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Thierry B, Rebout N, Heistermann M. Hormonal responses to mating competition in male Tonkean macaques. Horm Behav 2023; 154:105395. [PMID: 37390781 DOI: 10.1016/j.yhbeh.2023.105395] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/16/2023] [Revised: 03/30/2023] [Accepted: 06/17/2023] [Indexed: 07/02/2023]
Abstract
Glucocorticoid and androgen hormones play a prominent role in male reproductive effort. Their production usually increases in non-human primates during mating competition, which may include rivalry for access to receptive females, struggles for high dominance rank, or social pressure on low-ranking individuals. It is generally assumed that glucocorticoids and androgens are associated with mating challenges rather than dominance status, but the involvement of multiple factors makes it difficult to disentangle the two. In this regard, Tonkean macaques provide a suitable model because they are characterized by relaxed dominance and year-round breeding, meaning that there is typically no more than one receptive female in a group, and thus first-ranking males can easily monopolize her. We studied two captive groups of Tonkean macaques over an 80-month period, recording the reproductive status of females, collecting urine from males and sampling behaviors in both sexes. Male urinary hormone concentrations could be affected by increased competition caused by the mating period, the number of males and the degree of female attractiveness. The highest increases in androgens were recorded in males performing female mate-guarding. Despite the importance of dominance status in determining which males can mate, we found no significant effect of male rank on glucocorticoids and only a marginal effect on androgens during mate-guarding. Both types of hormones were more directly involved in the mating effort of males than in their dominance status. Our results show that their function can be understood in light of the particular competitive needs generated by the species-specific social system.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bernard Thierry
- Laboratoire de Psychologie Sociale et Cognitive, CNRS, Université Clermont Auvergne, Clermont-Ferrand, France.
| | - Nancy Rebout
- UMR Herbivores, INRAE, VetAgro Sup, Université Clermont Auvergne, Clermont-Ferrand, France
| | - Michael Heistermann
- Endocrinology Laboratory, German Primate Center, Leibniz Institute for Primate Research, Göttingen, Germany
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2
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Woodruff MC, Atencia R, Cox D, Woodruff GT, Wheaton CJ, Lavin SR, Setchell JM. Successful acclimatization of mandrills ( Mandrillus sphinx) translocated to Conkouati-Douli National Park, Republic of Congo, as measured by fecal glucocorticoid metabolites. CONSERVATION PHYSIOLOGY 2023; 11:coad025. [PMID: 37179706 PMCID: PMC10170324 DOI: 10.1093/conphys/coad025] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/08/2023] [Revised: 03/11/2023] [Accepted: 04/14/2023] [Indexed: 05/15/2023]
Abstract
Translocation and reintroduction are common tools in conservation management and can be very successful. However, translocation can be stressful for the animals involved, and stress is implicated as a major cause of failure in release programs. Conservation managers should therefore seek to understand how the stages of translocation impact stress physiology in the animals involved. We quantified fecal glucocorticoid metabolites (fGCMs) as a noninvasive measure of response to potential stressors during a translocation of 15 mandrills (Mandrillus sphinx) into Conkouati-Douli National Park, Republic of Congo. The mandrills were initially housed in a sanctuary, transferred to a pre-release enclosure in the National Park and then released into the forest. We collected repeated fecal samples (n = 1101) from known individuals and quantified fGCMs using a previously validated enzyme immunoassay. Transfer from the sanctuary to the pre-release enclosure correlated with a significant 1.93-fold increase in fGCMs, suggesting that transfer was a stressor for the mandrills. fGCM values decreased over time in the pre-release enclosure, suggesting that the mandrills recovered from the transfer and acclimatized to the enclosure. Release to the forest was not linked to a significant increase in fGCMs over the final values in the enclosure. Following release, fGCMs continued to decrease, fell below sanctuary values after just over a month and were about half the sanctuary values after 1 year. Overall, our results suggest that the translocation, although initially presenting a physiological challenge to the animals, was not detrimental to the well-being of the animals over the timescale of the study and, in fact, may have been beneficial. Our findings show the value of non-invasive physiology in monitoring, evaluating and designing wildlife translocations and, ultimately, contributing to their success.
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Affiliation(s)
- Miles C Woodruff
- Department of Anthropology, Durham University, South Road, Durham, DH1 3LE, UK
| | - Rebeca Atencia
- The Jane Goodall Institute, 1120 20th St NW, Washington, DC 20036, USA
| | - Debby Cox
- The Jane Goodall Institute, 1120 20th St NW, Washington, DC 20036, USA
| | - Glenn T Woodruff
- The Jane Goodall Institute, 1120 20th St NW, Washington, DC 20036, USA
| | | | - Shana R Lavin
- Disney’s Animals, Science and Environment, Bay Lake, FL, 32830, USA
| | - Joanna M Setchell
- Department of Anthropology, Durham University, South Road, Durham, DH1 3LE, UK
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3
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Cerda-Molina AL, Borráz-León JI, Matamoros-Trejo G, de la O C, Estudillo-Mendoza GR, Mayagoitia-Novales L, Maestripieri D. Testing the Challenge Hypothesis in Stumptail Macaque Males: The Role of Testosterone and Glucocorticoid Metabolites in Aggressive and Mating Behavior. BIOLOGY 2023; 12:813. [PMID: 37372098 DOI: 10.3390/biology12060813] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/21/2023] [Revised: 05/28/2023] [Accepted: 06/01/2023] [Indexed: 06/29/2023]
Abstract
The "challenge hypothesis" predicts higher male-male aggressive behavior along with increases in testosterone levels during times of reproductive challenges and social instability. In addition, in some primate species, higher glucocorticoid levels can be observed as well, but this is usually modulated by dominance rank. We studied rank-related aggressive behavior, mating activity, and fecal testosterone and glucocorticoid metabolites (fTm and fGCm) in male stumptail macaques (Macaca arctoides) in order to test some predictions of the "challenge hypothesis". Over a 20-month period, we collected data on aggressive behavior and copulation, as well as fecal samples (n = 700) to quantify fTm and fGCm in seven adult stumptail males living in captivity. During periods of mating activity, male-to-male aggression increased in higher- and middle-ranking males. Neither fTm nor fGCm levels predicted male-to-male aggression. fGCm levels (but not fTm) were positively associated with male-to-female aggression; however, this association was pronounced during periods of mating activity. fGCm levels differed according to social rank, with middle-ranking males having the highest levels. Both hormones were higher during periods of mating activity, but only in higher- and middle-ranking males. Taken together, our findings partially support the challenge hypothesis in a non-seasonal primate and shed some light on the unique social and mating system of the stumptail macaque.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ana Lilia Cerda-Molina
- Departamento de Etología, Instituto Nacional de Psiquiatría "Ramón de la Fuente Muñiz", Ciudad de México 14370, Mexico
| | - Javier I Borráz-León
- Departamento de Etología, Instituto Nacional de Psiquiatría "Ramón de la Fuente Muñiz", Ciudad de México 14370, Mexico
- Institute for Mind and Biology, The University of Chicago, Chicago, IL 60637, USA
| | - Gilberto Matamoros-Trejo
- Departamento de Neurofisiología Molecular, Instituto Nacional de Psiquiatría "Ramón de la Fuente Muñiz", Ciudad de México 14370, Mexico
| | - Claudio de la O
- FES Zaragoza C-III, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Santa Cruz Tlaxcala 90640, Mexico
- Escuela de Psicología, Universidad Latina, Ciudad de México 4330, Mexico
| | - Gema R Estudillo-Mendoza
- Departamento de Etología, Instituto Nacional de Psiquiatría "Ramón de la Fuente Muñiz", Ciudad de México 14370, Mexico
| | - Lilian Mayagoitia-Novales
- Departamento de Etología, Instituto Nacional de Psiquiatría "Ramón de la Fuente Muñiz", Ciudad de México 14370, Mexico
| | - Dario Maestripieri
- Institute for Mind and Biology, The University of Chicago, Chicago, IL 60637, USA
- Department of Comparative Human Development, The University of Chicago, Chicago, IL 60637, USA
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4
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Seeley KE, Proudfoot KL, Edes AN. The application of allostasis and allostatic load in animal species: A scoping review. PLoS One 2022; 17:e0273838. [PMID: 36040981 PMCID: PMC9426905 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0273838] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/20/2022] [Accepted: 08/16/2022] [Indexed: 11/25/2022] Open
Abstract
Principles of allostasis and allostatic load have been widely applied in human research to assess the impacts of chronic stress on physiological dysregulation. Over the last few decades, researchers have also applied these concepts to non-human animals. However, there is a lack of uniformity in how the concept of allostasis is described and assessed in animals. The objectives of this review were to: 1) describe the extent to which the concepts of allostasis and allostatic load are applied theoretically to animals, with a focus on which taxa and species are represented; 2) identify when direct assessments of allostasis or allostatic load are made, which species and contexts are represented, what biomarkers are used, and if an allostatic load index was constructed; and 3) detect gaps in the literature and identify areas for future research. A search was conducted using CABI, PubMed, Agricola, and BIOSIS databases, in addition to a complementary hand-search of 14 peer-reviewed journals. Search results were screened, and articles that included non-human animals, as well as the terms “allostasis” or “allostatic” in the full text, were included. A total of 572 articles met the inclusion criteria (108 reviews and 464 peer-reviewed original research). Species were represented across all taxa. A subset of 63 publications made direct assessments of allostatic load. Glucocorticoids were the most commonly used biomarker, and were the only biomarker measured in 25 publications. Only six of 63 publications (9.5%) constructed an allostatic load index, which is the preferred methodology in human research. Although concepts of allostasis and allostatic load are being applied broadly across animal species, most publications use single biomarkers that are more likely indicative of short-term rather than chronic stress. Researchers are encouraged to adopt methodologies used in human research, including the construction of species-specific allostatic load indexes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kathryn E. Seeley
- Department of Preventive Medicine, The Ohio State University College of Veterinary Medicine, Columbus, Ohio, United States of America
- * E-mail:
| | - Kathryn L. Proudfoot
- Health Management, Atlantic Veterinary College, University of Prince Edward Island, Charlottetown, Prince Edward Island, Canada
| | - Ashley N. Edes
- Department of Reproductive and Behavioral Sciences, Saint Louis Zoo, St. Louis, Missouri, United States of America
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Taberer TR, Mead J, Hartley M, Harvey ND. Impact of female contraception for population management on behavior and social interactions in a captive troop of Guinea baboons (Papio papio). Zoo Biol 2022; 42:254-267. [PMID: 36036425 DOI: 10.1002/zoo.21728] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/15/2021] [Revised: 08/10/2022] [Accepted: 08/20/2022] [Indexed: 11/07/2022]
Abstract
As part of a population management strategy for a troop of Guinea baboons (Papio papio) at Yorkshire Wildlife Park, adult females were given a Suprelorin contraceptive implant. There was no information on the effect of contraception on behavior in this species, so behavioral data were collected before and after implant placement to determine any impact on the troops' welfare. Social interactions, affiliative, agonistic, and self-directed displacement behaviors (SDBs) in all adults were monitored via focal sampling. Preimplant data were collected in August/September 2019 before Suprelorin placement on November 2019, and postimplant data were collected in August/September 2020, allowing for comparison while controlling for seasonal differences in behavior. We found a significant reduction of SDBs after intervention, suggesting that contraception has a positive impact on group welfare, as SDBs are key behavioral indicators of stress and anxiety in nonhuman primates. Additionally, the rate of substate change per hour (i.e., the number of times the baboon changed their behavior), duration of sentry behavior, and the frequency of agonistic bouts were significantly lower postimplant, further suggesting improvements in welfare. There were also no significant decreases in the duration of positive social interactions, such as allogrooming and play. The results show that Suprelorin did not have a detrimental impact on the behavior of adults in the troop and may have even improved welfare. The use of Suprelorin in females could be considered as an effective population management strategy for primates existing in similar social systems.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Jasmine Mead
- Yorkshire Wildlife Park, Doncaster, South Yorkshire, UK
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6
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Smeltzer EA, Stead SM, Li MF, Samson D, Kumpan LT, Teichroeb JA. Social sleepers: The effects of social status on sleep in terrestrial mammals. Horm Behav 2022; 143:105181. [PMID: 35594742 DOI: 10.1016/j.yhbeh.2022.105181] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/31/2021] [Revised: 04/12/2022] [Accepted: 04/22/2022] [Indexed: 11/18/2022]
Abstract
Social status among group-living mammals can impact access to resources, such as water, food, social support, and mating opportunities, and this differential access to resources can have fitness consequences. Here, we propose that an animal's social status impacts their access to sleep opportunities, as social status may predict when an animal sleeps, where they sleep, who they sleep with, and how well they sleep. Our review of terrestrial mammals examines how sleep architecture and intensity may be impacted by (1) sleeping conditions and (2) the social experience during wakefulness. Sleeping positions vary in thermoregulatory properties, protection from predators, and exposure to parasites. Thus, if dominant individuals have priority of access to sleeping positions, they may benefit from higher quality sleeping conditions and, in turn, better sleep. With respect to waking experiences, we discuss the impacts of stress on sleep, as it has been established that specific social statuses can be characterized by stress-related physiological profiles. While much research has focused on how dominance hierarchies impact access to resources like food and mating opportunities, differential access to sleep opportunities among mammals has been largely ignored despite its potential fitness consequences.
