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  • Title: Lake pigments facilitate analysis of fecal cortisol and behavior in group-housed macaques.
    Author: Stavisky RC, Whitten PL, Hammett DH, Kaplan JR.
    Journal: Am J Phys Anthropol; 2001 Sep; 116(1):51-8. PubMed ID: 11536117.
    Abstract:
    Fecal steroid analyses are becoming more popular among both field and laboratory scientists. The benefits associated with sampling procedures that do not require restraint, anesthesia, and blood collection include less risk to both subject and investigator, as well as the potential to obtain endocrine profiles that do not reflect the influence of stress. However, the utility of the fecal steroid method has been limited in field conditions because of problems associated with sample identification. Here, we present evidence that Lake pigments are a valuable tool for the identification of individual fecal samples from group-housed female cynomolgus macaques. Further, we present data that suggest that excreted cortisol can be assayed from such samples, leading to the finding that time of day of sample collection influences cortisol concentrations, with morning samples producing higher values (t = 2.769, P = 0.024). Finally, the collection of physiological data from group-housed animals permits the evaluation of the relationship between endocrine status and behavior. This study demonstrated that morning fecal cortisol was significantly correlated with competitive and proximity behaviors, although not with rank in two stable social groups. In conclusion, the utility and validity of fecal steroid analyses continue to expand with further investigations.
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