Abstract: In nonhuman primates, testosterone influences both males’ dominance and their intestinal parasites. We studied eight adult males’ dominance ranks, testosterone levels, and intestinal parasite loads in one group of Tibetan macaques (Macaca thibetana) at Mt. Huangshan, Anhui Province to explore potential correlations among dominance rank, testosterone, and health. Our results included 10 species of intestinal parasites: 4 helminths, 5 protozoans, and 1 mite. Testosterone levels (1.00 ± 0.42 ng/g) and intestinal parasite loads (112.44 ± 83.62 EPG) were both significantly different among males (Kruskal-Wallis H, P<0.05). Testosterone levels positively correlated with dominance rank (Spearman, N=8, ρ= 0.326, P<0.05), while protozoan loads negatively correlated with dominance rank (Spearman, N=8, ρ= - 0.345, P<0.05). We found no correlation between helminth loads and dominance rank (Spearman, N=8, ρ= 0.065, P>0.05). Testosterone levels negatively correlated with protozoan loads (Spearman, N=8, ρ= -0.546, P<0.05), but we found no correlation between testosterone levels and helminth loads (Spearman, N=8, ρ= -0.013, P>0.05). The dominant males in our study had higher testosterone levels, it suggests that testosterone has a stimulating effect on the maintenance of rank and that it inhibits protozoan infection.

Key words: Balanced correlation, Dominance rank, Intestinal parasites, Testosterone, Tibetan macaques (Macaca thibetana)

摘要： 在等级森严的非人灵长类群体中，睾酮对雄性顺位维持有着重要作用，且影响着体内寄生虫种类和荷虫量。本研究以栖息于安徽黄山的雄性短尾猴为研究对象，通过计算成年雄性的等级顺位，测定其粪便中睾酮含量以及寄生虫的荷虫量，探讨雄性等级顺位、睾酮水平与健康间的平衡关系。结果表明：共检测出10种肠道寄生虫，包括4种蠕虫、5种原虫和1种螨虫；其中雄性短尾猴个体间睾酮水平（1.00±0.42） ng/g和肠道寄生虫荷虫量（112.44±83.62）EPG均存在显著差异（Kruskal-Wallis H，P<0.05）；等级顺位与睾酮水平呈正相关（Spearman, N=8,ρ= 0.326, P<0.05），与肠道原虫类的荷虫量呈负相关（Spearman, N=8,ρ= - 0.345, P<0.05），与肠道蠕虫类的荷虫量无相关性（Spearman, N=8,ρ= 0.065, P>0.05）；睾酮水平与肠道原虫类寄生虫的荷虫量呈负相关（Spearman, N=8,ρ= -0.546, P<0.05），与肠道蠕虫类的荷虫量无相关性（Spearman, N=8,ρ= -0.013, P>0.05）。本研究表明高顺位雄性拥有更高的睾酮水平，这不仅对其顺位的维持具有重要作用，对原虫类寄生虫也具有明显的抑制作用。

关键词: 短尾猴, 等级顺位, 睾酮, 肠道寄生虫, 平衡关系