Robbins M M, Czekala N M
Department of Zoology, University of Wisconsin, Madison 53706, USA.
Am J Primatol. 1997;43(1):51-64. doi: 10.1002/(SICI)1098-2345(1997)43:1<51::AID-AJP4>3.0.CO;2-X.
Urinary steroid hormone levels were measured in wild male mountain gorillas (Gorilla gorilla beringei) to determine how levels of testosterone and cortisol corresponded with age and social rank. Urine samples were collected noninvasively from 18 males, ranging in age from 3-26 years, in three groups of wild mountain gorillas at the Karisoke Research Center, Rwanda, Africa, and samples were analyzed using radioimmunoassay procedures. Males were classified as being immature (< 7 years), maturing (10-13 years), or adult (+13 years of age). Immature males had significantly lower levels of testosterone and higher levels of cortisol than both maturing and adult males. No differences in testosterone or cortisol levels were found between maturing and adult males. Dominant males exhibited a trend toward significantly higher levels of testosterone than subordinate males, but no difference was found between cortisol levels of dominant and subordinate males. These results suggest that the increase in testosterone associated with puberty occurs prior to any outward sign of development of secondary sexual characteristics. Within-group male-male competition may affect testosterone levels, but the lack of difference in cortisol levels between dominant and subordinate males suggests that subordinate males are not socially stressed, at least as measured by cortisol.
对野生雄性山地大猩猩（山地大猩猩指名亚种）的尿液类固醇激素水平进行了测量，以确定睾酮和皮质醇水平与年龄和社会等级之间的关系。从非洲卢旺达卡里索克研究中心的三组野生山地大猩猩中，对18只年龄在3至26岁之间的雄性大猩猩进行了非侵入性尿液样本采集，并使用放射免疫分析程序对样本进行了分析。雄性被分为未成熟（<7岁）、成熟（10 - 13岁）或成年（≥13岁）。未成熟雄性的睾酮水平显著低于成熟和成年雄性，而皮质醇水平则高于成熟和成年雄性。成熟雄性和成年雄性之间的睾酮或皮质醇水平没有差异。优势雄性的睾酮水平有显著高于从属雄性的趋势，但优势雄性和从属雄性的皮质醇水平没有差异。这些结果表明，与青春期相关的睾酮增加发生在第二性征发育的任何外在迹象之前。组内雄性之间的竞争可能会影响睾酮水平，但优势雄性和从属雄性的皮质醇水平没有差异，这表明从属雄性没有受到社会压力，至少以皮质醇来衡量是这样。