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Affiliation(s)
- E A Smeltzer
- Department of Anthropology, University of Toronto Scarborough, 1265 Military Trail, Scarborough, Ontario M1C 1A4, Canada
| | - S M Stead
- Department of Anthropology, University of Toronto Scarborough, 1265 Military Trail, Scarborough, Ontario M1C 1A4, Canada.
| | - M F Li
- Department of Anthropology, University of Toronto, 19 Russell St., Toronto, Ontario M5S 2S2, Canada
| | - D Samson
- Department of Anthropology, University of Toronto Mississauga, 3359 Mississauga Rd., Mississauga, Ontario L5L 1C6, Canada
| | - L T Kumpan
- Department of Anthropology, University of Toronto Scarborough, 1265 Military Trail, Scarborough, Ontario M1C 1A4, Canada
| | - J A Teichroeb
- Department of Anthropology, University of Toronto Scarborough, 1265 Military Trail, Scarborough, Ontario M1C 1A4, Canada
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7
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Milewski TM, Lee W, Champagne FA, Curley JP. Behavioural and physiological plasticity in social hierarchies. Philos Trans R Soc Lond B Biol Sci 2022; 377:20200443. [PMID: 35000436 PMCID: PMC8743892 DOI: 10.1098/rstb.2020.0443] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 12.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/19/2021] [Accepted: 11/08/2021] [Indexed: 12/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Individuals occupying dominant and subordinate positions in social hierarchies exhibit divergent behaviours, physiology and neural functioning. Dominant animals express higher levels of dominance behaviours such as aggression, territorial defence and mate-guarding. Dominants also signal their status via auditory, visual or chemical cues. Moreover, dominant animals typically increase reproductive behaviours and show enhanced spatial and social cognition as well as elevated arousal. These biobehavioural changes increase energetic demands that are met via shifting both energy intake and metabolism and are supported by coordinated changes in physiological systems including the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal and hypothalamic-pituitary-gonadal axes as well as altered gene expression and sensitivity of neural circuits that regulate these behaviours. Conversely, subordinate animals inhibit dominance and often reproductive behaviours and exhibit physiological changes adapted to socially stressful contexts. Phenotypic changes in both dominant and subordinate individuals may be beneficial in the short-term but lead to long-term challenges to health. Further, rapid changes in social ranks occur as dominant animals socially ascend or descend and are associated with dynamic modulations in the brain and periphery. In this paper, we provide a broad overview of how behavioural and phenotypic changes associated with social dominance and subordination are expressed in neural and physiological plasticity. This article is part of the theme issue 'The centennial of the pecking order: current state and future prospects for the study of dominance hierarchies'.
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Affiliation(s)
- T. M. Milewski
- Department of Psychology, University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX 78712, USA
| | - W. Lee
- Department of Psychology, University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX 78712, USA
| | - F. A. Champagne
- Department of Psychology, University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX 78712, USA
| | - J. P. Curley
- Department of Psychology, University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX 78712, USA
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8
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Simons ND, Michopoulos V, Wilson M, Barreiro LB, Tung J. Agonism and grooming behaviour explain social status effects on physiology and gene regulation in rhesus macaques. Philos Trans R Soc Lond B Biol Sci 2022; 377:20210132. [PMID: 35000435 PMCID: PMC8743879 DOI: 10.1098/rstb.2021.0132] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/16/2021] [Accepted: 10/21/2021] [Indexed: 12/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Variation in social status predicts molecular, physiological and life-history outcomes across a broad range of species, including our own. Experimental studies indicate that some of these relationships persist even when the physical environment is held constant. Here, we draw on datasets from one such study-experimental manipulation of dominance rank in captive female rhesus macaques-to investigate how social status shapes the lived experience of these animals to alter gene regulation, glucocorticoid physiology and mitochondrial DNA phenotypes. We focus specifically on dominance rank-associated dimensions of the social environment, including both competitive and affiliative interactions. Our results show that simple summaries of rank-associated behavioural interactions are often better predictors of molecular and physiological outcomes than dominance rank itself. However, while measures of immune function are best explained by agonism rates, glucocorticoid-related phenotypes tend to be more closely linked to affiliative behaviour. We conclude that dominance rank serves as a useful summary for investigating social environmental effects on downstream outcomes. Nevertheless, the behavioural interactions that define an individual's daily experiences reveal the proximate drivers of social status-related differences and are especially relevant for understanding why individuals who share the same social status sometimes appear physiologically distinct. This article is part of the theme issue 'The centennial of the pecking order: current state and future prospects for the study of dominance hierarchies'.
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Affiliation(s)
- Noah D. Simons
- Department of Evolutionary Anthropology, Duke University, Durham, NC 27708, USA
| | - Vasiliki Michopoulos
- Yerkes National Primate Research Center, Emory University, Atlanta, GA 30322, USA
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta, GA 30322, USA
| | - Mark Wilson
- Yerkes National Primate Research Center, Emory University, Atlanta, GA 30322, USA
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta, GA 30322, USA
| | - Luis B. Barreiro
- Genetics Section, Department of Medicine, University of Chicago, Chicago, IL 60637, USA
- Committee on Genetics, Genomics, and Systems Biology, University of Chicago, Chicago IL 60637, USA
- Committee on Immunology, University of Chicago, Chicago, IL 60637, USA
| | - Jenny Tung
- Department of Evolutionary Anthropology, Duke University, Durham, NC 27708, USA
- Department of Biology, Duke University, Durham, NC 27708, USA
- Duke Population Research Institute, Duke University, Durham, NC 27708, USA
- Canadian Institute for Advanced Research, Toronto, Canada M5G 1M1
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9
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Greenberg D, Snyder KP, Filazzola A, Mastromonaco GF, Schoof VAM. Hormonal correlates of male dominance rank, age, and genital colouration in vervet monkey (Chlorocebus pygerythrus). Gen Comp Endocrinol 2022; 316:113948. [PMID: 34826430 DOI: 10.1016/j.ygcen.2021.113948] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [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: 05/30/2021] [Revised: 11/02/2021] [Accepted: 11/19/2021] [Indexed: 01/04/2023]
Abstract
Primates are the most colourful members of the Mammalian clade. In vervet monkeys (Chlorocebus pygerythrus), males are characterized by their red penis and blue scrotum. Such colour signals are often used in conspecific communication, and thus could be used to convey signaller condition. We quantified scrotal and penile colour characteristics using digital photographs between May-June 2016 from males in two neighboring groups along the shores of Lake Nabugabo, Uganda. We examined the relationship between fecal hormones, male dominance rank, age (adult vs. immature), and colour. Adult males were higher ranking than immatures, but there were no rank or age differences in fecal hormone levels. Glucocorticoids and androgens were positively correlated in immature, but not adult males. All scrotal characteristics were predicted by age, with adult males having more teal (i.e., less blue, more green) and more luminant scrota. Within adult males, those with higher androgens levels had more saturated blue scrotal colouration and higher-ranking males were more luminant. Penile colouration was also associated with age and rank. High-ranking males had a more saturated red penis, and adult male penile colour was more luminant and bluer than in immature males. Our findings are consistent with previous reports that scrotal colouration advertises sexual or reproductive maturity (i.e., age), but we also find that within adult males, colour also advertises dominance rank and may be mediated by androgen levels. Penile colouration also appears to signal information about male age and dominance rank but does not appear to be mediated by hormones.
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Affiliation(s)
- D Greenberg
- Department of Biology, Faculty of Science, York University, 4700 Keele Street, Toronto, ON M3J 1P3, Canada
| | - K P Snyder
- Department of Biology, Faculty of Science, York University, 4700 Keele Street, Toronto, ON M3J 1P3, Canada
| | - A Filazzola
- Department of Biology, Faculty of Science, York University, 4700 Keele Street, Toronto, ON M3J 1P3, Canada; Department of Biological Sciences, University of Toronto Scarborough, 1265 Military Trail, Toronto, ON M1C 1A4, Canada
| | - G F Mastromonaco
- Reproductive Sciences Unit, Toronto Zoo, 361A Old Finch Avenue, Toronto, ON M1B 5K7, Canada
| | - V A M Schoof
- Department of Biology, Faculty of Science, York University, 4700 Keele Street, Toronto, ON M3J 1P3, Canada; Bilingual Biology Program, Department of Multidisciplinary Studies, Glendon College, York University, 2275 Bayview Avenue, Toronto, ON M4N 3M6, Canada.
