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Kaisin O, Bufalo F, Amaral R, Palme R, Poncin P, Brotcorne F, Culot L. Linking glucocorticoid variations to monthly and daily behavior in a wild endangered neotropical primate. Am J Primatol 2023:e23503. [PMID: 37157182 DOI: 10.1002/ajp.23503] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/23/2022] [Revised: 04/09/2023] [Accepted: 04/29/2023] [Indexed: 05/10/2023]
Abstract
Identifying the factors swaying physiological stress levels in wild animals can help depict how they cope with environmental and social stressors, shedding light on their feeding ecology, behavioral plasticity, and adaptability. Here, we used noninvasive methods to explore the link between glucocorticoid levels and behavior in an endangered neotropical primate facing habitat fragmentation pressure, the black lion tamarin (Leontopithecus chrysopygus). We investigated monthly and day-to-day glucocorticoid variations independently to attempt to disentangle the complex nature of the adrenocortical activity. Between May 2019 to March 2020, we followed two groups of black lion tamarins in two different areas, a continuous forest and a small fragment, and gathered behavioral data (over 95 days in total; 8.6 ± 3.9 days/month) and fecal samples (Nsamples = 468; 4.93 ± 3.5 samples/day) simultaneously. Preliminary analyses enabled us to identify circadian variations linked to the biological rhythm, which were taken into account in subsequent models. Monthly analyses revealed that black lion tamarin fecal glucocorticoid metabolite levels vary according to changes in activity budget associated with the fruit consumption, movement, and resting time of the groups. At a day-to-day level, while intergroup encounters led to increases in fecal glucocorticoid metabolite concentrations, we found that changes in food intake or activity level did not trigger physiological stress responses. These findings suggest that diet and ranging patterns, driven by food availability and distribution, influence physiological stress at a seasonal scale, while acute stressors such as interspecific competition trigger short-term stress responses. Exploring fecal glucocorticoid metabolite variations over different timescales can help uncover the predictive and reactive facets of physiological stress in wild species. Moreover, having a comprehensive understanding of the physiological state of species is a valuable conservation tool for evaluating how they cope in changing environments.
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Affiliation(s)
- Olivier Kaisin
- Laboratório de Primatologia, Departamento de Biodiversidade, Universidade Estadual Paulista (UNESP), Rio Claro, São Paulo, Brazil
- Department of Biology, Ecology and Evolution, Research Unit SPHERES, University of Liège, Arlon, Belgium
- Departamento de Biodiversidade, Programa de Pós-Graduação em Ecologia, Evolução e Biodiversidade, Instituto de Biociências, Universidade Estadual Paulista (UNESP), Rio Claro, São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Felipe Bufalo
- Laboratório de Primatologia, Departamento de Biodiversidade, Universidade Estadual Paulista (UNESP), Rio Claro, São Paulo, Brazil
- Departamento de Biodiversidade, Programa de Pós-Graduação em Ecologia, Evolução e Biodiversidade, Instituto de Biociências, Universidade Estadual Paulista (UNESP), Rio Claro, São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Rodrigo Amaral
- Laboratório de Primatologia, Departamento de Biodiversidade, Universidade Estadual Paulista (UNESP), Rio Claro, São Paulo, Brazil
- Departamento de Biodiversidade, Programa de Pós-Graduação em Zoologia, Instituto de Biociências, Universidade Estadual Paulista (UNESP), Rio Claro, São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Rupert Palme
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, Unit of Physiology, Pathophysiology and Experimental Endocrinology, University of Veterinary Medicine, Vienna, Austria
| | - Pascal Poncin
- Department of Biology, Ecology and Evolution, Research Unit FOCUS, University of Liège, Liège, Belgium
| | - Fany Brotcorne
- Department of Biology, Ecology and Evolution, Research Unit SPHERES, University of Liège, Arlon, Belgium
| | - Laurence Culot
- Laboratório de Primatologia, Departamento de Biodiversidade, Universidade Estadual Paulista (UNESP), Rio Claro, São Paulo, Brazil
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Fannin LD, Swedell L, McGraw WS. Enamel chipping and its ecological correlates in African papionins: Implications for hominin feeding behavior. J Hum Evol 2023; 177:103330. [PMID: 36898301 DOI: 10.1016/j.jhevol.2023.103330] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/06/2022] [Revised: 01/23/2023] [Accepted: 01/25/2023] [Indexed: 03/12/2023]
Abstract
African papionins are classic paleoecological referents for fossil hominins. Enamel chips on the teeth of baboons and hominins are argued to represent responses to similar dietary habits; however, a comprehensive analysis of modern papionin chipping is lacking, leaving open the question of analog suitability. Here, we investigate patterns of antemortem enamel chipping across a diverse set of African papionin species occupying a range of ecological niches. We compare papionin chipping frequencies to estimates for Plio-Pleistocene hominins to address hypotheses of habitat and/or dietary similarities. Antemortem chips in seven African papionin species were scored on intact postcanine teeth (P3-M3) using established protocols. Chip size was scored on a tripartite scale. Papio hamadryas and Papio ursinus-two common paleoecological referents-display higher levels of chipping than Plio-Pleistocene hominin taxa (Australopithecus and Paranthropus) posited to have similar dietary habits. Papio populations occupying dry or highly seasonal habitats accumulate more large chips than Papio taxa occupying more mesic habitats, and terrestrial papionins chip their teeth more often than closely related taxa occupying arboreal niches. Chipping is present on the teeth of all Plio-Pleistocene hominins; however, chipping in baboons (P. ursinus and P. hamadryas) consistently exceeds most hominin taxa. Chipping frequencies on their own do not reliably sort taxa into major dietary groupings. We conclude that the large differences in chipping frequency may instead reflect habitat use and food processing idiosyncrasies. Less chipping in Plio-Pleistocene hominin teeth compared to modern Papio is more likely attributable to differences in dental morphology rather than diet.
