A preliminary investigation of urinary testosterone and cortisol levels in wild male mountain gorillas

• Published in: American journal of primatology Vol. 43; no. 1; pp. 51 - 64
• Main Authors: Robbins, Martha M., Czekala, Nancy M.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: New York Wiley Subscription Services, Inc., A Wiley Company 1997; Wiley-Liss
• Subjects: Age Factors; Animals; Behavioral psychophysiology; Biological and medical sciences; cortisol; dominance; Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology; Gorilla gorilla - physiology; Hormones and behavior; Hydrocortisone - analysis; Hydrocortisone - urine; Male; mountain gorilla; Psychology. Psychoanalysis. Psychiatry; Psychology. Psychophysiology; puberty; Sex Characteristics; Social Dominance; socioendocrinology; testosterone; Testosterone - analysis; Testosterone - urine; Africa; Rwanda; Androgen; Male; Wild animal; Hydrocortisone; Glucocorticoid; Gorilla gorilla; Testosterone; Vertebrata; Mammalia; Social behavior; Social dominance; Social interaction; Animal; Adrenal hormone; Primates; Simioidea; Research center; Developmental stage; Testicular hormone; Hormonal investigation; Sex steroid hormone; Age; Field study
• DOI: 10.1002/(SICI)1098-2345(1997)43:1<51::AID-AJP4>3.0.CO;2-X
• ISSN: 0275-2565

Urinary steroid hormone levels were measured in wild male mountain gorillas (Gorilla gorilla beringei) to determine how levels of testosterone and cortisol corresponded with age and social rank. Urine samples were collected noninvasively from 18 males, ranging in age from 3–26 years, in three groups of wild mountain gorillas at the Karisoke Research Center, Rwanda, Africa, and samples were analyzed using radioimmunoassay procedures. Males were classified as being immature (<7 years), maturing (10–13 years), or adult (+13 years of age). Immature males had significantly lower levels of testosterone and higher levels of cortisol than both maturing and adult males. No differences in testosterone or cortisol levels were found between maturing and adult males. Dominant males exhibited a trend toward significantly higher levels of testosterone than subordinate males, but no difference was found between cortisol levels of dominant and subordinate males. These results suggest that the increase in testosterone associated with puberty occurs prior to any outward sign of development of secondary sexual characteristics. Within‐group male–male competition may affect testosterone levels, but the lack of difference in cortisol levels between dominant and subordinate males suggests that subordinate males are not socially stressed, at least as measured by cortisol. Am. J. Primatol. 43:51–64, 1997. © 1997 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.