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10
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Shutt-Phillips K, Pafčo B, Heistermann M, Kasim A, Petrželková KJ, Profousová-Pšenková I, Modrý D, Todd A, Fuh T, Dicky JF, Bopalanzognako JB, Setchell JM. Fecal glucocorticoids and gastrointestinal parasite infections in wild western lowland gorillas (Gorilla gorilla gorilla) involved in ecotourism. Gen Comp Endocrinol 2021; 312:113859. [PMID: 34298054 DOI: 10.1016/j.ygcen.2021.113859] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/08/2021] [Revised: 07/13/2021] [Accepted: 07/17/2021] [Indexed: 10/20/2022]
Abstract
Wildlife ecotourism can offer a source of revenue which benefits local development and conservation simultaneously. However, habituation of wildlife for ecotourism can cause long-term elevation of glucocorticoid hormones, which may suppress immune function and increase an animal's vulnerability to disease. We have previously shown that western lowland gorillas (Gorilla gorilla gorilla) undergoing habituation in Dzanga-Sangha Protected Areas, Central African Republic, have higher fecal glucocorticoid metabolite (FGCM) levels than both habituated and unhabituated gorillas. Here, we tested the relationship between FGCM levels and strongylid infections in the same gorillas. If high FGCM levels suppress the immune system, we predicted that FGCM levels will be positively associated with strongylid egg counts and that gorillas undergoing habituation will have the highest strongylid egg counts, relative to both habituated and unhabituated gorillas. We collected fecal samples over 12 months in two habituated gorilla groups, one group undergoing habituation and completely unhabituated gorillas. We established FGCM levels and fecal egg counts of Necator/Oesophagostomum spp. and Mammomonogamus sp. Controlling for seasonal variation and age-sex category in strongylid infections we found no significant relationship between FGCMs and Nectator/Oesophagostomum spp. or Mammomonogamus sp. egg counts in a within group comparison in either a habituated group or a group undergoing habituation. However, across groups, egg counts of Nectator/Oesophagostomum spp. were lowest in unhabituated animals and highest in the group undergoing habituation, matching the differences in FGCM levels among these gorilla groups. Our findings partially support the hypothesis that elevated glucocorticoids reduce a host's ability to control the extent of parasitic infections, and show the importance of non-invasive monitoring of endocrine function and parasite infection in individuals exposed to human pressure including habituation process and ecotourism.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kathryn Shutt-Phillips
- Department of Anthropology, Durham University, Durham, UK; UN Environment Programme World Conservation Monitoring Center, Cambridge, UK
| | - Barbora Pafčo
- Institute of Vertebrate Biology, Czech Academy of Sciences, Brno, Czech Republic; Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of Veterinary Sciences Brno, Czech Republic.
| | | | - Adetayo Kasim
- Wolfson Research Institute for Health and Wellbeing, Durham University Queen's Campus University Boulevard, Thornaby, UK
| | - Klára J Petrželková
- Institute of Vertebrate Biology, Czech Academy of Sciences, Brno, Czech Republic; Institute of Parasitology, Biology Centre of the Czech Academy of Sciences, České Budějovice, Czech Republic; Liberec Zoo, Liberec, Czech Republic.
| | | | - David Modrý
- Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of Veterinary Sciences Brno, Czech Republic; Institute of Parasitology, Biology Centre of the Czech Academy of Sciences, České Budějovice, Czech Republic; Department of Veterinary Sciences, Faculty of Agrobiology, Food and Natural Resources/CINeZ, Czech University of Life Sciences, Prague, Czech Republic; Department of Botany and Zoology, Faculty of Science, Masaryk University, Brno, Czech Republic
| | | | - Terence Fuh
- WWF-CAR, BP 1053 Bangui, Central African Republic
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11
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LeClair KB, Chan KL, Kaster MP, Parise LF, Burnett CJ, Russo SJ. Individual history of winning and hierarchy landscape influence stress susceptibility in mice. eLife 2021; 10:71401. [PMID: 34581271 PMCID: PMC8497051 DOI: 10.7554/elife.71401] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/18/2021] [Accepted: 09/27/2021] [Indexed: 12/11/2022] Open
Abstract
Social hierarchy formation is strongly evolutionarily conserved. Across species, rank within social hierarchy has large effects on health and behavior. To investigate the relationship between social rank and stress susceptibility, we exposed ranked male and female mice to social and non-social stressors and manipulated social hierarchy position. We found that rank predicts same sex social stress outcomes: dominance in males and females confers resilience while subordination confers susceptibility. Pre-existing rank does not predict non-social stress outcomes in females and weakly does so in males, but rank emerging under stress conditions reveals social interaction deficits in male and female subordinates. Both history of winning and rank of cage mates affect stress susceptibility in males: rising to the top rank through high mobility confers resilience and mice that lose dominance lose stress resilience, although gaining dominance over a subordinate animal does not confer resilience. Overall, we have demonstrated a relationship between social status and stress susceptibility, particularly when taking into account individual history of winning and the overall hierarchy landscape in male and female mice.
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Affiliation(s)
- Katherine B LeClair
- Nash Family Department of Neuroscience, New York, United States.,Friedman Brain Institute, New York, United States.,Graduate School of Biological Science, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, United States
| | - Kenny L Chan
- Nash Family Department of Neuroscience, New York, United States.,Friedman Brain Institute, New York, United States
| | - Manuella P Kaster
- Nash Family Department of Neuroscience, New York, United States.,Friedman Brain Institute, New York, United States.,Department of Biochemistry, Federal University of Santa Catarina, Santa Catarina, Brazil
| | - Lyonna F Parise
- Nash Family Department of Neuroscience, New York, United States.,Friedman Brain Institute, New York, United States
| | - Charles Joseph Burnett
- Nash Family Department of Neuroscience, New York, United States.,Friedman Brain Institute, New York, United States
| | - Scott J Russo
- Nash Family Department of Neuroscience, New York, United States.,Friedman Brain Institute, New York, United States.,Graduate School of Biological Science, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, United States
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12
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Lemmers SAM, Dirks W, Street SE, Ngoubangoye B, Herbert A, Setchell JM. Dental microstructure records life history events: A histological study of mandrills (Mandrillus sphinx) from Gabon. J Hum Evol 2021; 158:103046. [PMID: 34332420 DOI: 10.1016/j.jhevol.2021.103046] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/08/2020] [Revised: 06/18/2021] [Accepted: 06/19/2021] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Abstract
Accentuated lines in dental microstructure are hypothesized to correlate with potentially stressful life history events, but our understanding of when, how and why such accentuated lines form in relation to stressful events is limited. We examined accentuated line formation and life history events in the teeth of three naturally deceased mandrills (Mandrillus sphinx, Cercopithecidae), for whom we had detailed life history information. We determined the ages at formation of accentuated lines in histological tooth sections and used dates of birth and death to calibrate dental histology to calendar time and individual age. We found accentuated lines that matched their mother's resumption of sexual cycles in two individuals, and possibly in the third individual. The subjects also formed lines when their mothers were mate-guarded by males or wounded. Accentuated lines matched the birth of the next sibling in one of two cases. Both females formed accentuated lines when they experienced their own sexual swelling cycles, but lines did not match all sexual swelling cycles. Mate-guarding matched an accentuated line in one case, but not in another. Lines matched all three parturitions in the two females. Changes in alpha male and captures did not consistently coincide with accentuated line formation, but repeated captures were associated with lines. Using simulated data, we show that the observed number of matches between lines and events would be very unlikely under a null hypothesis of random line formation. Our results support the hypothesis that some life history events are physiologically stressful enough to cause accentuated line formation in teeth. They contribute to our understanding of how primate life histories are recorded during dental development and enhance our ability to use teeth to reconstruct life history in the absence of direct observation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Simone A M Lemmers
- Department of Anthropology, Durham University, South Road, Durham, DH1 3LE, UK; Science and Technology in Archaeology Research Center, The Cyprus Institute, Nicosia, Cyprus
| | - Wendy Dirks
- Department of Anthropology, Durham University, South Road, Durham, DH1 3LE, UK
| | - Sally E Street
- Department of Anthropology, Durham University, South Road, Durham, DH1 3LE, UK
| | - Barthélemy Ngoubangoye
- Centre de Primatologie, Centre Internationale de Recherches Médicales, Franceville, Gabon
| | - Anaïs Herbert
- Centre de Primatologie, Centre Internationale de Recherches Médicales, Franceville, Gabon
| | - Joanna M Setchell
- Department of Anthropology, Durham University, South Road, Durham, DH1 3LE, UK.
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13
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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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14
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Sadoughi B, Girard-Buttoz C, Engelhardt A, Heistermann M, Ostner J. Non-invasive assessment of metabolic responses to food restriction using urinary triiodothyronine and cortisol measurement in macaques. Gen Comp Endocrinol 2021; 306:113736. [PMID: 33610572 DOI: 10.1016/j.ygcen.2021.113736] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/24/2020] [Revised: 02/02/2021] [Accepted: 02/09/2021] [Indexed: 12/16/2022]
Abstract
Regulation of energy allocation and metabolic rate plays an important role in determining behavior and fitness in wild animals, calling for the validation of non-invasive markers of energetic condition. Recently, the thyroid hormone triiodothyronine (T3) has emerged as a promising marker as concentrations decrease to lower the metabolic rate during energetically challenging periods. However, it remains largely unclear whether T3 merely represents an alternative or provides additional information compared to other compounds involved in the regulation of energy acquisition and allocation, like cortisol and C-peptide, as few joint measurements have been conducted to date in non-invasively collected samples. We aimed to validate the non-invasive measurement of immunoreactive urinary total T3 (uTT3), in comparison to urinary cortisol (uCort) and urinary C-peptide (uCP), as a marker of metabolic response to variation in food intake in macaques, and to address a number of issues regarding the collection, storage and processing of samples which are important for application of uTT3 measurements under field conditions. We used daily samples and body mass measures from a prior food restriction-refeeding experiment over 4 weeks with six captive macaques and analyzed concentrations of uTT3 and uCort in samples collected prior to (fasting) and after morning feeding (non-fasting). Concentrations of uTT3 decreased in response to restriction in food supply and were also lower during weeks of food restriction compared to weeks of refeeding. Variation in uTT3 also correlated positively with variation in body mass and concentrations of uCP. As expected, uCort showed the reverse pattern, increasing during food restriction and decreasing following refeeding, but was not associated with variation in body mass. Generally, compared to fasting samples, concentrations were higher in post-morning feeding, i.e. non-fasting, samples for uTT3 but not uCort. Contamination of urine samples with fecal matter, but not soil, and exposure to UV light led to a decrease in uTT3. uTT3 was largely unaffected by repeated freeze-thaw cycles and by refrigeration for medium-term storage (2 days) but degraded substantially when stored at ambient temperature for the same period. In conclusion, uTT3 measurements inform on the effect of food intake and its associated metabolic response to variation in energetic status. Since uTT3 is reasonably robust to many issues associated with collection and storage of urine samples under field conditions, it is a promising biomarker for studies of energetic condition and basal metabolic rate in wild macaques.
