.1016/j.ygcen.2017.01.010] [Citation(s) in RCA: 36] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/29/2016] [Revised: 11/14/2016] [Accepted: 01/02/2017] [Indexed: 11/25/2022]
Abstract
We conducted a review of scientific articles published between 2000 and 2014 and evaluated how frequently various aspects of cortisol and corticosterone (CORT) actions have been considered in studies on wild vertebrates. Results show that (1) the notion that CORT are stress-responsive hormones is central in our theoretical frameworks and it is reflected by the fact that several articles refer to CORT as "stress hormones". (2) The large majority of studies do not contemplate the possibility of decrease and no change in CORT levels in response to chronic stressors. (3) Our ideas about CORT actions on energy balance are slanted towards the mobilization of energy, though there are several studies considering -and empirically addressing- CORT's orexigenic actions, particularly in birds. (4) The roles of CORT in mineral-water balance, though widely documented in the biomedical area, are virtually ignored in the literature about wild vertebrates, with the exception of studies in fish. (5) Adrenocorticotropic hormone (ACTH) independent regulation of CORT secretion is also very scarcely considered. (6) The preparative, permissive, suppressive and stimulatory actions of CORT, as described by Sapolsky et al. (2000), are not currently considered by the large majority of authors. We include an extension of the Preparative Hypothesis, proposing that the priming effects of baseline and stress-induced CORT levels increase the threshold of severity necessary for subsequent stimuli to become stressors. Studies on animal ecology and conservation require integration with novel aspects of CORT actions and perspectives developed in other research areas.
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Affiliation(s)
- Federico Vera
- Laboratorio de Ecología Fisiológica y del Comportamiento, Instituto de Investigaciones Marinas y Costeras (IIMyC), Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas (CONICET), Universidad Nacional de Mar del Plata, Mar del Plata, Buenos Aires, Argentina.
| | - Roxana Zenuto
- Laboratorio de Ecología Fisiológica y del Comportamiento, Instituto de Investigaciones Marinas y Costeras (IIMyC), Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas (CONICET), Universidad Nacional de Mar del Plata, Mar del Plata, Buenos Aires, Argentina.
| | - C Daniel Antenucci
- Laboratorio de Ecología Fisiológica y del Comportamiento, Instituto de Investigaciones Marinas y Costeras (IIMyC), Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas (CONICET), Universidad Nacional de Mar del Plata, Mar del Plata, Buenos Aires, Argentina.
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Emery Thompson M. Energetics of feeding, social behavior, and life history in non-human primates. Horm Behav 2017; 91:84-96. [PMID: 27594442 DOI: 10.1016/j.yhbeh.2016.08.009] [Citation(s) in RCA: 45] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/01/2016] [Revised: 08/29/2016] [Accepted: 08/30/2016] [Indexed: 01/05/2023]
Abstract
Energy is a variable of key importance to a wide range of research in primate behavioral ecology, life history, and conservation. However, obtaining detailed data on variation in energetic condition, and its biological consequences, has been a considerable challenge. In the past 20years, tremendous strides have been made towards non-invasive methods for monitoring the physiology of animals in their natural environment. These methods provide detailed, individualized data about energetic condition, as well as energy allocations to growth, reproduction, and somatic health. In doing so, they add much-needed resolution by which to move beyond correlative studies to research programs that can discriminate causes from effects and disaggregate multiple correlated features of the social and physical environment. In this review, I describe the conceptual and methodological approaches for studying primate energetics. I then discuss the core questions about primate feeding ecology, social behavior, and life history that can benefit from physiological studies, highlighting the ways in which recent research has done so. Among these are studies that test, and often refute, common assumptions about how feeding ecology shapes primate biology, and those that reveal proximate associations between energetics and reproductive strategies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Melissa Emery Thompson
- Department of Anthropology, University of New Mexico, MSC01-1040, 500 University Blvd NE, Albuquerque 87131, Mexico.
