The effects of challenge or social buffering on cortisol, testosterone, and antler growth in captive red deer (Cervus elaphus) males

Result code in IS VaVaI

<a href="https://www.isvavai.cz/riv?ss=detail&h=RIV%2F00027014%3A_____%2F23%3A10005888" target="_blank" >RIV/00027014:_____/23:10005888 - isvavai.cz</a>

Alternative codes found

RIV/60460709:41320/23:N0000009 RIV/60460709:41340/23:97656

Result on the web

<a href="https://www.nature.com/articles/s41598-023-48476-9" target="_blank" >https://www.nature.com/articles/s41598-023-48476-9</a>

DOI - Digital Object Identifier

<a href="http://dx.doi.org/10.1038/s41598-023-48476-9" target="_blank" >10.1038/s41598-023-48476-9</a>

Result language

angličtina

Original language name

The effects of challenge or social buffering on cortisol, testosterone, and antler growth in captive red deer (Cervus elaphus) males

Original language description

We equipped 17 captive red deer males (Cervus elaphus) with GPS collars to measure inter-individual distances throughout the 5-months of the antler growth period. We expected some individuals to associate regularly with others while others would not. We predicted that males aggregating with others within a socially stable environment (Associates) would benefit from a form of “social buffering” and would likely have lowered cortisol (C) and testosterone (T) concentrations. Males only irregularly joining social groupings would experience elevated levels of aggression; according to the “Challenge hypothesis”, their T and C concentrations should increase. Interacting with a higher proportion of Associates did indeed reduce C concentrations. Conversely, avoiding Associates and challenging other males stimulated the T secretion. Admittedly, males avoiding regular proximity to others tended to develop the largest antlers. They probably benefited from frequent successful agonistic threats to conspecifics, resulting in elevated T concentrations. Regular association with tolerant, conspecifics and “social buffering” did not seem sufficient for producing larger antlers despite reducing C concentrations. Alternative social strategies were adopted within the same group of individuals and showed how the trade-off between these strategies could have an essential impact on C and T concentrations.

Czech name

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Czech description

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Type

J_imp - Article in a specialist periodical, which is included in the Web of Science database

CEP classification

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OECD FORD branch

10613 - Zoology

Project

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Continuities

I - Institucionalni podpora na dlouhodoby koncepcni rozvoj vyzkumne organizace

Publication year

2023

Confidentiality

S - Úplné a pravdivé údaje o projektu nepodléhají ochraně podle zvláštních právních předpisů

Name of the periodical

Scientific Reports

ISSN

2045-2322

e-ISSN

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Volume of the periodical

13

Issue of the periodical within the volume

1

Country of publishing house

DE - GERMANY

Number of pages

13

Pages from-to

21856

UT code for WoS article

001118828300036

EID of the result in the Scopus database

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