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Urinary corticoids were measured in humans (n = 9) in frequently collected urine samples taken during a 48 hr period, and in captive western lowland gorillas (n = 5) and free-ranging mountain gorillas (n = 3) from samples taken from 0700 to 1800 hr. In each study, the highest concentrations occurred in the morning hours, then declined gradually, reaching the lowest levels in the afternoon to evening. These data show that a similar diurnal pattern of corticoid excretion does occur in these species. We suggest that if single-sample urine collection for determination of hyperadrenal activity is to be used, urine is best collected during hours of low corticoid excretion.

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ABSTRACT. Several recent studies indicate that primate species may differ in behavioral, and in some instances physiological, responses to social manipulations. These differences in response dispositions have been interpreted as being based on temperamental differences among species. This report extends previous comparative studies of macaques by describing behavioral contrasts observed between males of two macaque species, lion-tailed and cynomolgus macaques, in response to social manipulations. Males were exposed to a mirror, then visually exposed to conspecific neighbors in all pairwise combinations, and then formed into conspecific social groups. Urine samples were collected in the pairing and group formation conditions for cortisol assay. The cynomolgus demonstrated more affiliative behavior than the lion-tails in all conditions, while the lion-tails tended to exhibit more aggressive behavior. Following group formation cortisol values showed a decreasing trend in the cynomolgus, but not in the lion-tails. The cynomolgus rapidly adapted to group living and relations between them were primarily affiliative. In contrast, no affiliative behavior was ever observed in the lion-tail group, which appeared to be highly stressed by group living and was eventually disbanded.

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