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38
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Emery Thompson M. Energetics of feeding, social behavior, and life history in non-human primates. Horm Behav 2017; 91:84-96. [PMID: 27594442 DOI: 10.10.1016/j.yhbeh.2016.08.009] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/01/2016] [Revised: 08/29/2016] [Accepted: 08/30/2016] [Indexed: 05/21/2023]
Abstract
Energy is a variable of key importance to a wide range of research in primate behavioral ecology, life history, and conservation. However, obtaining detailed data on variation in energetic condition, and its biological consequences, has been a considerable challenge. In the past 20years, tremendous strides have been made towards non-invasive methods for monitoring the physiology of animals in their natural environment. These methods provide detailed, individualized data about energetic condition, as well as energy allocations to growth, reproduction, and somatic health. In doing so, they add much-needed resolution by which to move beyond correlative studies to research programs that can discriminate causes from effects and disaggregate multiple correlated features of the social and physical environment. In this review, I describe the conceptual and methodological approaches for studying primate energetics. I then discuss the core questions about primate feeding ecology, social behavior, and life history that can benefit from physiological studies, highlighting the ways in which recent research has done so. Among these are studies that test, and often refute, common assumptions about how feeding ecology shapes primate biology, and those that reveal proximate associations between energetics and reproductive strategies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Melissa Emery Thompson
- Department of Anthropology, University of New Mexico, MSC01-1040, 500 University Blvd NE, Albuquerque 87131, Mexico.
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39
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Beehner JC, Bergman TJ. The next step for stress research in primates: To identify relationships between glucocorticoid secretion and fitness. Horm Behav 2017; 91:68-83. [PMID: 28284709 DOI: 10.1016/j.yhbeh.2017.03.003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 103] [Impact Index Per Article: 14.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/31/2016] [Revised: 03/01/2017] [Accepted: 03/06/2017] [Indexed: 11/21/2022]
Abstract
Glucocorticoids are hormones that mediate the energetic demands that accompany environmental challenges. It is therefore not surprising that these metabolic hormones have come to dominate endocrine research on the health and fitness of wild populations. Yet, several problems have been identified in the vertebrate research that also apply to the non-human primate research. First, glucocorticoids should not be used as a proxy for fitness (unless a link has previously been established between glucocorticoids and fitness for a particular population). Second, stress research in behavioral ecology has been overly focused on "chronic stress" despite little evidence that chronic stress hampers fitness in wild animals. Third, research effort has been disproportionately focused on the causes of glucocorticoid variation rather than the fitness consequences. With these problems in mind, we have three objectives for this review. We describe the conceptual framework behind the "stress concept", emphasizing that high glucocorticoids do not necessarily indicate a stress response, and that a stress response does not necessarily indicate an animal is in poor health. Then, we conduct a comprehensive review of all studies on "stress" in wild primates, including any study that examined environmental factors, the stress response, and/or fitness (or proxies for fitness). Remarkably, not a single primate study establishes a connection between all three. Finally, we provide several recommendations for future research in the field of primate behavioral endocrinology, primarily the need to move beyond identifying the factors that cause glucocorticoid secretion to additionally focus on the relationship between glucocorticoids and fitness. We believe that this is an important next step for research on stress physiology in primates.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jacinta C Beehner
- Department of Psychology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI 48109, United States; Department of Anthropology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI 48109, United States.
| | - Thore J Bergman
- Department of Psychology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI 48109, United States; Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI 48109, United States
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40
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Edes AN, Crews DE. Allostatic load and biological anthropology. AMERICAN JOURNAL OF PHYSICAL ANTHROPOLOGY 2017; 162 Suppl 63:44-70. [DOI: 10.1002/ajpa.23146] [Citation(s) in RCA: 53] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/23/2016] [Revised: 10/20/2016] [Accepted: 11/18/2016] [Indexed: 01/27/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- Ashley N. Edes
- Department of Anthropology and School of Public HealthThe Ohio State University
| | - Douglas E. Crews
- Department of Anthropology and School of Public HealthThe Ohio State University
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41
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Harrell CS, Gillespie CF, Neigh GN. Energetic stress: The reciprocal relationship between energy availability and the stress response. Physiol Behav 2016; 166:43-55. [PMID: 26454211 PMCID: PMC4826641 DOI: 10.1016/j.physbeh.2015.10.009] [Citation(s) in RCA: 29] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/30/2015] [Revised: 09/17/2015] [Accepted: 10/06/2015] [Indexed: 12/14/2022]
Abstract
The worldwide epidemic of metabolic syndromes and the recognized burden of mental health disorders have driven increased research into the relationship between the two. A maladaptive stress response is implicated in both mental health disorders and metabolic disorders, implicating the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis as a key mediator of this relationship. This review explores how an altered energetic state, such as hyper- or hypoglycemia, as may be manifested in obesity or diabetes, affects the stress response and the HPA axis in particular. We propose that changes in energetic state or energetic demands can result in "energetic stress" that can, if prolonged, lead to a dysfunctional stress response. In this review, we summarize the role of the hypothalamus in modulating energy homeostasis and then briefly discuss the relationship between metabolism and stress-induced activation of the HPA axis. Next, we examine seven mechanisms whereby energetic stress interacts with neuroendocrine stress response systems, including by glucocorticoid signaling both within and beyond the HPA axis; by nutrient-induced changes in glucocorticoid signaling; by impacting the sympathetic nervous system; through changes in other neuroendocrine factors; by inducing inflammatory changes; and by altering the gut-brain axis. Recognizing these effects of energetic stress can drive novel therapies and prevention strategies for mental health disorders, including dietary intervention, probiotics, and even fecal transplant.
