Hormones and Behavior Flashcards
Hormones are elevated/altered by
- age
- ecological cues
- social factors
- trauma
- illness
- nutrition
3 kinds of spirits
- animals
- vital
- natural
- the relationship between brain and behavior is regulated by “body humors” or hormones
Portal blood vessels
- connects what
- who discovered its function
- posterior pit?
- connects hypothalamus (brain base) to anterior pituitary
- Used to think the portal was for hormones in pituitary to fuse into the brain
- Geoffrey Harris proposed the opposite: hypothalamus makes releasing hormones go through blood vessels to pituitary - rest of body
- brain controls hormones
- posterior pit hormones don’t require this
adrenal glad
- secretes cortisol
- stress hormone
CRH axis
- hypothal: CRH
- ant pit: ACTH
- adrenal: cortisol
- cortisol has negative feedback on the hypothalamus and ant pit
GnRH axis
- hypothal: GnRH
- ant pit: LH, FSH
- ovaries/testes: E and P/T
- E and P have negative feedback on hypothalamus and ant pit
gonads
- secrete testosterone (males)
- secrete E and P (females)
- reproduction hormones
changes caused by hormones
- acute changes
- chronic changes
- rhythmic changes (diurnal, monthly, annually)
- timing of puberty
- duration and success of pregnancy
- biology of aging (senescence) - aging clock
male reproduction characteristics
- dominance and aggression
- testosterone increases
activities that affect testosterone levels
- dominance: in higher ranking males T inc
- wounding/trauma T dec
- group size/group complexity - depends
- mating season - increase T
- presence of females
study of hierarchy and testosterone levels
- study system
- findings
- squirrel monkeys
- monkey winning squabble for higher rank had higher T levels
Coe study about Testosterone
-testosterone increases within 24 hours of pairing in squirrel monkeys
T daily rhythm in males
- rises at night - best time to study monkeys
- falls throughout the day
pattern of male sexuality in rhesus macaques
-males only produce active sperm during the months when females are actually fertile
pattern of male sexuality in male gorillas
- male libido is generally low
- females initiate most sexual contact
pattern of male sexuality in male chimpanzees
- male sexual motivation is high
- male initiates sexual contact
menstrual influences
- on male behavior and hormones
- on other females (synchrony)
- social cues
- ovariectomized (brought into estrus out of breeding season)
- estrogen facilitates
- progesterone inhibits
- attractiveness, receptivity, proceptivity
3 characteristics of estrus
- attractiveness
- proceptivity - female initiative
- receptibity - designed to facilitate copulation itself
phases of menstrual cycle
- follicular phase: follicle matures due to increased FSH from ant pit; estradiol increases
- Luteal: increasing estradiol causes LH surge; ovulation occurs; CL forms and makes progesterone; goes away if not pregnant
reproduction in marmosets and tamarins
- reproductive suppression
- social behavior and olfactory cues
- GABA can inhibit secretion of hormones at the hypothalamus level
detecting hormone levels
- blood
- saliva - 1/10
- urine - metabolites
- fecal - metabolites
- hair - longer time frame
lemur
- puberty
- gestation
- birth interval
- puberty: 1-2yr
- gestation: 2-4 mo
- birth interval: 1 yr
monkeys
- puberty
- gestation
- birth interval
- puberty: 3-4 yr
- gestation: 5-7 mo
- birth interval: 1-2 yr
apes
- puberty
- gestation
- birth interval
- puberty: 10-14 yr
- gestation: 8mo
- birth interval: 4-8 yr
humans
- puberty
- gestation
- birth interval
- puberty: 12-18 yr
- gestation: 9mo
- birth interval: 4 yr
mating/birthing times of year
- dry season: mate
- wet season: birth
behavioral changes during pregnancy
- lethargy
- sexual abstinence
- eating and drinking changes
B marriot
- studied changing associations and ranging
- observed that older females hang out with more females
- less play with age (pimparious females)
duration of pregnancy
- prosimians
- monkeys
- apes
- prosimians: 2-4 mo
- monkeys: 5.5-7 mo
- Apes: 8 mo
Twinning
- rare
- less common in apes than it is in humans
- 1/60-80 births
hemochorial placenta
- penetrates deeply into uterus
- very small distance between baby blood and mother’s blood
- when women/primates gibe birth - more blood b/c more of uterus is coming out
physiological changes
- water needs increase
- hormone levels change
increase in water needs
- water makes up 50% of blood volume
- may be why monkey’s give birth during the rainy season
- huge change in blood volume because of increased consumption - can cause high BP
Hormones before conception
- progesterone comes from CL on ovary
- CL regresses if there is no pregnancy
Egg maturation
- secondary follicle released
- egg fully matures after fusing with sperm
Chorionic Gonadotropin
-in NW primates, CG is released from placenta during the middle of pregnancy; subsides at the end of pregnancy
Cortisol
- liberates glucose and makes it available for baby
- inhibits parts of the immune system that would reject baby
Estrogen
- rises until birth
- maintains pregnancy
- stimulates breast tissue to be ready to make milk
Progesterone
- rises until birth
- maintains pregnancy
- keeps uterus from contracting before its the right time
Prolactin
- begins to rise right before birth
- stimulates milk production
Oxytocin
- surge right during/after birth
- induces contractions for birth
- also triggered by suckling
- bonding hormone
Chimpanzees in captivity when pregnant
- spend more time sitting, less time traveling
- usually travel 6-10 mi per day
- alone in nature during pregnancy
- pull away from younger chimps, gravitate toward other females in social group
length of paturition
- usually happens at night
- 0.5-3/4 hrs
orientation of baby upon birth
- head first
- feet first - usually still birth
monkey sizes
- gorilla is about 3 lbs
- chimpanzee is 7-8 lbs
placentophagia
- avoid predation
- hormones
- nutrients
- remove baby
- blood transfusion
JD
- first time mother
- did everything wrong, baby died
