Glucocorticoid stress hormones and the effect of predation risk on elk reproduction

Creel, Scott; Winnie, John A.; Christianson, David

doi:10.1073/pnas.0902235106

Cited by 215 publications

(241 citation statements)

References 63 publications

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“…Decreased levels of progesterone were observed in response to the stress challenge, a response that appears to be highly conserved across species (26,46,53) despite species-specific differences in progesterone production. Low placenta-dependent stimulation with Prl3b1 and low ovarian expression of the progesterone-synthesizing enzymes Star and Hsd3b1 indicate that the stress-induced decrease of progesterone results from a reduction of progesterone synthesis rather than altered rates of progesterone metabolism via 20αHSD (Akr1c18).…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 97%

Progesterone and HMOX-1 promote fetal growth by CD8+ T cell modulation

Solano¹,

Kowal²,

O’Rourke³

et al. 2015

J. Clin. Invest.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 97%

Progesterone and HMOX-1 promote fetal growth by CD8+ T cell modulation

Solano¹,

Kowal²,

O’Rourke³

et al. 2015

J. Clin. Invest.

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“…Harvey et al, 1984, Bush and Hayward, 2009, Zanchi et al, 2010, Goymann 2012), which in turn, can affect individuals" response to internal and external stimuli (Dowle et al, 2012). Under challenging conditions, such as food deprivation, social instability or predation risk (Dallman et al, 1993;Creel et al, 2009Creel et al, , 2013 adrenal activity increases the production of glucocorticoids (GCs) to mobilize energy and resolve stressful stimuli (Harvey et al, 1984;McEwen and Wingfield, 2003;Wingfield, 2005;Romero et al, 2009). In turn, GCs can modulate the intensity of behavioral responses to stimuli such as presence of predators (Sapolsky et al, 2000).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Mean fecal glucocorticoid metabolites are associated with vigilance, whereas immediate cortisol levels better reflect acute anti-predator responses in meerkats

Voellmy

Gonçalves

Barrette

et al. 2014

Hormones and Behavior

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Adrenal hormones likely affect anti-predator behavior in animals. With experimental field studies, we first investigated associations between mean fecal glucocorticoid metabolite (fGC) excretion and vigilance and with behavioral responses to alarm call playbacks in free-ranging meerkats (Suricata suricatta). We then tested how vigilance and behavioral responses to alarm call playbacks were affected in individuals administered exogenous cortisol. We found a positive association between mean fGC concentrations and vigilance behavior, but no relationship with 2 the intensity of behavioral responses to alarm calls. However, in response to alarm call playbacks, individuals administered cortisol took slightly longer to resume foraging than control individuals treated with saline solution. Vigilance behavior, which occurs in the presence and absence of dangerous stimuli, serves to detect and avoid potential dangers, whereas responses to alarm calls serve to avoid immediate predation. Our data show that mean fGC excretion in meerkats was associated with vigilance, as a re-occurring anti-predator behavior over long time periods, and experimentally induced elevations of plasma cortisol affected the response to immediate threats. Together, our results indicate an association between the two types of anti-predator behavior and glucocorticoids, but that the underlying mechanisms may differ. Our study emphasizes the need to consider appropriate measures of adrenal activity specific to different contexts when assessing links between stress physiology and different anti-predator behaviors.

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“…Creel et al (2007) suggested that pregnancy rates of elk (Cervus elaphus) in the greater Yellowstone ecosystem, as determined indirectly through measurement of average fecal progesterone levels, decreased in the presence of wolves (Canis lupus). This apparent effect was attributed to changes in foraging patterns of elk that carried nutritional costs rather than changes in glucocorticoid concentrations due to stress (Creel et al 2009, Christianson andCreel 2010). The possibility that antipredator strategies to avoid being killed by wolves could decrease forage intake (nutrition) and reproductive rates of elk is intriguing and has major implications for predicting the outcomes of predator-prey interactions in large mammal systems (Creel and Christianson 2008).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Likewise, the probability that elk are pregnant in mid-to late winter follows a logistic curve as a function of body fat (Cook et al 2004b). Thus, the hypothesized mechanism for lower pregnancy rates in elk as a consequence of antipredator responses that carry nutritional costs is that reduced body condition (fat, protein) results in (1) elk not conceiving due to low body fat during the autumn breeding season, (2) elk conceiv- ing but losing the fetus due to inadequate winter nutrition and inadequate progesterone levels to maintain pregnancy, or (3) some combination of both (Creel et al 2007(Creel et al , 2009). To prevent elk from accruing enough body fat to get pregnant, elk antipredator behavioral responses to wolves would have to result in limited forage intake or force elk into areas of lower forage quality during spring and summer.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Body condition and pregnancy in northern Yellowstone elk: Evidence for predation risk effects?

White

Garrott

Hamlin

et al. 2011

Ecological Applications

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Abstract. S. Creel et al. reported a negative correlation between fecal progesterone concentrations and elk : wolf ratios in greater Yellowstone elk (Cervus elaphus) herds and interpreted this correlation as evidence that pregnancy rates of elk decreased substantially in the presence of wolves (Canis lupus). Apparently, the hypothesized mechanism is that decreased forage intake reduces body condition and either results in elk failing to conceive during the autumn rut or elk losing the fetus during winter. We tested this hypothesis by comparing age-specific body condition (percentage ingesta-free body fat) and pregnancy rates for northern Yellowstone elk, one of the herds sampled by Creel et al., before (1962Creel et al., before ( -1968 and after (2000)(2001)(2002)(2003)(2004)(2005)(2006) wolf restoration using indices developed and calibrated for Rocky Mountain elk. Mean age-adjusted percentage body fat of female elk was similarly high in both periods (9.0% 6 0.9% pre-wolf; 8.9% 6 0.8% post-wolf). Estimated pregnancy rates (proportion of females that were pregnant) were 0.91 pre-wolf and 0.87 post-wolf for 4-9 year-old elk (95% CI on difference ¼ À0.15 to 0.03, P ¼ 0.46) and 0.64 pre-wolf and 0.78 post-wolf for elk .9 years old (95% CI on difference ¼ À0.01 to 0.27, P ¼ 0.06). Thus, there was little evidence in these data to support strong effects of wolf presence on elk pregnancy. We caution that multiple lines of evidence and/or strong validation should be brought to bear before relying on indirect measures of how predators affect pregnancy rates.

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Glucocorticoid stress hormones and the effect of predation risk on elk reproduction

Abstract: antipredator behavior ͉ nonconsumptive effects ͉ risk effect ͉ wolf

Cited by 215 publications

References 63 publications

Progesterone and HMOX-1 promote fetal growth by CD8+ T cell modulation

Progesterone and HMOX-1 promote fetal growth by CD8+ T cell modulation

Mean fecal glucocorticoid metabolites are associated with vigilance, whereas immediate cortisol levels better reflect acute anti-predator responses in meerkats

Body condition and pregnancy in northern Yellowstone elk: Evidence for predation risk effects?

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