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Affiliation(s)
- C S Harrell
- Department of Physiology, Emory University, Atlanta, GA 30322, USA
| | - C F Gillespie
- Department of Psychiatry & Behavioral Sciences, Emory University, Atlanta, GA 30322, USA
| | - G N Neigh
- Department of Physiology, Emory University, Atlanta, GA 30322, USA;; Department of Psychiatry & Behavioral Sciences, Emory University, Atlanta, GA 30322, USA.
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42
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Roberts AI, Roberts SGB. Wild chimpanzees modify modality of gestures according to the strength of social bonds and personal network size. Sci Rep 2016; 6:33864. [PMID: 27649626 PMCID: PMC5030607 DOI: 10.1038/srep33864] [Citation(s) in RCA: 27] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/06/2016] [Accepted: 09/02/2016] [Indexed: 12/19/2022] Open
Abstract
Primates form strong and enduring social bonds with others and these bonds have important fitness consequences. However, how different types of communication are associated with different types of social bonds is poorly understood. Wild chimpanzees have a large repertoire of gestures, from visual gestures to tactile and auditory gestures. We used social network analysis to examine the association between proximity bonds (time spent in close proximity) and rates of gestural communication in pairs of chimpanzees when the intended recipient was within 10 m of the signaller. Pairs of chimpanzees with strong proximity bonds had higher rates of visual gestures, but lower rates of auditory long-range and tactile gestures. However, individual chimpanzees that had a larger number of proximity bonds had higher rates of auditory and tactile gestures and lower rates of visual gestures. These results suggest that visual gestures may be an efficient way to communicate with a small number of regular interaction partners, but that tactile and auditory gestures may be more effective at communicating with larger numbers of weaker bonds. Increasing flexibility of communication may have played an important role in managing differentiated social relationships in groups of increasing size and complexity in both primate and human evolution.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anna Ilona Roberts
- Department of Psychology, University of Chester, Chester; Parkgate Road, Chester CH1 4BJ, UK
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43
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Eckardt W, Stoinski TS, Rosenbaum S, Umuhoza MR, Santymire R. Validating faecal glucocorticoid metabolite analysis in the Virunga mountain gorilla using a natural biological stressor. CONSERVATION PHYSIOLOGY 2016; 4:cow029. [PMID: 27602226 PMCID: PMC5006093 DOI: 10.1093/conphys/cow029] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/15/2015] [Revised: 06/13/2016] [Accepted: 06/22/2016] [Indexed: 05/30/2023]
Abstract
The continued degradation of primate habitat worldwide is forcing many primate populations into small protected forest islands surrounded by high-density human populations. One well-studied example is the critically endangered mountain gorilla (Gorilla beringei beringei). Decades of monitoring and research on Rwanda's mountain gorillas offer a unique opportunity to use non-invasive endocrine analysis to address pressing questions about the conservation of this endangered population. The aims of our study were as follows: (i) to validate field and laboratory methods for assessing stress through faecal glucocorticoid metabolite (FGM) analysis using inter-social unit interactions as a natural stressor; (ii) to determine the excretion lag times between interactions and detectable stress response in faeces; and (iii) to determine whether there are circadian patterns of FGM excretion. We collected ~6000 faecal samples from 127 known gorillas in 10 habituated groups, monitored by the Dian Fossey Gorilla Fund's Karisoke Research Center over 21 months in 2011 and 2012. Extracted FGMs were measured using a cortisol enzyme immunoassay (R4866; C. J. Munro). Results revealed cause-effect relationships between inter-unit interactions and increased FGMs (relative to individual pre-event samples) between 20 and 140 h after interactions, with the peak most often occurring on day 3. There was no evidence of circadian patterns in FGM concentrations, as previously shown in many species with long gut passage times. However, baseline FGM concentrations were lower in adult males than in adult females, and variation was associated with the collection month, indicating possible seasonal variation. This study provides a biologically validated, field-friendly faecal hormone metabolite extraction and laboratory enzyme immunoassay analysis method for non-invasive monitoring of adrenocortical activity in Virunga mountain gorillas. The methods are useful for future evaluation of a variety of environmental and human-induced potential stressors in this critically endangered population.
