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Social support reduces stress hormone levels in wild chimpanzees across stressful events and everyday affiliations

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  • Roman M. Wittig

    (Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology
    University of St Andrews, School of Psychology & Neuroscience
    Budongo Conservation Field Station)

  • Catherine Crockford

    (Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology
    University of St Andrews, School of Psychology & Neuroscience
    Budongo Conservation Field Station)

  • Anja Weltring

    (Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology)

  • Kevin E. Langergraber

    (Arizona State University, School of Human Evolution & Social Change and Institute of Human Origins)

  • Tobias Deschner

    (Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology)

  • Klaus Zuberbühler

    (University of St Andrews, School of Psychology & Neuroscience
    Budongo Conservation Field Station
    University of Neuchatel)

Abstract

Stress is a major cause of poor health and mortality in humans and other social mammals. Close social bonds buffer stress, however much of the underlying physiological mechanism remains unknown. Here, we test two key hypotheses: bond partner effects occur only during stress (social buffering) or generally throughout daily life (main effects). We assess urinary glucocorticoids (uGC) in wild chimpanzees, with or without their bond partners, after a natural stressor, resting or everyday affiliation. Chimpanzees in the presence of, or interacting with, bond partners rather than others have lowered uGC levels across all three contexts. These results support the main effects hypothesis and indicate that hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenocortical (HPA) axis regulation is mediated by daily engagement with bond partners both within and out of stressful contexts. Regular social support with bond partners could lead to better health through daily ‘micro-management’ of the HPA axis, a finding with potential medical implications for humans.

Suggested Citation

  • Roman M. Wittig & Catherine Crockford & Anja Weltring & Kevin E. Langergraber & Tobias Deschner & Klaus Zuberbühler, 2016. "Social support reduces stress hormone levels in wild chimpanzees across stressful events and everyday affiliations," Nature Communications, Nature, vol. 7(1), pages 1-8, December.
    • Handle: RePEc:nat:natcom:v:7:y:2016:i:1:d:10.1038_ncomms13361
    DOI: 10.1038/ncomms13361
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