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Affiliation(s)
- Baptiste Sadoughi
- Department of Behavioral Ecology, University of Goettingen, Göttingen, Germany; Research Group Primate Social Evolution, German Primate Center, Leibniz Institute for Primate Research, Göttingen, Germany; Leibniz ScienceCampus Primate Cognition, German Primate Center, Göttingen, Germany.
| | - Cédric Girard-Buttoz
- Department of Human Behavior, Ecology and Culture, Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology, Leipzig, Germany
| | - Antje Engelhardt
- Faculty of Science, School of Natural Sciences and Psychology, Liverpool John Moores University, Liverpool L3 3AF, UK
| | - Michael Heistermann
- Endocrinology Laboratory, German Primate Center, Leibniz Institute for Primate Research, Göttingen, Germany
| | - Julia Ostner
- Department of Behavioral Ecology, University of Goettingen, Göttingen, Germany; Research Group Primate Social Evolution, German Primate Center, Leibniz Institute for Primate Research, Göttingen, Germany; Leibniz ScienceCampus Primate Cognition, German Primate Center, Göttingen, Germany
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15
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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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16
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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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17
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Davidian E, Wachter B, Heckmann I, Dehnhard M, Hofer H, Höner OP. The interplay between social rank, physiological constraints and investment in courtship in male spotted hyenas. Funct Ecol 2021. [DOI: 10.1111/1365-2435.13733] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/26/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Eve Davidian
- Department of Evolutionary Ecology Leibniz Institute for Zoo and Wildlife Research Berlin Germany
| | - Bettina Wachter
- Department of Evolutionary Ecology Leibniz Institute for Zoo and Wildlife Research Berlin Germany
| | - Ilja Heckmann
- Department of Evolutionary Ecology Leibniz Institute for Zoo and Wildlife Research Berlin Germany
| | - Martin Dehnhard
- Department of Reproduction Biology Leibniz Institute for Zoo and Wildlife Research Berlin Germany
| | - Heribert Hofer
- Department of Evolutionary Ecology Leibniz Institute for Zoo and Wildlife Research Berlin Germany
- Department of Veterinary Medicine Freie Universität Berlin Berlin Germany
- Department of Biology, Chemistry, Pharmacy Freie Universität Berlin Berlin Germany
| | - Oliver P. Höner
- Department of Evolutionary Ecology Leibniz Institute for Zoo and Wildlife Research Berlin Germany
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18
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Horita J, Iwasa Y, Tachiki Y. Positive Feedback between Behavioral and Hormonal Dynamics Leads to Differentiation of Life-History Tactics. Am Nat 2020; 196:679-689. [PMID: 33211570 DOI: 10.1086/711414] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/04/2022]
Abstract
AbstractCompetitive interaction among individuals of a single population may result in the differentiation of two or more distinct life-history tactics. For example, although they exhibit unimodal size distribution, male juveniles of salmonids differentiate into those going down to the ocean to grow and returning to the natal stream after several years to reproduce (migratory tactic) and those staying in the stream and reproducing for multiple years (resident tactic). In this study, we developed a simple mathematical model for the positive feedback between hormonal and behavioral dynamics, with the expectation of establishing multiple discrete clusters of hormone levels leading to differentiation of life-history tactics. The assumptions were that probability of winning in fighting depends both on the body size and hormone level of the two contestants. An individual with a higher hormone level would be more likely to win the competition, which further enhanced hormone production, forming a positive feedback loop between hormone level and fighting ability. If the positive feedback was strong but not excessive, discrete clusters of hormone levels emerged from a continuous distribution. In contrast, no clear clustering structure appeared in the distribution of hormone levels if the probability of winning in fighting was controlled by the body size.
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19
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Campos FA, Villavicencio F, Archie EA, Colchero F, Alberts SC. Social bonds, social status and survival in wild baboons: a tale of two sexes. Philos Trans R Soc Lond B Biol Sci 2020; 375:20190621. [PMID: 32951552 PMCID: PMC7540948 DOI: 10.1098/rstb.2019.0621] [Citation(s) in RCA: 31] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 05/10/2020] [Indexed: 01/25/2023] Open
Abstract
People who are more socially integrated or have higher socio-economic status live longer. Recent studies in non-human primates show striking convergences with this human pattern: female primates with more social partners, stronger social bonds or higher dominance rank all lead longer lives. However, it remains unclear whether social environments also predict survival in male non-human primates, as it does in men. This gap persists because, in most primates, males disperse among social groups, resulting in many males who disappear with unknown fate and have unknown dates of birth. We present a Bayesian model to estimate the effects of time-varying social covariates on age-specific adult mortality in both sexes of wild baboons. We compare how the survival trajectories of both sexes are linked to social bonds and social status over the life. We find that, parallel to females, male baboons who are more strongly bonded to females have longer lifespans. However, males with higher dominance rank for their age appear to have shorter lifespans. This finding brings new understanding to the adaptive significance of heterosexual social bonds for male baboons: in addition to protecting the male's offspring from infanticide, these bonds may have direct benefits to males themselves. This article is part of the theme issue 'Evolution of the primate ageing process'.
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Affiliation(s)
- Fernando A. Campos
- Department of Anthropology, University of Texas at San Antonio, San Antonio, TX, USA
- Department of Biology, Duke University, Durham, NC, USA
| | - Francisco Villavicencio
- Department of International Health, Bloomberg School of Public Health, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD, USA
- Interdisciplinary Center on Population Dynamics, University of Southern Denmark, Odense, Denmark
| | - Elizabeth A. Archie
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Notre Dame, Notre Dame, IN, USA
- Institute of Primate Research, National Museums of Kenya, Nairobi, Kenya
| | - Fernando Colchero
- Interdisciplinary Center on Population Dynamics, University of Southern Denmark, Odense, Denmark
- Department of Mathematics and Computer Science, University of Southern Denmark, Odense, Denmark
| | - Susan C. Alberts
- Department of Biology, Duke University, Durham, NC, USA
- Department of Evolutionary Anthropology, Duke University, Durham, NC, USA
- Institute of Primate Research, National Museums of Kenya, Nairobi, Kenya
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20
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Edwards PD, Mooney SJ, Bosson CO, Toor I, Palme R, Holmes MM, Boonstra R. The stress of being alone: Removal from the colony, but not social subordination, increases fecal cortisol metabolite levels in eusocial naked mole-rats. Horm Behav 2020; 121:104720. [PMID: 32081743 DOI: 10.1016/j.yhbeh.2020.104720] [Citation(s) in RCA: 31] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/10/2019] [Revised: 02/06/2020] [Accepted: 02/14/2020] [Indexed: 12/15/2022]
Abstract
In many social species, hierarchical status within the group is associated with differences in basal adrenocortical activity. We examined this relationship in naked mole-rats (Heterocephalus glaber), eusocial rodents with arguably the most extreme social hierarchies of all mammals. This species lives in colonies where breeding is restricted to one socially dominant 'queen' and her male consorts, and all other individuals are reproductively suppressed 'subordinates'. The relationship between cortisol and social status in naked mole-rats has not fully been elucidated, as prior results on this topic have been contradictory. We used non-invasive feces sampling to measure baseline cortisol levels in eight laboratory colonies of naked mole-rats, to either replicate or reject rank differences. First, we successfully validated an assay to measure fecal cortisol metabolites (FCMs). Removal from the colony for the validation experiment, either alone or with an opposite sex conspecific, induced prolonged elevation of FCM levels on a scale of days to weeks. This increase in cortisol did not prevent the removed animals from sexually maturing. In colony-housed animals, we found no relationship between rank in the social hierarchy and FCM levels. Further, queens, breeding males, and reproductively suppressed subordinates all had equivalent FCM levels. We conclude that this species shows little evidence of the 'stress of dominance' or 'stress of subordination' and that reproductive suppression in naked mole-rats is not driven by elevated cortisol levels.
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Affiliation(s)
- Phoebe D Edwards
- Dept. of Psychology, University of Toronto Mississauga, Mississauga, ON L5L 1C6, Canada; Dept. of Ecology & Evolutionary Biology, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON M5S 3B2, Canada; Centre for the Neurobiology of Stress, Dept. of Biological Sciences, University of Toronto Scarborough, Toronto, ON M1C 1A4, Canada.
| | - Skyler J Mooney
- Dept. of Psychology, University of Toronto Mississauga, Mississauga, ON L5L 1C6, Canada
| | - Curtis O Bosson
- Centre for the Neurobiology of Stress, Dept. of Biological Sciences, University of Toronto Scarborough, Toronto, ON M1C 1A4, Canada
| | - Ilapreet Toor
- Dept. of Ecology & Evolutionary Biology, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON M5S 3B2, Canada
| | - Rupert Palme
- Dept. of Biomedical Sciences, University of Veterinary Medicine, 1210 Vienna, Austria
| | - Melissa M Holmes
- Dept. of Psychology, University of Toronto Mississauga, Mississauga, ON L5L 1C6, Canada; Dept. of Ecology & Evolutionary Biology, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON M5S 3B2, Canada; Dept. of Cell & Systems Biology, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON M5S 3G5, Canada
| | - Rudy Boonstra
- Dept. of Ecology & Evolutionary Biology, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON M5S 3B2, Canada; Centre for the Neurobiology of Stress, Dept. of Biological Sciences, University of Toronto Scarborough, Toronto, ON M1C 1A4, Canada
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21
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Leary CJ, Baugh AT. Glucocorticoids, male sexual signals, and mate choice by females: Implications for sexual selection. Gen Comp Endocrinol 2020; 288:113354. [PMID: 31830474 DOI: 10.1016/j.ygcen.2019.113354] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/02/2019] [Revised: 12/01/2019] [Accepted: 12/06/2019] [Indexed: 12/29/2022]
Abstract
We review work relating glucocorticoids (GCs), male sexual signals, and mate choice by females to understand the potential for GCs to modulate the expression of sexually selected traits and how sexual selection potentially feeds back on GC regulation. Our review reveals that the relationship between GC concentrations and the quality of male sexual traits is mixed, regardless of whether studies focused on structural traits (e.g., coloration) or behavioral traits (e.g., vocalizations) or were examined in developmental or activational frameworks. In contrast, the few mate choice experiments that have been done consistently show that females prefer males with low GCs, suggesting that mate choice by females favors males that maintain low levels of GCs. We point out, however, that just as sexual selection can drive the evolution of diverse reproductive strategies, it may also promote diversity in GC regulation. We then shift the focus to females where we highlight evidence indicating that stressors or high GCs can dampen female sexual proceptivity and the strength of preferences for male courtship signals. Hence, even in cases where GCs are tightly coupled with male sexual signals, the strength of sexual selection on aspects of GC physiology can vary depending on the endocrine status of females. Studies examining how GCs relate to sexual selection may shed light on how variation in stress physiology, sexual signals, and mate choice are maintained in natural populations and may be important in understanding context-dependent relationships between GC regulation and fitness.
