The quantification of reproductive hormones in the hair of captive adult brown bears and their application as indicators of sex and reproductive state

Cattet, Marc; Stenhouse, Gordon B.; Janz, David M.; Kapronczai, Luciene; Erlenbach, Joy A.; Jansen, Heiko T.; Nelson, O. Lynne; Robbins, Charles T.; Boulanger, John

doi:10.1093/conphys/cox032

Cited by 32 publications

(46 citation statements)

References 76 publications

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“…This study closely follows a study in which we developed laboratory procedures to quantify reproductive steroid hormone (testosterone, progesterone, and estradiol) concentrations in brown bear hair and then verified that changes in the concentrations of these hormones in hair collected from captive adult brown bears corresponded with key reproductive events, including breeding and pregnancy (Cattet et al , 2017). In the current study, we evaluate if steroid hormone (testosterone, progesterone, estradiol and cortisol) concentration profiles in hair samples collected from free-ranging brown bears could be used to effectively discriminate between immature and adult bears within each sex.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 68%

“…Approximately 125 mg of hair was prepared as a single batch for extraction of all four hormones to ensure each sub-sample (one for each hormone) was handled identically. Hair samples were washed to remove external contamination and ground to powder as described in detail by Cattet et al (2017). Powdered hair was collected and transferred to a 1.5 ml tube and stored in the dark at room temperature prior to hormone extraction.…”

Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…For powdered hair, we used the protocol developed and validated for brown bear hair by Macbeth et al (2010) to extract cortisol, which was subsequently validated in brown bear hair for progesterone and testosterone (Cattet et al , 2017). HPLC grade methanol (1.5 ml) was added to 75 mg of ground hair (0.02 ml methanol per mg of powdered hair; 25 mg for each hormone) and blended with a vortex mixer for 10 s. The mixture was placed in a slow end-over-end rotator at room temperature for 24 h, after which it was centrifuged at 4500 rpm for 15 min at 20°C.…”

Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…For estradiol extraction, we used a protocol previously validated for brown bear hair (Cattet et al , 2017). Briefly, we added 10 ml of methyl tert-butyl ether (EMD Chemicals, Gibbstown, NJ) to 50 mg of powdered hair sample in a 16 × 125 mm 2 glass culture tube, blended it with a vortex mixer for 10 s, and placed the mixture in a slow rotator for 24 h. Immediately afterward, we centrifuged the mixture at 4500 rpm for 15 min at 20°C, collected the supernatant, and dried it under nitrogen gas.…”

Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…For the past 10 years, we have been evaluating the potential for hair hormone analyses to support the conservation of brown bears, with a primary focus on populations in Alberta, Canada (Macbeth et al , 2010; Bourbonnais et al , 2013, 2014; Cattet et al , 2014, 2017; Kroshko et al , 2017). Brown bears in Alberta are considered a ‘threatened species’ based on current estimates of population size (ASRD and ACA, 2010) combined with unsustainable levels of human-caused mortality (Benn and Herrero, 2002; Nielsen et al , 2004).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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confidence: 68%

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Genetic tagging in the Anthropocene: scaling ecology from alleles to ecosystems

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The Anthropocene is an era of marked human impact on the world. Quantifying these impacts has become central to understanding the dynamics of coupled human‐natural systems, resource‐dependent livelihoods, and biodiversity conservation. Ecologists are facing growing pressure to quantify the size, distribution, and trajectory of wild populations in a cost‐effective and socially acceptable manner. Genetic tagging, combined with modern computational and genetic analyses, is an under‐utilized tool to meet this demand, especially for wide‐ranging, elusive, sensitive, and low‐density species. Genetic tagging studies are now revealing unprecedented insight into the mechanisms that control the density, trajectory, connectivity, and patterns of human–wildlife interaction for populations over vast spatial extents. Here, we outline the application of, and ecological inferences from, new analytical techniques applied to genetically tagged individuals, contrast this approach with conventional methods, and describe how genetic tagging can be better applied to address outstanding questions in ecology. We provide example analyses using a long‐term genetic tagging dataset of grizzly bears in the Canadian Rockies. The genetic tagging toolbox is a powerful and overlooked ensemble that ecologists and conservation biologists can leverage to generate evidence and meet the challenges of the Anthropocene.

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Population‐level monitoring of stress in grizzly bears between 2004 and 2014

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Grizzly bears (Ursus arctos) in west‐central Alberta occupy an increasingly human‐dominated landscape. Natural resource extraction activities are hypothesized to increase stress in animals that reside in such changing landscapes by influencing habitat and resource availability. Our study aimed to determine whether stress, represented by hair cortisol concentration (HCC), was associated with variables related to landscape conditions in a population that increased by 7% annually from 2004 to 2014. Hair samples (n = 157) were collected using barbwire hair snags placed throughout the Yellowhead bear management area in Alberta, Canada. Candidate models were developed a priori representing hypotheses related to biologically and ecologically plausible relationships between HCC and landscape variables. Generalized linear model analysis with landscape attributes representing anthropogenic disturbance, food resource availability, and terrain conditions was used to determine potential drivers of HCC. We found support (ΔAICc ≤ 2.00) for three models that included variables from each hypothesis. Anthropogenic variables had the greatest impact on HCC; increasing oil and gas well‐site density resulted in reduced HCC, while increasing distance to coal mines resulted in elevated HCC. Hair cortisol concentration also increased as forest crown closure became more variable, while HCC decreased as the soil wetness (represented by compound topographic index) increased. Some forms of anthropogenic disturbance have been linked to increased food availability for this species. Therefore, we suggest that changes in landscape conditions from 2004 to 2014 may have indirectly increased food abundance and ultimately resulted in a reduction in HCC at a population level during this time period. Measuring HCC provides a non‐invasive and important monitoring strategy to assess the impact of environmental change on residing species and should be considered in landscape management decisions.

show abstract

The quantification of reproductive hormones in the hair of captive adult brown bears and their application as indicators of sex and reproductive state

Cited by 32 publications

References 76 publications

Can concentrations of steroid hormones in brown bear hair reveal age class?

Can concentrations of steroid hormones in brown bear hair reveal age class?

Genetic tagging in the Anthropocene: scaling ecology from alleles to ecosystems

Population‐level monitoring of stress in grizzly bears between 2004 and 2014

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