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Affiliation(s)
- W. Eckardt
- The Dian Fossey Gorilla Fund International, Atlanta, GA 30315, USA
| | - T. S. Stoinski
- The Dian Fossey Gorilla Fund International, Atlanta, GA 30315, USA
| | - S. Rosenbaum
- Institute for Mind and Biology, University of Chicago, Chicago, IL 60637, USA
- Davee Center for Epidemiology & Endocrinology, Lincoln Park Zoo, Chicago, IL 60614, USA
| | - M. R. Umuhoza
- The Dian Fossey Gorilla Fund International, Atlanta, GA 30315, USA
| | - R. Santymire
- Davee Center for Epidemiology & Endocrinology, Lincoln Park Zoo, Chicago, IL 60614, USA
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44
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Pavitt AT, Pemberton JM, Kruuk LEB, Walling CA. Testosterone and cortisol concentrations vary with reproductive status in wild female red deer. Ecol Evol 2016; 6:1163-72. [PMID: 26941946 PMCID: PMC4761757 DOI: 10.1002/ece3.1945] [Citation(s) in RCA: 29] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/25/2015] [Revised: 11/30/2015] [Accepted: 12/01/2015] [Indexed: 11/09/2022] Open
Abstract
Although hormones are key regulators of many fitness and life history traits, the causes of individual level variation in hormones, particularly in wild systems, remain understudied. Whilst we know that androgen and glucocorticoid levels vary within and among individuals in mammalian populations, how this relates to key reproductive processes such as gestation and lactation, and their effects on a female's measurable hormone levels are poorly understood in wild systems. Using fecal samples collected from females in a wild red deer population between 2001 and 2013, we explore how fecal androgen (FAM) and cortisol (FCM) metabolite concentrations change with age and season, and how individual differences relate to variation in reproductive state. Both FAM and FCM levels increase toward parturition, although this only affects FCM levels in older females. FCM levels are also higher when females suckle a male rather than a female calf, possibly due to the higher energetic costs of raising a son. This illustrates the importance of accounting for a female's life history and current reproductive status, as well as temporal variation, when examining individual differences in hormone levels. We discuss these findings in relation to other studies of mammalian systems and in particular to the relatively scarce information on variation in natural levels of hormones in wild populations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alyson T. Pavitt
- Institute of Evolutionary BiologySchool of Biological SciencesUniversity of EdinburghEdinburghEH9 3FLUK
| | - Josephine M. Pemberton
- Institute of Evolutionary BiologySchool of Biological SciencesUniversity of EdinburghEdinburghEH9 3FLUK
| | - Loeske E. B. Kruuk
- Institute of Evolutionary BiologySchool of Biological SciencesUniversity of EdinburghEdinburghEH9 3FLUK
- Division of Evolution, Ecology & GeneticsResearch School of BiologyThe Australian National UniversityCanberraACT2601Australia
| | - Craig A. Walling
- Institute of Evolutionary BiologySchool of Biological SciencesUniversity of EdinburghEdinburghEH9 3FLUK
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Murray CM, Stanton MA, Wellens KR, Santymire RM, Heintz MR, Lonsdorf EV. Maternal effects on offspring stress physiology in wild chimpanzees. Am J Primatol 2016; 80. [PMID: 26757681 DOI: 10.1002/ajp.22525] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/13/2015] [Revised: 12/16/2015] [Accepted: 12/21/2015] [Indexed: 12/23/2022]
Abstract
Early life experiences are known to influence hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis development, which can impact health outcomes through the individual's ability to mount appropriate physiological reactions to stressors. In primates, these early experiences are most often mediated through the mother and can include the physiological environment experienced during gestation. Here, we investigate stress physiology of dependent offspring in wild chimpanzees for the first time and examine whether differences in maternal stress physiology are related to differences in offspring stress physiology. Specifically, we explore the relationship between maternal rank and maternal fecal glucocorticoid metabolite (FGM) concentration during pregnancy and early lactation (first 6 months post-partum) and examine whether