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Affiliation(s)
- Christopher J Leary
- Department of Biology, University of Mississippi, PO Box 1848, University, MS 38677, USA.
| | - Alexander T Baugh
- Department of Biology, Swarthmore College, 500 College Avenue, Swarthmore, PA 19081, USA
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22
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Sacco AJ, Mayhew JA, Watsa M, Erkenswick G, Binder AK. Detection of neopterin in the urine of captive and wild platyrrhines. BMC ZOOL 2020. [DOI: 10.1186/s40850-020-00051-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/10/2022] Open
Abstract
Abstract
Background
Non-invasive biomarkers can facilitate health assessments in wild primate populations by reducing the need for direct access to animals. Neopterin is a biomarker that is a product of the cell-mediated immune response, with high levels being indicative of poor survival expectations in some cases. The measurement of urinary neopterin concentration (UNC) has been validated as a method for monitoring cell-mediated immune system activation in multiple catarrhine species, but to date there is no study testing its utility in the urine of platyrrhine species. In this study, we collected urine samples across three platyrrhine families including small captive populations of Leontopithecus rosalia and Pithecia pithecia, and larger wild populations of Leontocebus weddelli, Saguinus imperator, Alouatta seniculus, and Plecturocebus toppini, to evaluate a commercial enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) for the measurement of urinary neopterin in platyrrhines.
Results
Our results revealed measured UNC fell within the sensitivity range of the assay in all urine samples collected from captive and wild platyrrhine study species via commercial ELISA, and results from several dilutions met expectations. We found significant differences in the mean UNC across all study species. Most notably, we observed higher UNC in the wild population of L. weddelli which is known to have two filarial nematode infections compared to S. imperator, which only have one.
Conclusion
Our study confirms that neopterin is measurable via commercial ELISA in urine collected from captive and wild individuals of six genera of platyrrhines across three different families. These findings promote the future utility of UNC as a promising biomarker for field primatologists conducting research in Latin America to non-invasively evaluate cell-mediated immune system activation from urine.
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Defolie C, Merkling T, Fichtel C. Patterns and variation in the mammal parasite-glucocorticoid relationship. Biol Rev Camb Philos Soc 2020; 95:74-93. [PMID: 31608587 DOI: 10.1111/brv.12555] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/08/2019] [Revised: 08/23/2019] [Accepted: 09/03/2019] [Indexed: 01/24/2023]
Abstract
Parasites are ubiquitous and can strongly affect their hosts through mechanisms such as behavioural changes, increased energetic costs and/or immunomodulation. When parasites are detrimental to their hosts, they should act as physiological stressors and elicit the release of glucocorticoids. Alternatively, previously elevated glucocorticoid levels could facilitate parasite infection due to neuroimmunomodulation. However, results are equivocal, with studies showing either positive, negative or no relationship between parasite infection and glucocorticoid levels. Since factors such as parasite type, infection severity or host age and sex can influence the parasite-glucocorticoid relationship, we review the main mechanisms driving this relationship. We then perform a phylogenetic meta-analysis of 110 records from 65 studies in mammalian hosts from experimental and observational studies to quantify the general direction of this relationship and to identify ecological and methodological drivers of the observed variability. Our review produced equivocal results concerning the direction of the relationship, but there was stronger support for a positive relationship, although causality remained unclear. Mechanisms such as host manipulation for parasite survival, host response to infection, cumulative effects of multiple stressors, and neuro-immunomodulatory effects of glucocorticoids could explain the positive relationship. Our meta-analysis results revealed an overall positive relationship between glucocorticoids and parasitism among both experimental and observational studies. Because all experimental studies included were parasite manipulations, we conclude that parasites caused in general an increase in glucocorticoid levels. To obtain a better understanding of the directionality of this link, experimental manipulation of glucocorticoid levels is now required to assess the causal effects of high glucocorticoid levels on parasite infection. Neither parasite type, the method used to assess parasite infection nor phylogeny influenced the relationship, and there was no evidence for publication bias. Future studies should attempt to be as comprehensive as possible, including moderators potentially influencing the parasite-glucocorticoid relationship. We particularly emphasise the importance of testing hosts of a broad age range, concomitantly measuring sex hormone levels or at least reproductive status, and for observational studies, also considering food availability, host body condition and social stressors to obtain a better understanding of the parasite-glucocorticoid relationship.
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Affiliation(s)
- Charlotte Defolie
- Sociobiology/Anthropology Department, University of Göttingen, Kellnerweg 6, 37077, Göttingen, Germany.,Behavioral Ecology & Sociobiology Unit, German Primate Center, Leibniz Institute for Primate Research, Kellnerweg 4, 37077, Göttingen, Germany.,Leibniz ScienceCampus "Primate Cognition", German Primate Center, Kellnerweg 4, 37077, Göttingen, Germany
| | - Thomas Merkling
- Department of Natural Resource Sciences, McGill University, Macdonald-Stewart Building, 21111 Lakeshore Road, Ste. Anne de Bellevue, Québec, H9X 3V9, Canada
| | - Claudia Fichtel
- Behavioral Ecology & Sociobiology Unit, German Primate Center, Leibniz Institute for Primate Research, Kellnerweg 4, 37077, Göttingen, Germany.,Leibniz ScienceCampus "Primate Cognition", German Primate Center, Kellnerweg 4, 37077, Göttingen, Germany
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Male characteristics as predictors of genital color and display variation in vervet monkeys. Behav Ecol Sociobiol 2020. [DOI: 10.1007/s00265-019-2787-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/25/2022]
Abstract
Abstract
In the animal kingdom, conspicuous colors are often used for inter- and intra-sexual communication. Even though primates are the most colorful mammalian taxon, many questions, including what potential information color signals communicate to social partners, are not fully understood. Vervet monkeys (Chlorocebus pygerythrus) are ideal to examine the covariates of color signals. Males have multi-colored genitals, which they present during distinctive male-male interactions, known as the “Red-White-and-Blue” (RWB) display, but the genitals are also visible across a variety of other contexts, and it is unclear what this color display signals to recipients. We recorded genital color presentations and standardized digital photos of male genitals (N = 405 photos) over one mating season for 20 adult males in three groups at the Samara Private Game Reserve, South Africa. We combined these with data on male characteristics (dominance, age, tenure length, injuries, and fecal glucocorticoid metabolite concentrations). Using visual modeling methods, we measured single colors (red, white, blue) but also the contrasts between colors. We assessed the frequency of the RWB genital display and male variation in genital coloration and linked this to male characteristics. Our data suggest that the number of genital displays increased with male dominance. However, none of the variables investigated explained the inter- and intra-individual variation in male genital coloration. These results suggest that the frequency of the RWB genital display, but not its color value, is related to dominance, providing valuable insights on covariation in color signals and their display in primates.
Significance statement
Conspicuous colors in animals often communicate individual quality to mates and rivals. By investigating vervet monkeys, a primate species in which males present their colorful genitals within several behavioral displays, we aim to identify the covariates of such colorful signals and their behavioral display. Using visual modeling methods for the color analysis and combining behavioral display data and color data with male characteristics, we found that high-ranking males displayed their colorful genitals more frequently than lower-ranking ones. In contrast, color variation was not influenced by male dominance, age, tenure length, or health. Our results can serve as a basis for future investigations on the function of colorful signals and behavioral displays, such as a badge of status or mate choice in primates.
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Developmental changes in the endocrine stress response in orangutans (Pongo pygmaeus). J Comp Physiol B 2019; 189:659-672. [DOI: 10.1007/s00360-019-01235-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/06/2019] [Revised: 07/16/2019] [Accepted: 09/12/2019] [Indexed: 12/11/2022]
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Lavin SR, Woodruff MC, Atencia R, Cox D, Woodruff GT, Setchell JM, Wheaton CJ. Biochemical and biological validations of a faecal glucocorticoid metabolite assay in mandrills ( Mandrillus sphinx). CONSERVATION PHYSIOLOGY 2019; 7:coz032. [PMID: 31528347 PMCID: PMC6736364 DOI: 10.1093/conphys/coz032] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/15/2019] [Revised: 05/01/2019] [Accepted: 05/16/2019] [Indexed: 06/10/2023]
Abstract
Stress is a major factor in determining success when releasing endangered species into the wild but is often overlooked. Mandrills (Mandrills sphinx) are vulnerable to extinction due to habitat loss and demand for bush meat and the pet trade. To help bolster in situ populations, rehabilitated rescued mandrills recently were released into a protected area in the Republic of Congo. The goal of this study was to validate the use of faecal glucocorticoid metabolite enzyme immunoassays (EIAs) in mandrills and test field-friendly faecal hormone extraction techniques that can subsequently be used to monitor the stress physiology and welfare of mandrills throughout the release process. Using faecal samples collected from ex situ mandrills, we tested cortisol, corticosterone, 11β-hydroxyetiocholanolone (69a), and 11-oxoetiocholanolone EIAs. Absolute concentrations, hormone profiles following medical procedures or translocation, and high-performance liquid chromatography fraction immunoreactivity showed that the 69a assay was the best choice to monitor the stress response in this species. Samples with delayed extraction or drying times had 40-80% lower 69a concentrations than samples extracted immediately post-collection and frozen. The 69a EIA is an appropriate assay for monitoring welfare in this species in situ or ex situ, and results indicated that consistent extraction methods are important for accurate comparisons.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shana R Lavin
- Animals, Science and Environment, Disney’s Animal Kingdom®, Lake Buena Vista, FL, USA
| | - Miles C Woodruff
- Anthropology Department and Behavior, Ecology and Evolution Research Centre, Durham University, Durham, UK
- The Jane Goodall Institute, Vienna, VA, USA
| | | | - Debby Cox
- The Jane Goodall Institute, Vienna, VA, USA
| | | | - Joanna M Setchell
- Anthropology Department and Behavior, Ecology and Evolution Research Centre, Durham University, Durham, UK
| | - Catharine J Wheaton
- Animals, Science and Environment, Disney’s Animal Kingdom®, Lake Buena Vista, FL, USA
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27
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Moreira LAA, Duytschaever G, Higham JP, Melin AD. Platyrrhine color signals: New horizons to pursue. Evol Anthropol 2019; 28:236-248. [PMID: 31609040 PMCID: PMC6865018 DOI: 10.1002/evan.21798] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/19/2018] [Revised: 06/17/2019] [Accepted: 08/07/2019] [Indexed: 01/26/2023]
Abstract
Like catarrhines, some platyrrhines show exposed and reddish skin, raising the possibility that reddish signals have evolved convergently. This variation in skin exposure and color combined with sex-linked polymorphic color vision in platyrrhines presents a unique, and yet underexplored, opportunity to investigate the relative importance of chromatic versus achromatic signals, the influence of color perception on signal evolution, and to understand primate communication broadly. By coding the facial skin exposure and color of 96 platyrrhines, 28 catarrhines, 7 strepsirrhines, 1 tarsiiform, and 13 nonprimates, and by simulating the ancestral character states for these traits, we provide the first analysis of the distribution and evolution of facial skin exposure and color in platyrrhini. We highlight ways in which studying the presence and use of color signals by platyrrhines and other primates will enhance our understanding of the evolution of color signals, and the forces shaping color vision.
