Associations between faecal chemical pollutants and hormones in primates inhabiting Kibale National Park, Uganda.

While anthropogenic pollutants are known to be a threat to primates, our understanding of exposure to pollutants and their sub-lethal effects is still limited. We used non-invasive biomonitoring to examine associations between faecal concentrations of 97 chemical pollutants and faecal hormone metabolites of cortisol and oestradiol in four primate species inhabiting Kibale National Park, Uganda (chimpanzees-, olive baboons-, red colobus- and red-tailed monkeys-). Across all species ( = 71 samples), results demonstrated positive associations of organochlorine pesticides (OCPs) ( = 0.

Elevated glucocorticoids during the ovarian follicular phase predict conception in wild female chacma baboons.

Mating related behavior during ovarian cycling can be energetically demanding and constitute a significant stressor, requiring physiological responses to mediate investment in reproduction. To better understand the proximate mechanisms underlying these responses, we examine hormonal and behavioral variation across the ovarian cycle during conceptive and nonconceptive cycles in wild female chacma baboons (Papio ursinus). We quantified immunoreactive fecal estradiol, progesterone, and cortisol metabolites for 21 adult females, and calculated activity budgets and rates of received aggression from over 5000 15-min behavioral samples.

Feces are Effective Biological Samples for Measuring Pesticides and Flame Retardants in Primates.

The habitats of wild primates are increasingly threatened by surrounding anthropogenic pressures, but little is known about primate exposure to frequently used chemicals. We applied a novel method to simultaneously measure 21 legacy pesticides (OCPs), 29 current use pesticides (CUPs), 47 halogenated flame retardants (HFRs), and 19 organophosphate flame retardants in feces from baboons in the U.S.

Primate microbial endocrinology: An uncharted frontier.

Gut microbial communities communicate bidirectionally with the brain through endocrine, immune, and neural signaling, influencing the physiology and behavior of hosts. The emerging field of microbial endocrinology offers innovative perspectives and methods to analyze host-microbe relationships with relevance to primate ecology, evolution, and conservation. Herein we briefly summarize key findings from microbial endocrinology and explore how applications of a similar framework could inform our understanding of primate stress and reproductive physiology and behavior.

Atmospheric Occurrence of Legacy Pesticides, Current Use Pesticides, and Flame Retardants in and around Protected Areas in Costa Rica and Uganda.

Protected areas have developed alongside intensive changes in land use and human settlements in the neighboring landscape. Here, we investigated the occurrence of 21 organochlorine pesticides (OCPs), 14 current use pesticides (CUPs), 47 halogenated flame retardants (HFRs), and 19 organophosphate esters (OPEs) in air around Las Cruces (LC) and La Selva (LS) Biological Stations, Costa Rica, and Kibale National Park (KNP), Uganda using passive air samplers (PAS) with polyurethane foam (PUF) discs (PAS-PUF). Significantly higher concentrations of CUPs were observed around LS, while LC had a higher concentration of OCPs.