Wittig Roman M, Crockford Catherine, Lehmann Julia, Whitten Patricia L, Seyfarth Robert M, Cheney Dorothy L
Department of Biology, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA.
Horm Behav. 2008 Jun;54(1):170-7. doi: 10.1016/j.yhbeh.2008.02.009. Epub 2008 Mar 10.
We examine the relationship between glucocorticoid (GC) levels and grooming behavior in wild female baboons during a period of instability in the alpha male rank position. All females' GC levels rose significantly at the onset of the unstable period, though levels in females who were at lower risk of infanticide began to decrease sooner in the following weeks. Three factors suggest that females relied on a focused grooming network as a coping mechanism to alleviate stress. First, all females' grooming networks became less diverse in the weeks following the initial upheaval. Second, females whose grooming had already focused on a few predictable partners showed a less dramatic rise in GC levels than females whose grooming network had been more diverse. Third, females who contracted their grooming network the most experienced a greater decrease in GC levels in the following week. We conclude that close bonds with a few preferred partners allow female baboons to alleviate the stress associated with social instability.
我们研究了野生雌性狒狒在雄性首领地位不稳定时期糖皮质激素（GC）水平与梳理行为之间的关系。在不稳定时期开始时，所有雌性的GC水平均显著上升，不过杀婴风险较低的雌性在接下来几周内其GC水平较早开始下降。有三个因素表明，雌性依靠一个集中的梳理网络作为缓解压力的应对机制。首先，在最初的动荡之后的几周里，所有雌性的梳理网络变得不那么多样化。其次，那些梳理行为已经集中在少数可预测伙伴身上的雌性，其GC水平的上升幅度小于梳理网络更多样化的雌性。第三，那些最大程度收缩其梳理网络的雌性，在接下来的一周内GC水平下降得更多。我们得出结论，与少数偏好伙伴建立紧密联系能使雌性狒狒缓解与社会不稳定相关的压力。