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Affiliation(s)
- Laís A. A. Moreira
- Department of Anthropology & ArchaeologyUniversity of CalgaryCalgaryAlbertaCanada
| | - Gwen Duytschaever
- Department of Anthropology & ArchaeologyUniversity of CalgaryCalgaryAlbertaCanada
| | | | - Amanda D. Melin
- Department of Anthropology & ArchaeologyUniversity of CalgaryCalgaryAlbertaCanada
- Department of Medical GeneticsUniversity of CalgaryCalgaryAlbertaCanada
- Alberta Children's Hospital Research InstituteCalgaryAlbertaCanada
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28
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Preis A, Samuni L, Deschner T, Crockford C, Wittig RM. Urinary Cortisol, Aggression, Dominance and Competition in Wild, West African Male Chimpanzees. Front Ecol Evol 2019. [DOI: 10.3389/fevo.2019.00107] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/07/2023] Open
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29
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Scaia MF, Morandini L, Noguera C, Trudeau VL, Somoza GM, Pandolfi M. Can estrogens be considered as key elements of the challenge hypothesis? The case of intrasexual aggression in a cichlid fish. Physiol Behav 2018; 194:481-490. [PMID: 29935215 DOI: 10.1016/j.physbeh.2018.06.028] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/23/2018] [Revised: 06/18/2018] [Accepted: 06/18/2018] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Abstract
Territorial aggression has been widely studied in males and it has been historically suggested that androgens are key mediators of this behavior. However, more recent evidence suggests that it is the aromatization to estrogens, rather than androgens themselves, that is key to regulating this behavior. Females also display aggressive behaviors, but the physiological regulation of female aggression is still understudied when compared to males. In this context, the challenge hypothesis postulates that male-male aggressive interactions stimulate the production of androgens in males in periods of social instability. Here we determine plasma sex steroid levels in Cichlasoma dimerus to assess whether estrogens are related to aggressive behavior and to test the challenge hypothesis in both males and females. We set-up challenge trials as intrasexual dyadic encounters and determined androgen and estrogen levels before and after the trial in both winners and losers. Even though there were no differences in initial estradiol-17β plasma levels between male winners and losers, initial levels were higher (p = .046) in female winners than in losers, while there were no differences in testosterone or 11-ketotestosterone levels. After trials, both males and females showed elevated levels of estradiol-17β and both androgens, but only males exhibited a significant 1.45, 5.42 and 3.2-fold increase in estradiol-17β, testosterone and 11-ketotestosterone, respectively (p = .023, p = .016, p = .018). Moreover, changes in circulating levels of estradiol-17β in females after the trials do not depend on their reproductive status or on the outcome of the contest. We suggest that female aggression is associated with initial levels of estradiol-17β, and that the challenge hypothesis, originally defined for androgens, could also be extended to estrogens.
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Affiliation(s)
- María Florencia Scaia
- Instituto de Biodiversidad y Biología Experimental y Aplicada - CONICET, Ciudad Auntónoma de Buenos Aires, Argentina; Laboratorio de Neuroendocrinología y Comportamiento, Departamento de Biodiversidad y Biología Experimental, Facultad de Ciencias Exactas y Naturales, Universidad de Buenos Aires, Ciudad Autónoma de Buenos Aires, Argentina.
| | - Leonel Morandini
- Instituto de Biodiversidad y Biología Experimental y Aplicada - CONICET, Ciudad Auntónoma de Buenos Aires, Argentina; Laboratorio de Neuroendocrinología y Comportamiento, Departamento de Biodiversidad y Biología Experimental, Facultad de Ciencias Exactas y Naturales, Universidad de Buenos Aires, Ciudad Autónoma de Buenos Aires, Argentina
| | - CristobalAlejandro Noguera
- Instituto de Biodiversidad y Biología Experimental y Aplicada - CONICET, Ciudad Auntónoma de Buenos Aires, Argentina; Laboratorio de Neuroendocrinología y Comportamiento, Departamento de Biodiversidad y Biología Experimental, Facultad de Ciencias Exactas y Naturales, Universidad de Buenos Aires, Ciudad Autónoma de Buenos Aires, Argentina
| | - Vance L Trudeau
- Department of Biology, University of Ottawa, Ottawa, Ontario K1N 6N5, Canada
| | - Gustavo Manuel Somoza
- Instituto de Investigaciones Biotecnológicas, Instituto Tecnológico de Chascomús (CONICET-UNSAM), Chascomús, Argentina
| | - Matías Pandolfi
- Instituto de Biodiversidad y Biología Experimental y Aplicada - CONICET, Ciudad Auntónoma de Buenos Aires, Argentina; Laboratorio de Neuroendocrinología y Comportamiento, Departamento de Biodiversidad y Biología Experimental, Facultad de Ciencias Exactas y Naturales, Universidad de Buenos Aires, Ciudad Autónoma de Buenos Aires, Argentina.
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30
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Social group dynamics predict stress variability among children in a New Zealand classroom. HOMO-JOURNAL OF COMPARATIVE HUMAN BIOLOGY 2018; 69:50-61. [PMID: 29705502 DOI: 10.1016/j.jchb.2018.03.005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/19/2017] [Accepted: 01/16/2018] [Indexed: 02/08/2023]
Abstract
Previous research proposes stress as a mechanism for linking social environments and biological bodies. In particular, non-human primate studies investigate relationships between cortisol as a measure of stress response and social hierarchies. Because human social structures often include hierarchies of dominance and social status, humans may exhibit similar patterns. Studies of non-human primates, however, have not reached consistent conclusions with respect to relationships between social position and levels of cortisol. While human studies report associations between cortisol and various aspects of social environments, studies that consider social status as a predictor of stress response also report mixed results. Others have argued that perceptions of social status may have different implications for stress response depending upon social context. We propose here that characteristics of children's social networks may be a better predictor of central tendencies and variability of stress response than their perceptions of social status. This is evaluated among 24 children from 9.4 to 11.3 years of age in one upper middle-class New Zealand primary school classroom, assessed through observation within the classroom, self-reports during semi-structured interviews and 221 serial saliva samples provided daily over 10 consecutive school days. A synthetic assessment of the children's networks and peer-relationships was developed prior to saliva-cortisol analysis. We found that greater stability of peer-relationships within groups significantly predicts lower within-group variation in mid-morning cortisol over the two-week period, but not overall within-group differences in mean cortisol.
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31
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Wolf TE, Bennett NC, Burroughs R, Ganswindt A. The impact of age-class and social context on fecal glucocorticoid metabolite levels in free-ranging male giraffes. Gen Comp Endocrinol 2018; 255:26-31. [PMID: 28963053 DOI: 10.1016/j.ygcen.2017.09.022] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/04/2017] [Revised: 09/20/2017] [Accepted: 09/21/2017] [Indexed: 11/25/2022]
Abstract
One of the primary sources of perceived stress is the social environment of an animal and the interactions with conspecifics. An essential component of the response to a stressor is the activation of the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenocortical axis, which results amongst others in a temporal increase in circulating glucocorticoid (GC) levels. Giraffes occur in a highly flexible fission-fusion social system and group compositions can change on a daily basis, with bulls establishing an age-related dominance hierarchy and showing a roaming strategy in the search for fertile females. The aim of this study was to non-invasively monitor the influence of different group compositions (mixed sex groups vs. all-male groups) on GC concentrations in free ranging giraffe bulls of different age classes. We collected fecal samples from free-ranging giraffe bulls for 12months in a South African Private Game Reserve to examine age- and social context-related patterns of fecal GC metabolite (fGCM) concentrations. We found that fGCM levels in giraffe bulls are age-class dependent, as well asassociated with changes in the social environment. Independently of the social setting, bulls of the youngest age class exhibited the highest fGCM levels compared to bulls of the other two older age-classes, with differences most pronounced when the bulls are associated in all-male groups. In contrast, an almost reversed picture appears when looking at the fGCM levels of sexually active individuals in mixed sex groups, where highest levels were found for the bulls in the oldest age-class, and the lowest for the bulls in the youngest age-class. The study stresses the importance to taking factors such asage-related status and social settings into account, when interpreting fGCM levels in free ranging giraffes.