differences based on maternal rank are associated with dependent offspring FGM concentrations. We found that low-ranking females exhibited significantly higher FGM concentrations during pregnancy than during the first 6 months of lactation. Furthermore, during pregnancy, low-ranking females experienced significantly higher FGM concentrations than high-ranking females. As for dependent offspring, we found that male offspring of low-ranking mothers experienced stronger decreases in FGM concentrations as they aged compared to males with high-ranking mothers or their dependent female counterparts. Together, these results suggest that maternal rank and FGM concentrations experienced during gestation are related to offspring stress physiology and that this relationship is particularly pronounced in males compared to females. Importantly, this study provides the first evidence for maternal effects on the development of offspring HPA function in wild chimpanzees, which likely relates to subsequent health and fitness outcomes. Am. J. Primatol. 80:e22525, 2018. © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
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Affiliation(s)
- Carson M Murray
- Center for the Advanced Study of Human Paleobiology, The George Washington University, Washington District of Columbia
| | - Margaret A Stanton
- Center for the Advanced Study of Human Paleobiology, The George Washington University, Washington District of Columbia
| | - Kaitlin R Wellens
- Center for the Advanced Study of Human Paleobiology, The George Washington University, Washington District of Columbia
| | - Rachel M Santymire
- Davee Center for Epidemiology and Endocrinology, The Lincoln Park Zoo, Chicago, Illinois
| | - Matthew R Heintz
- Davee Center for Epidemiology and Endocrinology, The Lincoln Park Zoo, Chicago, Illinois
| | - Elizabeth V Lonsdorf
- Department of Psychology, Franklin and Marshall College, Lancaster, Pennsylvania
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Maestripieri D, Georgiev AV. What cortisol can tell us about the costs of sociality and reproduction among free-ranging rhesus macaque females on Cayo Santiago. Am J Primatol 2016; 78:92-105. [PMID: 25643836 PMCID: PMC4627861 DOI: 10.1002/ajp.22368] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/15/2014] [Revised: 10/21/2014] [Accepted: 11/02/2014] [Indexed: 11/10/2022]
Abstract
Research with the rhesus macaque population on Cayo Santiago can provide a unique perspective on the costs of sociality and reproduction in primates. Because the Cayo macaques live in unusually large groups and in a predator-free environment, in which their artificial food source lacks seasonal variation in abundance or quality, these monkeys constitute a semi-experimental study of the costs and benefits of group living. Here we review several long- and short-term studies that have focused on female life history and stress physiology. Long-term demographic data have shown that rhesus macaque females of middle- and low-ranking matrilines have lower adult survival probabilities than females of high-ranking matrilines. Costs of reproductive effort are also evident: adult females were more likely to die during the birth than during the mating season and they experienced higher cortisol levels when lactating. Lower-ranking females, in particular, experienced greater relative increase in cortisol production during lactation, in comparison to middle- and high-ranking females. Older high-ranking females had lower plasma cortisol levels than younger ones but cortisol levels were similarly high among young and old middle- and low-ranking females. Higher plasma cortisol levels and/or fecal glucocorticoid concentrations are associated with higher plasma concentrations of some proinflammatory cytokines. High cortisol, in turn, may be associated with chronic inflammation, and perhaps also with immunosuppression. In sum, the studies reviewed here provide multiple lines of evidence that sociality and reproductive effort impose measurable costs on female rhesus macaques. In line with socio-ecological theory, female dominance rank consistently emerges as an important modulator of variation in female life histories and physiology. The Cayo Santiago macaques are therefore a valuable model for elucidating the mechanisms by which within-group competition and reproduction impact health and survival in nonhuman primates and in humans.
