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| Author(s): |
Caio Margarido Moreira
Total Authors: 1
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| Document type: | Master's Dissertation |
| Press: | São Paulo. |
| Institution: | Universidade de São Paulo (USP). Instituto de Psicologia (IP/SBD) |
| Defense date: | 2010-05-14 |
| Examining board members: |
Patricia Izar Mauro;
Marie Odile Monier Chelini;
Marcelo Alcindo de Barros Vaz Guimarães
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| Advisor: | Patricia Izar Mauro |
| Abstract | |
The stress response, including the release of glucocorticoids (GCs), helps animals to cope with environmental changes. Wild species of many taxa seasonally modulate the release of GCs. According to the Preparatory Hypothesis, the seasonal variation of these hormones increases the effectiveness of the physiological response during periods of high frequency of stressors. Sex hormones interact with GCs and can modify the stress response in the reproductive context. In this work we investigate this hypothesis by measuring fecal hormones metabolites and by behavioral observation of a wild blackcapped capuchins monkeys (Cebus nigritus) group living in the Brazilian Atlantic Forest. We analyzed data collected from August 2007 to July 2008. We compared hormones levels among individuals, age-sex classes, rankings, periods of day and seasons, and environmental features and social context. The main results were: peak of cortisol metabolites (CM) of the alpha male during the breeding season, CM peak of the pregnant adult female during the late period of pregnancy, both accompanied by high levels of sexual hormones metabolites (androgens and progesterone, respectively). Subordinate male, juveniles and infants showed a peak of CM during the low fruit availability. These data indicate that the reproduction to adults and the availability of high energetic food to subordinates, juveniles and infants are important factors for the seasonal variation of glucocorticoids of wild capuchin monkeys in the Atlantic Forest (AU) | |