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Affiliation(s)
- T E Wolf
- Endocrine Research Laboratory, Department of Anatomy and Physiology, Faculty of Veterinary Science, University of Pretoria, Onderstepoort 0110, South Africa; Department of Animal, Wildlife and Grassland Sciences, Faculty of Natural and Agricultural Sciences, University of the Free State, Bloemfontein 9300, South Africa.
| | - N C Bennett
- Mammal Research Institute, Department of Zoology and Entomology, Faculty of Natural and Agricultural Sciences, University of Pretoria, Pretoria 0028, South Africa
| | - R Burroughs
- Centre of Veterinary Wildlife Studies, Faculty of Veterinary Science, University of Pretoria, Onderstepoort 0110, South Africa
| | - A Ganswindt
- Endocrine Research Laboratory, Department of Anatomy and Physiology, Faculty of Veterinary Science, University of Pretoria, Onderstepoort 0110, South Africa; Mammal Research Institute, Department of Zoology and Entomology, Faculty of Natural and Agricultural Sciences, University of Pretoria, Pretoria 0028, South Africa
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32
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Milich KM, Georgiev AV, Petersen RM, Emery Thompson M, Maestripieri D. Alpha male status and availability of conceptive females are associated with high glucocorticoid concentrations in high-ranking male rhesus macaques (Macaca mulatta) during the mating season. Horm Behav 2018; 97:5-13. [PMID: 28954215 PMCID: PMC6180231 DOI: 10.1016/j.yhbeh.2017.09.014] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/17/2016] [Revised: 09/18/2017] [Accepted: 09/22/2017] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Abstract
The relationship between male mating opportunities, stress, and glucocorticoid concentrations is complicated by the fact that physiological stress and glucocorticoid concentrations can be influenced by dominance rank, group size, and the stability of the male dominance hierarchy, along with ecological factors. We studied the three highest-ranking males in nine different social groups within the same free-ranging population of rhesus macaques on Cayo Santiago, Puerto Rico, during the mating season, to examine variation in glucocorticoid concentrations in relation to number of females that conceived each month, alpha status, number of adult males in a group, and male rank hierarchy stability. We found that glucocorticoid concentrations were highest in the early mating season period when more females conceived in each group and declined linearly as the mating season progressed and the number of conceptive females decreased. Alpha males had significantly higher mean monthly glucocorticoid concentrations than other high-ranking males throughout the study period. Male age, number of adult males in a group, and hierarchy stability were not significantly associated with glucocorticoid concentrations. Our findings suggest that alpha males may experience significantly higher levels of physiological stress than their immediate subordinates and that this stress coincides with the period of the mating season when most conceptions occur.
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Affiliation(s)
- Krista M Milich
- Institute for Mind and Biology, The University of Chicago, USA; Department of Anthropology, Washington University in St. Louis, USA.
| | - Alexander V Georgiev
- Institute for Mind and Biology, The University of Chicago, USA; School of Biological Sciences, Bangor University, UK
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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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Biological Validations of Fecal Glucocorticoid, Testosterone, and Progesterone Metabolite Measurements in Captive Stumptail Macaques (Macaca arctoides). INT J PRIMATOL 2017. [DOI: 10.1007/s10764-017-9992-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/06/2023]
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35
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Beaulieu M, Benoit L, Abaga S, Kappeler PM, Charpentier MJE. Mind the cell: Seasonal variation in telomere length mirrors changes in leucocyte profile. Mol Ecol 2017; 26:5603-5613. [DOI: 10.1111/mec.14329] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/10/2017] [Revised: 06/30/2017] [Accepted: 08/07/2017] [Indexed: 12/30/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Michaël Beaulieu
- Zoological Institute and Museum; University of Greifswald; Greifswald Germany
| | | | | | - Peter M. Kappeler
- Behavioral Ecology and Sociobiology Unit; German Primate Center (DPZ); Göttingen Germany
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Fanjul MS, Zenuto RR. Female choice, male dominance and condition-related traits in the polygynous subterranean rodent Ctenomys talarum. Behav Processes 2017; 142:46-55. [PMID: 28591643 DOI: 10.1016/j.beproc.2017.05.019] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/17/2016] [Revised: 03/31/2017] [Accepted: 05/27/2017] [Indexed: 12/27/2022]
Abstract
Ctenomys talarum is a solitary and highly territorial species in which dominant males aggressively deter other males and monopolize reproductive activity. Female preference for dominant males is not easy to assess due to coercive mating by males. Hence, we aimed to answer if behavioural dominance and several condition-related traits like testosterone and cortisol levels, endoparasite load, and hematocrit volume may affect female preference when they have the opportunity to exert it. We designed a laboratory experiment using wild-caught C. talarum and employed a combined approach involving behavioural observations and the measurements of parameters of physical condition. We staged dyadic encounters between males to determine dominance index and then analyzed female preference towards tethered males (n=15) or their odours (n=18). Male dominance did not affect female preferences when odours were presented. When two tethered males were offered, females preferred those with higher dominance index. Preference of females for dominant males would mainly represent indirect benefits. Females did not show preference for males in relation to any physiological trait evaluated. Dominance was found negatively related to cortisol levels, probably avoiding the glucocorticoids-related costs, and positively related to parasite diversity, since they could tolerate it without impairing their health.
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Affiliation(s)
- M S Fanjul
- Grupo 'Ecología Fisiológica y del Comportamiento', Instituto de Investigaciones Marinas y Costeras (IIMyC), Universidad Nacional de Mar del Plata, Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas (CONICET), Box 1260, CP 7600, Mar del Plata, Argentina.
| | - R R Zenuto
- Grupo 'Ecología Fisiológica y del Comportamiento', Instituto de Investigaciones Marinas y Costeras (IIMyC), Universidad Nacional de Mar del Plata, Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas (CONICET), Box 1260, CP 7600, Mar del Plata, Argentina
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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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Setchell JM, Fairet E, Shutt K, Waters S, Bell S. Biosocial Conservation: Integrating Biological and Ethnographic Methods to Study Human-Primate Interactions. INT J PRIMATOL 2016; 38:401-426. [PMID: 28546653 PMCID: PMC5422492 DOI: 10.1007/s10764-016-9938-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 40] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/03/2016] [Accepted: 09/02/2016] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Abstract
Biodiversity conservation is one of the grand challenges facing society. Many people interested in biodiversity conservation have a background in wildlife biology. However, the diverse social, cultural, political, and historical factors that influence the lives of people and wildlife can be investigated fully only by incorporating social science methods, ideally within an interdisciplinary framework. Cultural hierarchies of knowledge and the hegemony of the natural sciences create a barrier to interdisciplinary understandings. Here, we review three different projects that confront this difficulty, integrating biological and ethnographic methods to study conservation problems. The first project involved wildlife foraging on crops around a newly established national park in Gabon. Biological methods revealed the extent of crop loss, the species responsible, and an effect of field isolation, while ethnography revealed institutional and social vulnerability to foraging wildlife. The second project concerned great ape tourism in the Central African Republic. Biological methods revealed that gorilla tourism poses risks to gorillas, while ethnography revealed why people seek close proximity to gorillas. The third project focused on humans and other primates living alongside one another in Morocco. Incorporating shepherds in the coproduction of ecological knowledge about primates built trust and altered attitudes to the primates. These three case studies demonstrate how the integration of biological and social methods can help us to understand the sustainability of human–wildlife interactions, and thus promote coexistence. In each case, an integrated biosocial approach incorporating ethnographic data produced results that would not otherwise have come to light. Research that transcends conventional academic boundaries requires the openness and flexibility to move beyond one’s comfort zone to understand and acknowledge the legitimacy of “other” kinds of knowledge. It is challenging but crucial if we are to address conservation problems effectively.
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Affiliation(s)
- Joanna M Setchell
- Department of Anthropology, Durham University, Durham, DH1 3LE UK.,Behaviour, Ecology and Evolution Research (BEER) Centre, Durham University, Durham, DH1 3LE UK
| | - Emilie Fairet
- Department of Anthropology, Durham University, Durham, DH1 3LE UK.,Sustainable Forest Management (SFM) Gabon, Libreville, Gabon
| | - Kathryn Shutt
- Department of Anthropology, Durham University, Durham, DH1 3LE UK.,Fauna & Flora International, Cambridge, CB2 3QZ UK
| | - Siân Waters
- Department of Anthropology, Durham University, Durham, DH1 3LE UK.,Barbary Macaque Awareness and Conservation (BMAC), Tetouan, Morocco
| | - Sandra Bell
- Department of Anthropology, Durham University, Durham, DH1 3LE UK
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Setchell JM. Sexual Selection and the differences between the sexes in Mandrills (Mandrillus sphinx). AMERICAN JOURNAL OF PHYSICAL ANTHROPOLOGY 2016; 159:S105-29. [PMID: 26808101 DOI: 10.1002/ajpa.22904] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/01/2023]
Abstract
Sexual selection has become a major focus in evolutionary and behavioral ecology. It is also a popular research topic in primatology. I use studies of mandrills (Mandrillus sphinx), a classic example of extravagant armaments and ornaments in animals, to exemplify how a long-term, multidisciplinary approach that integrates field observations with laboratory methods can contribute to on-going theoretical debates in the field of sexual selection. I begin with a brief summary of the main concepts of sexual selection theory and the differences between the sexes. I then introduce mandrills and the study population and review mandrill life history, the ontogeny of sex differences, and maternal effects. Next, I focus on male-male competition and female choice, followed by the less well-studied questions of female-female competition and male choice. This review shows how different reproductive priorities lead to very different life histories and divergent adaptations in males and females. It demonstrates how broadening traditional perspectives on sexual selection beyond the ostentatious results of intense sexual selection on males leads to an understanding of more subtle and cryptic forms of competition and choice in both sexes and opens many productive avenues in the study of primate reproductive strategies. These include the potential for studies of postcopulatory selection, female intrasexual competition, and male choice. These studies of mandrills provide comparison and, I hope, inspiration for studies of both other polygynandrous species and species with mating systems less traditionally associated with sexual selection.
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Affiliation(s)
- Joanna M Setchell
- Department of Anthropology, Evolutionary Anthropology Research Group, Behaviour Ecology and Evolution Research (BEER) Centre, Durham University, Durham, DH1 3LE, UK
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Marty PR, Hodges K, Agil M, Engelhardt A. Determinants of immigration strategies in male crested macaques (Macaca nigra). Sci Rep 2016; 6:32028. [PMID: 27535622 PMCID: PMC4989283 DOI: 10.1038/srep32028] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/03/2016] [Accepted: 08/01/2016] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Immigration into a new group can produce substantial costs due to resistance from residents, but also reproductive benefits. Whether or not individuals base their immigration strategy on prospective cost-benefit ratios remains unknown. We investigated individual immigration decisions in crested macaques, a primate species with a high reproductive skew in favour of high-ranking males. We found two different strategies. Males who achieved low rank in the new group usually immigrated after another male had immigrated within the previous 25 days and achieved high rank. They never got injured but also had low prospective reproductive success. We assume that these males benefitted from immigrating into a destabilized male hierarchy. Males who achieved high rank in the new group usually immigrated independent of previous immigrations. They recieved injuries more frequently and therefore bore immigration costs. They, however, also had higher reproductive success prospects. We conclude that male crested macaques base their immigration strategy on relative fighting ability and thus potential rank in the new group i.e. potential reproductive benefits, as well as potential costs of injury.