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47
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Kano F, Hirata S, Deschner T, Behringer V, Call J. Nasal temperature drop in response to a playback of conspecific fights in chimpanzees: A thermo-imaging study. Physiol Behav 2015; 155:83-94. [PMID: 26657470 DOI: 10.1016/j.physbeh.2015.11.029] [Citation(s) in RCA: 46] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/30/2015] [Revised: 11/26/2015] [Accepted: 11/26/2015] [Indexed: 01/24/2023]
Abstract
Emotion is one of the central topics in animal studies and is likely to attract attention substantially in the coming years. Recent studies have developed a thermo-imaging technique to measure the facial skin temperature in the studies of emotion in humans and macaques. Here we established the procedures and techniques needed to apply the same technique to great apes. We conducted two experiments respectively in the two established research facilities in Germany and Japan. Total twelve chimpanzees were tested in three conditions in which they were presented respectively with the playback sounds (Exp. 1) or the videos (Exp. 2) of fighting conspecifics, control sounds/videos (allospecific display call: Exp. 1; resting conspecifics: Exp. 2), and no sound/image. Behavioral, hormonal (salivary cortisol) and heart-rate responses were simultaneously recorded. The nasal temperature of chimpanzees linearly dropped up to 1.5 °C in 2 min, and recovered to the baseline in 2 min, in the experimental but not control conditions. We found the related changes in excitement behavior and heart-rate variability, but not in salivary cortisol, indicating that overall responses were involved with the activities of sympathetic nervous system but not with the measureable activities of the hypothalamus-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis. The influence of general activity (walking, eating) was not negligible but controllable in experiments. We propose several techniques to control those confounding factors. Overall, thermo-imaging is a promising technique that should be added to the traditional physiological and behavioral measures in primatology and comparative psychology.
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Affiliation(s)
- Fumihiro Kano
- Kumamoto Sanctuary, Wildlife Research Center, Kyoto University, Kumamoto, Uki, Japan; Primate Research Institute, Kyoto University, Inuyama, Japan; Wildlife Research Center, Kyoto University, Kyoto, Japan; Department of Developmental and Comparative Psychology, Max-Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology, Leipzig, Germany; Japan Society for Promotion of Science, Tokyo, Japan.
| | - Satoshi Hirata
- Kumamoto Sanctuary, Wildlife Research Center, Kyoto University, Kumamoto, Uki, Japan; Wildlife Research Center, Kyoto University, Kyoto, Japan
| | - Tobias Deschner
- Department of Primatology, Max-Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology, Leipzig, Germany
| | - Verena Behringer
- Department of Primatology, Max-Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology, Leipzig, Germany
| | - Josep Call
- Department of Developmental and Comparative Psychology, Max-Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology, Leipzig, Germany; School of Psychology and Neuroscience, University of St Andrews, St Andrews, UK
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48
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Prevalence and spatio-temporal variation of an alopecia syndrome in polar bears (Ursus maritimus) of the southern Beaufort Sea. J Wildl Dis 2015; 51:48-59. [PMID: 25375943 DOI: 10.7589/2013-11-301] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/20/2022]
Abstract
Alopecia (hair loss) has been observed in several marine mammal species and has potential energetic consequences for sustaining a normal core body temperature, especially for Arctic marine mammals routinely exposed to harsh environmental conditions. Polar bears (Ursus maritimus) rely on a thick layer of adipose tissue and a dense pelage to ameliorate convective heat loss while moving between sea ice and open water. From 1998 to 2012, we observed an alopecia syndrome in polar bears from the southern Beaufort Sea of Alaska that presented as bilaterally asymmetrical loss of guard hairs and thinning of the undercoat around the head, neck, and shoulders, which, in severe cases, was accompanied by exudation and crusted skin lesions. Alopecia was observed in 49 (3.45%) of the bears sampled during 1,421 captures, and the apparent prevalence varied by years with peaks occurring in 1999 (16%) and 2012 (28%). The probability that a bear had alopecia was greatest for subadults and for bears captured in the Prudhoe Bay region, and alopecic individuals had a lower body condition score than unaffected individuals. The cause of the syndrome remains unknown and future work should focus on identifying the causative agent and potential effects on population vital rates.
