作者: Lee Koren , Ofer Mokady , Tatyana Karaskov , Julia Klein , Gideon Koren
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摘要: ormones influence behaviour, and are also influ-enced by behaviour. Monitoring their levels cantherefore provide insights into the mechanistic aspects ofbehaviour. In male mammals for example, elevated levelsof testosterone associated with increased aggressionand dominance (Creel et al. 1993, 1997; Mazur & Booth1998) in social mammals, of stress hormones(e.g. corticosterone, glucocorticoid cortisol) areassociated rank (Sapolsky 1985; Creel 1996,1997). Research has hormone dif-ferent behaviours such as sexual, reproductive, courtship,parental, aggressive feeding behaviours. Comparativetools hormonal analysis evolu-tionary theories based on behavioural aspects, asreproductive suppression ‘challenge hypothesis’(e.g. 1993).In field studies, hormones usually extracted fromblood samples, or noninvasively from saliva, urine andfaeces 1992; Cavigelli 1999; Hirschenhauseret von Engelhardt 2000). Samples derivedfrom trapped handled animals problematicalbecause may alter blood levels(Creel 1992). Additional problems bloodsamples that they not always available, theamount can be taken at a given time is limited, andvarious safety ethical issues exist. Furthermore, bloodand saliva must transported cold frozen, conditionsthat sometimes difficult to obtain (Yang etal. 1998). Urine faeces samples diffi-cult free-ranging cannot becontinuously observed, species deposit incommon latrines.An alternative source found inhair, which collected noninvasively, alreadyused extract DNA (Woodruff 1993; Morin 1994),trace metals, naturally occurring compounds drugs(Wheeler Hair safe, readily andeasy store transport. sampling does notinvolve pain possible infection, isunaffected momentary capture al.1998). allow one monitor hormonalchanges over weeks months (between moults; Maurelet 1986) shaving off patch hair resamplingthe newly grown hair. Hormonal offersonly long-term profile, however, suitable formonitoring hourly daily (short-term) fluctuations inhormonal levels. It provides resolution needed forstudies main trends, especially stablehierarchical systems. already been used todiagnose early pregnancy cows detection proges-terone (Liu 1988), detect oestradiol testoster-one cattle (Gleixner Meyer 1997) anabolicsteroid corticosteroid abuse athletes (Bowers S Hold Kintz Cirimeleet humans, steroid inhair do vary significantly between different regions ofthe scalp (Wheeler Oestradiol, progesteroneand measured healthy humanadults’ correlate levelsmeasured serum 1998).As an example utility this method, we usedata our study rock hyrax,