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.
WU Wei, SUN Binghua, WANG Xi, LI Wenbo, LI Bowen, LI Jinhua
. Correlations among dominance rank, testosterone levels and intestinal parasitic infection in adult male Tibetan macaques (Macaca thibetana)[J]. ACTA THERIOLOGICA SINICA, 2018
, 38(5)
: 451
-457
.
DOI: 10.16829/j.slxb.150197