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6 - Endocrinological analyses at Taï

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  25 November 2019

By
Tobias Deschner  and
Verena Behringer
Edited by
Christophe Boesch  and
Roman Wittig
Edited in association with
Catherine Crockford ,
Linda Vigilant ,
Tobias Deschner  and
Fabian Leendertz
Christophe Boesch
Affiliation:
Max-Planck-Institut für Evolutionäre Anthropologie, Germany
Roman Wittig
Affiliation:
Max-Planck-Institut für Evolutionäre Anthropologie, Germany
Catherine Crockford
Affiliation:
Max-Planck-Institut für Evolutionäre Anthropologie, Germany
Linda Vigilant
Affiliation:
Max-Planck-Institut für Evolutionäre Anthropologie, Germany
Tobias Deschner
Affiliation:
Max-Planck-Institut für Evolutionäre Anthropologie, Germany
Fabian Leendertz
Affiliation:
Robert Koch-Institut, Germany
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Summary

A variety of studies have investigated endocrinological aspects of ecology, cooperation and immune system activation in Taï chimpanzees, making use of the ever-growing number of validated biomarkers used on non-invasive samples by the endocrinology laboratory at the MPI EVAN. In particular, the measurement of urinary oxytocin allows for insights into benefits of food-sharing, bonds and the potential physiological mechanism behind cooperation. Measures of urinary cortisol in combination with creatinine and C-peptide allow for the investigation of causes of seasonal variation in stress levels while patterns of immune system activation are monitored by the measurement of urinary neopterin. Future studies will profit from combined analysis of endocrine and immune parameters in relation to behaviour and reproductive success to investigate life-history trade-offs. Across-site comparisons of behaviour and endocrine patterns will help us to understand how variation in ecological and physiological parameters form the social setting of a population which leads to relatively low intergroup hostility, low leverage of males over females and relatively high levels of female sociality at Taï.

Keywords

ChimpanzeeUrineNon-invasiveSex steroidsCortisolOxytocinNeopterinEIALC-MS
Type
Chapter
Information
The Chimpanzees of the Taï Forest
40 Years of Research
 , pp. 78 - 88
Publisher: Cambridge University Press
Print publication year: 2019

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