Academic Journal
Ontogeny of cortisol reaction norms in wild bonobos (Pan paniscus).
| Title: | Ontogeny of cortisol reaction norms in wild bonobos (Pan paniscus). |
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| Authors: | Sonnweber R; Max Planck Institute of Animal Behavior , Konstanz, Germany., Hohmann G; Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology , Leipzig, Germany., Deschner T; Institute of Cognitive Science, University of Osnabrück, Osnabrück, Germany., Fruth B; Max Planck Institute of Animal Behavior , Konstanz, Germany.; Royal Zoological Society of Antwerp , Antwerpen, Belgium., Heistermann M; Endocrinology Laboratory, German Primate Centre Leibniz Institute for Primate Research, Göttingen, Niedersachsen, Germany., Behringer V; Endocrinology Laboratory, German Primate Centre Leibniz Institute for Primate Research, Göttingen, Niedersachsen, Germany. |
| Source: | Proceedings. Biological sciences [Proc Biol Sci] 2026 Jan 28; Vol. 293 (2063). |
| Publication Type: | Journal Article |
| Language: | English |
| Journal Info: | Publisher: Royal Society of London Country of Publication: England NLM ID: 101245157 Publication Model: Print Cited Medium: Internet ISSN: 1471-2954 (Electronic) Linking ISSN: 09628452 NLM ISO Abbreviation: Proc Biol Sci Subsets: MEDLINE |
| Imprint Name(s): | Original Publication: London : Royal Society of London, c1990- |
| MeSH Terms: | Pan paniscus*/physiology , Pan paniscus*/growth & development , Hydrocortisone*/urine, Animals ; Phenotype ; Female ; Male ; Glucocorticoids |
| Abstract: | Phenotypic plasticity enables animals to adjust physiology, behaviour, morphology and life-history traits in response to changing conditions, either reversibly or through irreversible developmental shifts. In long-lived species, early-life phenotypic changes can have profound consequences if they persist into adulthood. Understanding the balance between stable and flexible trait expression across ontogeny is therefore key. Glucocorticoids (GCs) are central to physiological regulation and known to exhibit plasticity, but little is known about the consistency of GC phenotypes across development. We examined whether bonobos (Pan paniscus), a long-lived species, show consistent GC phenotypes as they mature, focusing on individual differences in average urinary cortisol phenotypes (reaction-norm intercepts) and plasticity (reaction-norm slopes) in response to time of day. We applied a reaction-norm approach to assess individual variation in GC intercepts and slopes across ontogeny, using random regression mixed-effects models. Trait repeatability of urinary cortisol was low across and within years, indicating high within-individual variation relative to between-individual variation. Reaction-norm intercepts were moderately repeatable, suggesting stable individual average GC phenotypes across development. By contrast, slopes were weakly repeatable, reflecting flexibility in how individuals modulate GC output across the day. This dual regulatory structure may support adaptive physiological responses to changing demands in a long-lived species. (© 2025 The Authors.) |
| Grant Information: | Max-Planck-Institut für Evolutionäre Anthropologie; Max Planck Institute of Animal Behavior; Ouwehand Zoo Foundation; Centre for Research and Conservation of the Royal Zoological Society of Antwerp; Deutsches Primatenzentrum; Leakey Foundation; Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft |
| Contributed Indexing: | Keywords: average phenotype; development; diurnal rhythms; glucocorticoids; phenotypic flexibility; plasticity; reaction norm repeatability; trait repeatability |
| Substance Nomenclature: | WI4X0X7BPJ (Hydrocortisone) 0 (Glucocorticoids) |
| Entry Date(s): | Date Created: 20260127 Date Completed: 20260701 Latest Revision: 20260701 |
| Update Code: | 20260701 |
| DOI: | 10.1098/rspb.2025.2675 |
| PMID: | 41592765 |
| Database: | MEDLINE |
| ISSN: | 1471-2954 |
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| DOI: | 10.1098/rspb.2025.2675 |