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Affiliation(s)
- Luke D Fannin
- Department of Anthropology, Dartmouth College, Hanover, NH, 03755, USA; Graduate Program in Ecology, Evolution, Environment, and Society, Dartmouth College, Hanover, NH, 03755, USA.
| | - Larissa Swedell
- Department of Anthropology, Queens College, City University of New York, Flushing, NY, 11367, USA; Anthropology Program, Graduate Center, City University of New York, New York, NY, 10016, USA; New York Consortium in Evolutionary Primatology, New York, NY, 10016, USA; Department of Archaeology, University of Cape Town, Rondebosch, Western Cape, 7700, South Africa
| | - W Scott McGraw
- Department of Anthropology, The Ohio State University, Columbus, OH, 43210, USA
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Christensen C, Bracken AM, Justin O'Riain M, Heistermann M, King AJ, Fürtbauer I. Simultaneous investigation of urinary and faecal glucocorticoid metabolite concentrations reveals short- versus long-term drivers of HPA-axis activity in a wild primate (Papio ursinus). Gen Comp Endocrinol 2022; 318:113985. [PMID: 35093315 DOI: 10.1016/j.ygcen.2022.113985] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/21/2021] [Revised: 01/07/2022] [Accepted: 01/24/2022] [Indexed: 12/24/2022]
Abstract
Glucocorticoids (GCs), a class of steroid hormones released through activation of the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis, perform many vital functions essential for survival, including orchestrating an organism's response to stressors by modulating physiological and behavioural responses. Assessing changes and variation in GC metabolites from faecal or urine samples allows for the non-invasive monitoring of HPA-axis activity across vertebrates. The time lag of hormone excretion differs between these sample matrices, which has implications for their suitability for studying effects of different temporal nature on HPA-axis activity. However, simultaneous comparisons of predictors of faecal and urinary GC metabolites (fGCs and uGCs, respectively) are lacking. To address this gap, we employ frequent non-invasive sampling to investigate correlates of fGCs and uGCs in wild chacma baboons (Papio ursinus) (n = 17), including long-term (dominance rank, season, female reproductive state) and short-term (time of day, daily weather conditions) factors. Correlated with increasing day length, fGCs gradually decreased from winter to summer. No seasonal effect on uGCs was found but 'rain days' were associated with increased uGCs. Pregnant females had significantly higher fGCs compared to cycling and lactating females, whereas uGCs were not statistically different across reproductive states. A circadian effect was observed in uGCs but not in fGCs. Dominance rank did not affect either fGCs or uGCs. Our study highlights the difference in inherent fluctuation between uGCs and fGCs and its potential consequences for HPA-axis activity monitoring. While uGCs offer the opportunity to study short-term effects, they undergo more pronounced fluctuations, reducing their ability to capture long-term effects. Given the increasing use of urine for biological monitoring, knowledge of this potential limitation is crucial. Where possible, uGCs and fGCs should be monitored in tandem to obtain a comprehensive understanding of short- and long-term drivers of HPA-axis activity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Charlotte Christensen
- Biosciences, School of Biosciences, Geography and Physics, Faculty of Science and Engineering, Swansea University, SA2 8PP Swansea, UK.
| | - Anna M Bracken
- Biosciences, School of Biosciences, Geography and Physics, Faculty of Science and Engineering, Swansea University, SA2 8PP Swansea, UK
| | - M Justin O'Riain
- Institute for Communities and Wildlife in Africa, Department of Biological Sciences, University of Cape Town, Rondebosch 7701, South Africa
| | | | - Andrew J King
- Biosciences, School of Biosciences, Geography and Physics, Faculty of Science and Engineering, Swansea University, SA2 8PP Swansea, UK
| | - Ines Fürtbauer
- Biosciences, School of Biosciences, Geography and Physics, Faculty of Science and Engineering, Swansea University, SA2 8PP Swansea, UK
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