“…Among female squirrel monkeys, for example, plasma cortisol concentrations are significantly elevated 1 h following formation of unisexual dyads, but do not differ from previous baseline values 24 h later and fall to below preceding baseline values after several days (41). More typically, however, social instability, resulting from formation of new social relationships or disruption of existing ones, has been found to stimulate pronounced increases in plasma glucocorticoid concentrations in both dominant and subordinate individuals, and such effects may persist for up to several weeks (14,24,25,(38)(39)(40). Moreover, in contrast to the present findings, these elevations in circulating glucocorticoids are often independent of engagement in aggression or wounding ( 11,25,51 ).…”