Menstrual cycle patterns of hormones and sexual behavior in gorillas

Nadler, Ronald D.; Collins, Delwood C.; Miller, L. Cheryl; Graham, Charles E.

doi:10.1016/0018-506x(83)90011-9

Cited by 37 publications

(12 citation statements)

References 15 publications

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“…5 Dixon, 1998;Hayssen et al, 1993;Heistermann et al, 1996 Hominidae Pongo 1 Yes 12.7 26. 3 Hayssen et al, 1993;Nadler et al, 1984;Robinson and Goy, 1986 Hominidae Gorilla 1 Yes 19 32 Dahl et al, 1987;Hayssen et al, 1993;Robinson and Goy, 1986;Nadler et al, 1983;Nadler et al, 1979;Czekala and Sicotte, 2000 Hominidae Homo 1 Yes 14.4 27.5 Bakos et al, 1994;Fukuda et al, 2001 and Lemuridae), ''barely noticeable'' in tarsiers (Tarsidea), ''weakly evident'' in New World monkeys (Callitrichinae and Cebidae), and ''well marked'' in most Old World monkeys (Cercopithecoidae), apes, and humans (Hylobatidae and Hominidae). For the purposes of this article, primates will be grouped together following Martin's (1974) description.…”

Section: Phylogenetic Distribution Of Mammalian Species Exhibiting Mementioning

confidence: 97%

Reproductive adaptations to a large‐brained fetus open a vulnerability to anovulation similar to polycystic ovary syndrome

Barnett

Abbott

2003

American J Hum Biol

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During the ovarian or menstrual cycle, prior to ovulation, many female primates exhibit a relatively prolonged follicular phase and terminate the postovulatory luteal phase with menstrual bleeding. The prolonged follicular phase is a trait that distinguishes primate from nonprimate species. It enables extended estrogen-induced proliferation and growth of the uterine endometrium prior to progesterone-induced maturation during the luteal phase to accommodate a potential pregnancy with a rapidly invading placenta. Progressive development of both an extended duration of estrogen-induced, preimplantation endometrial proliferation and a rapidly invading placenta across the Primate order may well have been necessary to accommodate differentiation and growth of an increasingly large fetal brain. Prolongation of the follicular phase in primates has also led to the isolation of the final stages of follicle selection (growth deviation of the dominant follicle from its contemporaries) solely within the follicular phase and thus outside the protection of luteal phase progesterone inhibition of pituitary luteinizing hormone (LH) secretion. Such primate reproductive characteristics put the latter stages of ovarian follicle selection at risk of exposure to excessive pituitary secretion of LH. Excessive secretion of LH during follicle selection could result not only in impaired follicle development, excessive ovarian androgen secretion, and ovulation failure, but also in excessive estrogenic stimulation of the uterine endometrium without intervening menstrual periods. Such reproductive abnormalities are all found in a single, prevalent infertility syndrome afflicting women in their reproductive years: polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS). We propose that successful female reproductive adaptations to accommodate the growth demands of large-brained primate fetuses have facilitated a particular vulnerability of higher primates to hypergonadotropic disruption of ovulatory function, as found in PCOS.

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Section: Phylogenetic Distribution Of Mammalian Species Exhibiting Mementioning

confidence: 97%

Reproductive adaptations to a large‐brained fetus open a vulnerability to anovulation similar to polycystic ovary syndrome

Barnett

Abbott

2003

American J Hum Biol

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“…Affiliative behav ior is correlated with increasing estrogen ti ters in many Old World primates and apes [Nadler et al, 1983;Mitchell et al, 1985;Murray et al, 1985;, Thus, increases in approaches, allogrooming, and proximity to partner are often correlated with the late follicular phase of the female's ovulatory cycle. Since there were no changes in affiliative behaviors across the estrogen cycle, affiliative behaviors are apparently not useful in the detection of reproductive cycles in female golden lion tamarins.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Mating Patterns in the Golden Lion Tamarin (Leontopithecus rosalia): Continuous Receptivity and Concealed Estrus

Stribley

French²,

Inglett³

1987

IJFP

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Sociosexual behavior was monitored on a daily basis for 3 months in 5 pairs of golden lion tamarins (Leontopithecus rosalia). Urine samples were collected daily from each female and urinary estrogen cycles were determined by radioimmunoassay. Mounts and copulations were observed during all phases of the estrogen cycle. Peaks or regular cycles in sexual behavior were not documented. There were no significant changes in affiliative behavior by females or males that were associated with changes in urinary estrogen values. A negative relationship between pair bond duration and frequency of sexual interactions was observed: newly established pairs exhibited 2–6 times more frequent sexual behavior than a long-established pair. The lack of a conspicuous sexual signal in female golden lion tamarins may be related to a pattern of continuous sexual receptivity. Both reproductive patterns, concealed estrus and continuous receptivity, are explicable in relation to either monogamous or polyandrous mating systems.

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“…Seven adult Gorilla gorilla in the collection of the Yerkes Regional Primate Research Center were documented as part of research on reproductive physiology and behavior (Nadler, 1975;Nadler and Collins, 1991;Nadler et al, 1979Nadler et al, , 1983. They [NG OF GIBBONS 103 ranged in age from 6 to approximately 24 years at the time they were monitored.…”

Section: Subjectsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Genital swelling in females of the monogamous gibbon, Hylobates (H.) lar

Dahl

Nadler

1992

American J Phys Anthropol

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Cyclical changes in the vulvae of five adult lar gibbons (Hylobates [H.] lar) were studied and compared with those of eight lowland gorillas. The results reveal that the gibbons have relatively conspicuous and specialized sexual swellings that alter shape and appearance during the ovarian cycle. At maximum extent, the genital swellings of gorillas are relatively and absolutely smaller than those of gibbons, and lack the distinctive coloration seen in the genital swellings of the smaller apes. We conclude that the female gibbon's sexual swelling is a far more conspicuous and effective signal of estrus status than that of the gorilla, and that this is not explicable in terms of allometry. Previous investigators have pointed to one-male mating systems, monogamous pair-bonding, or an arboreal habitat as reasons that some primates should have less conspicuous signals of estrus than others. Our findings for the gibbon are the reverse of these predictions, and indicate that sexual selection other than by intermale competition for estrous females is implicated in the ultimate causation of the gibbon's swelling. The adaptive value and significance of the female gibbon's sexual signals remain unclear, however.

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Menstrual cycle patterns of hormones and sexual behavior in gorillas

Cited by 37 publications

References 15 publications

Reproductive adaptations to a large‐brained fetus open a vulnerability to anovulation similar to polycystic ovary syndrome

Reproductive adaptations to a large‐brained fetus open a vulnerability to anovulation similar to polycystic ovary syndrome

Mating Patterns in the Golden Lion Tamarin (Leontopithecus rosalia): Continuous Receptivity and Concealed Estrus

Genital swelling in females of the monogamous gibbon, Hylobates (H.) lar

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