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49
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Stanton MA, Heintz MR, Lonsdorf EV, Santymire RM, Lipende I, Murray CM. Maternal Behavior and Physiological Stress Levels in Wild Chimpanzees ( Pan troglodytes schweinfurthii). INT J PRIMATOL 2015; 36:473-488. [PMID: 26213430 PMCID: PMC4512756 DOI: 10.1007/s10764-015-9836-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/25/2022]
Abstract
Individual differences in maternal behavior toward, and investment in, offspring can have lasting consequences, particularly among primate taxa characterized by prolonged periods of development over which mothers can exert substantial influence. Given the role of the neuroendocrine system in the expression of behavior, researchers are increasingly interested in understanding the hormonal correlates of maternal behavior. Here, we examined the relationship between maternal behavior and physiological stress levels, as quantified by fecal glucocorticoid metabolite (FGM) concentrations, in lactating chimpanzees, Pan troglodytes schweinfurthii, at Gombe National Park, Tanzania. After accounting for temporal variation in FGM concentrations, we found that mothers interacted socially (groomed and played) with and nursed their infants more on days when FGM concentrations were elevated compared to days when FGM concentrations were within the range expected given the time of year. However, the proportion of time mothers and infants spent in contact did not differ based on FGM concentrations. These results generally agree with the suggestion that elevated GC concentrations are related to maternal motivation and responsivity to infant cues and are the first evidence of a hormonal correlate of maternal behavior in a wild great ape.
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Affiliation(s)
- Margaret A. Stanton
- Center for the Advanced Study of Hominid Paleobiology, The George Washington University, Washington, DC 20052
| | - Matthew R. Heintz
- Department of Conservation and Science, Lincoln Park Zoo, Chicago, Illinois 60614; and Committee on Evolutionary Biology, University of Chicago, Chicago, Illinois 60637
| | - Elizabeth V. Lonsdorf
- Department of Psychology, Franklin and Marshall College, Lancaster, Pennsylvania 17604
| | - Rachel M. Santymire
- Department of Conservation and Science, Lincoln Park Zoo, Chicago, Illinois 60614; and Committee on Evolutionary Biology, University of Chicago, Chicago, Illinois 60637
| | | | - Carson M. Murray
- Center for the Advanced Study of Hominid Paleobiology, The George Washington University, Washington, DC 20052
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Cavigelli SA, Caruso MJ. Sex, social status and physiological stress in primates: the importance of social and glucocorticoid dynamics. Philos Trans R Soc Lond B Biol Sci 2015; 370:20140103. [PMID: 25870390 PMCID: PMC4410370 DOI: 10.1098/rstb.2014.0103] [Citation(s) in RCA: 61] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 02/08/2015] [Indexed: 01/25/2023] Open
Abstract
Social status has been associated with health consequences, although the mechanisms by which status affects health are relatively unknown. At the physiological level, many studies have investigated the potential relationship between social behaviour/rank and physiological stress, with a particular focus on glucocorticoid (GC) production. GCs are of interest because of their experimentally established influence on health-related processes such as metabolism and immune function. Studies in a variety of species, in both naturalistic and laboratory settings, have led to complex outcomes. This paper reviews findings from primates and rodents and proposes a psychologically and physiologically relevant framework in which to study the relationship between social status and GC function. We (i) compare status-specific GC production between male and female primates, (ii) review the functional significance of different temporal patterns of GC production, (iii) propose ways to assess these temporal dynamics, and (iv) present novel hypotheses about the relationship between social status and GC temporal dynamics, and potential fitness and health implications. To understand whether GC production mediates social status-related fitness disparities, we must consider social contest conditions and the temporal dynamics of GC production. This framework will provide greater insights into the relationship between social status, physiological stress and health.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sonia A Cavigelli
- Department of Biobehavioral Health, Pennsylvania State University, 219 Biobehavioral Health Building, University Park, PA 16802, USA Center for Brain, Behavior, and Cognition, Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA 16802, USA Huck Institute of Life Sciences, Pennsylvania State University, 101 Huck Life Sciences Building, University Park, PA 16802, USA
| | - Michael J Caruso
- Department of Biobehavioral Health, Pennsylvania State University, 219 Biobehavioral Health Building, University Park, PA 16802, USA Center for Brain, Behavior, and Cognition, Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA 16802, USA
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