Effects of social status, age, and season on androgen and cortisol levels in wild male golden lion tamarins (Leontopithecus rosalia)

Bales, Karen L.; French, Jeffrey A.; McWilliams, Jennifer A.; Lake, Reagan A.; Dietz, James M.

doi:10.1016/j.yhbeh.2005.05.006

Cited by 91 publications

(75 citation statements)

References 45 publications

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“…(iv) Apart from these social influences, ecological factors are related to changes in glucocorticoid levels. Changes in rainfall and temperature are associated with differential energetic demands for an individual, resulting in changes in excreted glucocorticoid levels (Muller and Wrangham, 2004;Bales et al, 2006;Gesquiere et al, 2008;Emery Thompson et al, 2010;MacLarnon et al, 2015). Using the field sites' long-term temperature and rainfall data, we calculated average temperature and average precipitation per month for each year.…”

Section: The Datasetmentioning

confidence: 99%

Circadian Rhythms of Urinary Cortisol Levels Vary Between Individuals in Wild Male Chimpanzees: A Reaction Norm Approach

et al. 2018

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Investigating the repeatability of trait variation between individuals, that is the amount of individual variation in relation to overall phenotypic variation, indicates an upper level of heritability and reveals whether a given trait may be subject to selection. Labile traits are characterized by high levels of flexibility and consequently low trait repeatability is expected. Indeed, research examining glucocorticoid levels in various non-mammal species found low repeatability scores. However, mammals may be different in this respect as (i) differential maternal care early in life has the potential to prime hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis functioning and (ii) allelic variation affecting hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis functioning has been reported. Individuals often differ from each other in average and/or plastic labile trait expression, two aspects that can be described using a reaction norm approach. Both consistent and flexible reaction norm expression has been argued to serve adaptive purposes, depending on the stability and predictability of environmental conditions. Here, we investigated both trait and reaction norm repeatability of urinary cortisol levels in wild adult male chimpanzees. To capture the expression of the circadian urinary cortisol rhythm of individual males over time, urine samples were collected throughout the day. In total data of 30 males collected over a period of 8 years were included in the dataset. No male was sampled over the whole 8-year period however. We found minor levels of trait repeatability but considerable reaction norm repeatability. This implies a minor role of genetic or priming factors on cortisol excretion, but reveals that males differ consistently in average urinary cortisol levels and the shape of the circadian urinary cortisol rhythm. Relating these results to fitness parameters will provide answers to questions on the adaptive value of reaction norm repeatability of this labile hormonal trait in the future.

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Section: The Datasetmentioning

confidence: 99%

Circadian Rhythms of Urinary Cortisol Levels Vary Between Individuals in Wild Male Chimpanzees: A Reaction Norm Approach

et al. 2018

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“…The majority of primate studies indicate that dominant males produce levels of GCs that are more than or equal to subordinate males, whereas only one study has found that subordinate males excrete more GCs than dominant males (table 1-see 'MALES-not inherited') [40,48,[56][57][58][59][60][61][62][63][64][65][66][67][68][69][70]. The opposite pattern emerges for females, where subordinate females often have greater GC production than dominant individuals, particularly when rank is not inherited rstb.royalsocietypublishing.org Phil.…”

Section: Sex Differences In Social Status and Glucocorticoid Productionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Sex, social status and physiological stress in primates: the importance of social and glucocorticoid dynamics

Cavigelli

Caruso

2015

Phil. Trans. R. Soc. B

100

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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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“…These same rhesus males exhibit relatively high levels of aggression while competing for estrous females and display correspondingly high levels of testosterone compared with male muriquis (Brachyteles hypoxanthus) who compete less intensely for mating opportunities (Strier et al 1999). Additional observations reveal that males in several species of strepsirrhines and haplorrhines predictably increase their production of testosterone during the mating season and female conception cycles (strepsirrhines: Cavigelli and Pereira 2000;Fichtel et al 2007;Gould and Ziegler 2007;Ostner et al 2008;haplorrhines: Lynch et al 2002;Bales et al 2006;Girard-Buttoz et al 2009;Ostner et al 2011).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Female parity, male aggression, and the Challenge Hypothesis in wild chimpanzees

2012

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The Challenge Hypothesis proposes that testosterone mediates aggression during periods of heightened conflict between males, especially episodes that have important fitness consequences. Considerable evidence from seasonally breeding species provides support for this hypothesis, but few data exist in animals that mate yearround. We tested predictions generated by the Challenge Hypothesis in chimpanzees, a non-seasonally breeding primate, through a study of individuals living in an exceptionally large community at Ngogo, Kibale National Park, Uganda. Results indicated that dominance rank had no influence on testosterone levels. Instead of rank influencing testosterone production, additional analyses revealed an important role for reproductive competition. Male chimpanzees displayed more aggression when they were in the same party as parous estrous females than when reproductively active females were unavailable. Male chimpanzees competed more intensely for mating opportunities with parous females than with nulliparas, and as a consequence, males displayed more aggression around the former than the latter. When males accompanied parous estrous females, their urinary testosterone concentrations were significantly higher than baseline concentrations. In contrast, urinary testosterone concentrations did not exceed baseline when males associated with nulliparous estrous females. These differences in testosterone levels could not be attributed to mating per se because males copulated equally often with parous and nulliparous females. Furthermore, variation in testosterone concentrations were not due to males gathering together in large parties, as their levels in these situations did not exceed baseline. Taken together, these findings, derived from a relatively large sample of males and estrous females, replicate those from a prior study and furnish additional support for the Challenge Hypothesis. Our results suggest that the Challenge Hypothesis is likely to be broadly applicable to chimpanzees and increase our understanding of the physiological costs to males who compete for estrous females.

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Effects of social status, age, and season on androgen and cortisol levels in wild male golden lion tamarins (Leontopithecus rosalia)

Cited by 91 publications

References 45 publications

Circadian Rhythms of Urinary Cortisol Levels Vary Between Individuals in Wild Male Chimpanzees: A Reaction Norm Approach

Circadian Rhythms of Urinary Cortisol Levels Vary Between Individuals in Wild Male Chimpanzees: A Reaction Norm Approach

Sex, social status and physiological stress in primates: the importance of social and glucocorticoid dynamics

Female parity, male aggression, and the Challenge Hypothesis in wild chimpanzees

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