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Affiliation(s)
- Pascal R. Marty
- Department of Population Health and Reproduction, University of California Davis, USA
- Junior Research Group Primate Sexual Selection, German Primate Center, Göttingen, Germany
- Reproductive Biology Unit, German Primate Center, Göttingen, Germany
| | - Keith Hodges
- Reproductive Biology Unit, German Primate Center, Göttingen, Germany
| | - Muhammad Agil
- Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Bogor Agriculture University, Indonesia
| | - Antje Engelhardt
- Junior Research Group Primate Sexual Selection, German Primate Center, Göttingen, Germany
- Faculty of Science, School of Natural Sciences and Psychology, Liverpool John Moores University, UK
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Higham JP. Field endocrinology of nonhuman primates: past, present, and future. Horm Behav 2016; 84:145-55. [PMID: 27469069 DOI: 10.1016/j.yhbeh.2016.07.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 32] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/05/2015] [Revised: 07/11/2016] [Accepted: 07/12/2016] [Indexed: 01/29/2023]
Abstract
In the past few decades, research on nonhuman primate endocrinology has moved from the lab to the field, leading to a huge increase in both the breadth and depth of primate field studies. Here, I discuss the past, present, and future of primate field endocrinology. I review the history of the field, and go on to discuss methodological developments and the issues that they sometimes entail. Next, I consider ways in which we might conceptualize the role of hormones, and focus on the need to distinguish proximate from ultimate levels of explanation. Current potentially problematic issues in the field include: 1) an inability to obtain noninvasive measurements of Central Nervous System (CNS) rather than peripheral hormone concentrations; 2) research questions that become stuck (e.g., questions regarding sexual swelling expression mechanisms); 3) data dredging and post-hoc linking of hormones to any plausible variable, leading to a lack of clarity on their role in animal ecology and behavior. I finish by discussing several unanswered questions that might benefit from further research. These are how we might: 1) best obtain measurements for CNS hormone concentrations non-invasively; 2) measure hormone receptor expression alongside hormone concentrations; 3) consider the human endocrinology literature more thoroughly and perhaps take more multimarker approaches; 4) better consider the social environment, including audience and dyadic familiarity effects; and 5) apply our findings to conservation issues.
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Affiliation(s)
- James P Higham
- Dept. of Anthropology, New York University, 25 Waverly Place, New York, NY 10003.
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Schoof VAM, Bonnell TR, Jack KM, Ziegler TE, Melin AD, Fedigan LM. Male endocrine response to seasonally varying environmental and social factors in a neotropical primate, Cebus capucinus. AMERICAN JOURNAL OF PHYSICAL ANTHROPOLOGY 2016; 159:671-82. [PMID: 26739266 PMCID: PMC5890911 DOI: 10.1002/ajpa.22925] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/02/2015] [Revised: 11/28/2015] [Accepted: 12/03/2015] [Indexed: 11/05/2022]
Abstract
OBJECTIVE Circannual variation in reproduction is pervasive in birds and mammals. In primates, breeding seasonality is variable, with seasonal birth peaks occurring even in year-round breeders. Environmental seasonality is reportedly an important contributor to the observed variation in reproductive seasonality. Given that food availability is the primary factor constraining female reproduction, predictions concerning responsiveness to environmental seasonality focus on females, with studies of males focusing primarily on social factors. We examined the influence of both environmental and social factors on male fecal testosterone (fT) and glucocorticoids (fGC) in moderately seasonally breeding white-faced capuchin monkeys (Cebus capucinus) in Costa Rica. METHODS Over 17 months, we collected 993 fecal samples from 14 males in three groups. We used LMM to simultaneously examine the relative effects of photoperiod, fruit biomass, rainfall, temperature, female reproductive status (i.e., number of periovulatory periods, POPs), and male age and dominance rank on monthly fT and fGC levels. RESULTS Male age and rank had large effects on fT and fGC. Additionally, some hormone variation was explained by environmental factors: photoperiod in the previous month (i.e., lagged photoperiod) was the best environmental predictor of monthly fT levels, whereas fGC levels were best explained by lagged photoperiod, fruit biomass, and rainfall. POPs predicted monthly fT and fGC, but this effect was reduced when all variables were considered simultaneously, possibly because lagged photoperiod and POP were highly correlated. CONCLUSIONS Males may use photoperiod as a cue predicting circannual trends in the temporal distribution of fertile females, while also fine-tuning short-term hormone increases to the actual presence of ovulatory females, which may occur at any time during the year.
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Affiliation(s)
- Valérie A. M. Schoof
- Bilingual Biology Program, Multidisciplinary Studies Department, Glendon College, York University, Toronto, ON M4N 3M6, Canada
- Department of Anthropology, Tulane University, New Orleans, LA 70118
- Department of Anthropology, McGill University, Montréal, QC H3A 0G4, Canada
| | - Tyler R. Bonnell
- Department of Psychology, University of Lethbridge, Lethbridge, AB T1K 6T5, Canada
- Department of Geography, McGill University, Montréal, QC H3A 0G4, Canada
| | - Katharine M. Jack
- Department of Anthropology, Tulane University, New Orleans, LA 70118
| | - Toni E. Ziegler
- Wisconsin National Primate Research Center, University of Wisconsin, Madison, WI 53706
| | - Amanda D. Melin
- Department of Anthropology, Washington University in St. Louis, St. Louis, MO 63130
| | - Linda M. Fedigan
- Department of Anthropology, University of Calgary, Calgary, AB T2N 1N4, Canada
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Affiliation(s)
- Kimberly L. VanderWaal
- Department of Veterinary Population Medicine University of Minnesota 1365 Gortner Avenue St. Paul MN 55108 USA
| | - Vanessa O. Ezenwa
- Odum School of Ecology and Department of Infectious Diseases University of Georgia 140 East Green Street Athens GA 30602 USA
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Fragaszy DM, Izar P, Liu Q, Eshchar Y, Young LA, Visalberghi E. Body mass in wild bearded capuchins, (Sapajus libidinosus): Ontogeny and sexual dimorphism. Am J Primatol 2015; 78:473-484. [PMID: 26637804 DOI: 10.1002/ajp.22509] [Citation(s) in RCA: 42] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/24/2014] [Revised: 11/08/2015] [Accepted: 11/12/2015] [Indexed: 01/24/2023]
Abstract
Body mass is fundamental for understanding growth, health, and aspects of life history but records of body mass are rarely available for wild primates. We documented the body mass of all individuals in a group of wild bearded capuchin monkeys (Sapajus libidinosus) at annual intervals for seven consecutive years. Sexual dimorphism in body mass was more pronounced than reported in the literature for adults in this genus: females in our sample were relatively light (average 2.1 kg), while males had average body mass (3.5 kg). Three other notable differences between males and females were evident. First, males grew more rapidly and for a longer period than females. We estimate that males attained full body mass at 9.8 years of age and females at 7.5 years. Second, males showed greater inter-individual variability than females in growth rates and adult mass. Third, males gained about 20% above their baseline body mass upon becoming alpha, and lost that amount when they lost that status, but body mass in females was unrelated to social status. We also report preliminary data on mass and age of natal males at dispersal and mass and age at first reproduction for one female. The pattern of sexual dimorphism in ontogeny and inter-individual variability in body mass in bearded capuchins suggests different competitive risks in the two sexes commensurate with a mating system characterized by female choice of mates in multi-male, multi-female groups. Am. J. Primatol. 78:473-484, 2016. © 2015 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Patricia Izar
- Institute Experimental Psychology, University of São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Qing Liu
- Department of Psychology, State University of New York-Oswego, Oswego, New York
| | - Yonat Eshchar
- Department of Psychology, University of Georgia, Athens, Georgia
| | - Leigh Anna Young
- Yerkes Primate Research Center, Emory University, Decatur, Georgia
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Moore FR, Shuker DM, Dougherty L. Stress and sexual signaling: a systematic review and meta-analysis. Behav Ecol 2015. [DOI: 10.1093/beheco/arv195] [Citation(s) in RCA: 34] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/14/2022] Open
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Arlet ME, Chapman CA, Isbell LA, Molleman F, Mänd R, Hõrak P, Carey JR. Social and Ecological Correlates of Parasitic Infections in Adult Male Gray-Cheeked Mangabeys (Lophocebus albigena). INT J PRIMATOL 2015. [DOI: 10.1007/s10764-015-9866-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/12/2023]
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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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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. [PMID: 25870390 DOI: 10.1098/rstb.2014.0103(1669)] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 04/16/2023] 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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van der Meer E, van Oers K. Gender and Personality Differences in Response to Social Stressors in Great Tits (Parus major). PLoS One 2015; 10:e0127984. [PMID: 26011633 PMCID: PMC4444083 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0127984] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/02/2015] [Accepted: 04/22/2015] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
In response to stressors, animals can increase the activity of the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenocortical axis, resulting in elevated glucocorticoid concentrations. An increase in glucocorticoids results in an increase in heterophils and a decrease in lymphocytes, which ratio (H/L-ratio) is an indicator of stress in birds. The physiological response to a stressor can depend on individual characteristics, like dominance rank, sex and personality. Although the isolated effects of these characteristics on the response to a stressor have been well studied, little is known about the response in relation to a combination of these characteristics. In this study we investigate the relationship between social stress, dominance rank, sex and exploratory behaviour as a validated operational measure of personality in great tits (Parus major). Great tits show consistent individual differences in behaviour and physiology in response to stressors, and exploratory behaviour can be classified as fast or slow exploring. We group-housed four birds, two fast and two slow explorers, of the same sex that were previously singly housed, in an aviary and compared the H/L-ratio, lymphocyte and heterophil count before and after group housing. After experiencing the social context all birds increased their H/L-ratio and heterophil count. Females showed a stronger increase in H/L-ratio and heterophil count than males, which seemed to be related to a higher number of agonistic interactions compared to males. Dominance rank and exploration type did not affect the H/L-ratio or heterophil count. Contrary to our expectations, all birds increased their lymphocyte count. However, this increase was slower for fast than for slow explorers. Our study suggests that personality and sex related differences, but not dominance rank, are associated with changes in an individual's physiological response due to a social context.
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Affiliation(s)
- Esther van der Meer
- Department of Animal Ecology, Netherlands Institute of Ecology (NIOO-KNAW), Wageningen, The Netherlands
- Cheetah Conservation Project Zimbabwe, Victoria Falls, Zimbabwe
| | - Kees van Oers
- Department of Animal Ecology, Netherlands Institute of Ecology (NIOO-KNAW), Wageningen, The Netherlands
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