Seasonal and altitudinal effects on glucocorticoid metabolites in a wild primate (Theropithecus gelada)

Physiology & Behavior
Jacinta C Beehner, Colleen McCann

Abstract

Behavioral ecologists are increasingly adopting sophisticated non-invasive methods for measuring glucocorticoids from "excreta" because samples are easy to collect, animals are left undisturbed, and measures may be more reflective of external events than serum samples. Some of the most common predictors for hormone profiles in wild animals are seasonal changes in ecology and behavior. For example, we might expect baseline glucocorticoid levels to track changes in food availability or other seasonal stressors such as unusually high or low temperatures. Geladas (Theropithecus gelada) are one of the few non-human primates that live at extremely high altitudes where nighttime temperatures often dip below freezing. However, the physiological effects of this relatively inhospitable environment have never been examined in this species. Here we validate a "field-friendly" method of hormone extraction from gelada feces and demonstrate that this method can be used to detect seasonal and altitudinal differences in glucocorticoid metabolites for this species. We use two years of climatological and hormonal data from a wild population of geladas to test the hypothesis that geladas exhibit elevated glucocorticoids under environmentally "chal...Continue Reading

References

Jan 1, 1975·General and Comparative Endocrinology·F W Edens, H S Siegel
Sep 15, 1986·Clinica Chimica Acta; International Journal of Clinical Chemistry·J G LewisP A Elder
Apr 12, 2002·General and Comparative Endocrinology·Wen-Hsiung ChenChing-Fong Chang
Sep 25, 2002·General and Comparative Endocrinology·L Michael Romero
Sep 25, 2002·General and Comparative Endocrinology·M Z KhanJ Yu
Jul 28, 2004·Physiology & Behavior·Jacinta C Beehner, Patricia L Whitten
Aug 2, 2005·Annals of the New York Academy of Sciences·Erich MöstlRupert Palme
Aug 2, 2005·Annals of the New York Academy of Sciences·Rupert Palme
Apr 1, 2004·Integrative and Comparative Biology·Rudy Boonstra

❮ Previous
Next ❯

Citations

Feb 24, 2011·Oecologia·Michael J SheriffRudy Boonstra
Nov 3, 2011·Journal of Applied Animal Welfare Science : JAAWS·Erin LoedingRachel Santymire
Mar 1, 2012·Science·Eila K RobertsJacinta C Beehner
Nov 23, 2013·PloS One·Nicole Ashley DaviesAdrian Bradley
Dec 10, 2014·Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America·Christopher YoungJulia Ostner
Sep 8, 2015·General and Comparative Endocrinology·Dimitri V BlondelSteven M Phelps
Jul 14, 2010·American Journal of Primatology·David J PappanoJacinta C Beehner
Dec 26, 2013·General and Comparative Endocrinology·Rene QuispeRodrigo A Vasquez
Jul 30, 2016·Hormones and Behavior·James P Higham
Sep 7, 2016·Hormones and Behavior·Melissa Emery Thompson
Apr 5, 2018·Primates; Journal of Primatology·Rafaela S C TakeshitaMichael A Huffman
May 18, 2018·Behavioral Ecology : Official Journal of the International Society for Behavioral Ecology·Elizabeth Tinsley JohnsonJacinta C Beehner
Jul 18, 2018·General and Comparative Endocrinology·Robert de Bruijn, L Michael Romero
Apr 25, 2018·Journal of Human Evolution·Erin G WesslingJill D Pruetz

❮ Previous
Next ❯

Related Concepts

Trending Feeds

COVID-19

Coronaviruses encompass a large family of viruses that cause the common cold as well as more serious diseases, such as the ongoing outbreak of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19; formally known as 2019-nCoV). Coronaviruses can spread from animals to humans; symptoms include fever, cough, shortness of breath, and breathing difficulties; in more severe cases, infection can lead to death. This feed covers recent research on COVID-19.

Blastomycosis

Blastomycosis fungal infections spread through inhaling Blastomyces dermatitidis spores. Discover the latest research on blastomycosis fungal infections here.

Nuclear Pore Complex in ALS/FTD

Alterations in nucleocytoplasmic transport, controlled by the nuclear pore complex, may be involved in the pathomechanism underlying multiple neurodegenerative diseases including Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis and Frontotemporal Dementia. Here is the latest research on the nuclear pore complex in ALS and FTD.

Applications of Molecular Barcoding

The concept of molecular barcoding is that each original DNA or RNA molecule is attached to a unique sequence barcode. Sequence reads having different barcodes represent different original molecules, while sequence reads having the same barcode are results of PCR duplication from one original molecule. Discover the latest research on molecular barcoding here.

Chronic Fatigue Syndrome

Chronic fatigue syndrome is a disease characterized by unexplained disabling fatigue; the pathology of which is incompletely understood. Discover the latest research on chronic fatigue syndrome here.

Evolution of Pluripotency

Pluripotency refers to the ability of a cell to develop into three primary germ cell layers of the embryo. This feed focuses on the mechanisms that underlie the evolution of pluripotency. Here is the latest research.

Position Effect Variegation

Position Effect Variagation occurs when a gene is inactivated due to its positioning near heterochromatic regions within a chromosome. Discover the latest research on Position Effect Variagation here.

STING Receptor Agonists

Stimulator of IFN genes (STING) are a group of transmembrane proteins that are involved in the induction of type I interferon that is important in the innate immune response. The stimulation of STING has been an active area of research in the treatment of cancer and infectious diseases. Here is the latest research on STING receptor agonists.

Microbicide

Microbicides are products that can be applied to vaginal or rectal mucosal surfaces with the goal of preventing, or at least significantly reducing, the transmission of sexually transmitted infections. Here is the latest research on microbicides.