(Press-News.org) Contact information: Dr. Verena Behringer
verena_behringer@eva.mpg.de
49-341-355-0245
Max-Planck-Gesellschaft
Bonobos stay young longer
Contrary to humans and chimpanzees bonobos retain elevated thyroid hormones well into adulthood
This news release is available in German.
Despite the fact that chimpanzees and bonobos share similar starting conditions at birth they develop different behavioural patterns later in life. These differences might be caused by different hormone levels. Researchers of the Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology in Leipzig, Germany, and the Royal Zoological Society of Antwerp in Belgium have analyzed thyroid hormones from urine samples of zoo-living chimpanzees and bonobos. They discovered that bonobos retain elevated thyroid hormone concentrations well into adulthood, whereas in humans and chimpanzees thyroid hormone concentrations decline after puberty. The late decline of thyroid hormones in bonobos might have consequences on their behaviour and might also indicate a delayed development of their mental capacities.
The thyroid hormones Triiodthyronin (T3) and Thyroxin (T4) influence the ontogenetic development in human and animals. Prenatally, they are responsible for brain and somatic growth as well as for maturation. Later, they influence somatic growth and the emergence of specific developmental stages such as puberty and adulthood. Given the key role of thyroid hormones in the development of all vertebrates, it astonishes that so little is known about thyroid hormones and their impact on the ontogenetic development in our closest living relatives, bonobo and chimpanzee.
While the two species show minor differences in their behaviour during their first years of life, they differ remarkably when they reach adulthood. Male bonobos are less aggressive, engage in lasting friendships with females and receive life-long support from their mothers. In contrast, the social network of male chimpanzees consists of a mixture of male-male cooperation and aggressive behavioural strategies in males that aim on gaining and maintaining high social status. The consequence is that the two sister species live in different social systems.
While some researchers relate this difference in aggression to the dominance relations between females and males, others have suggested that bonobos retain juvenile behaviours until adulthood and – by inference – do not develop the behavioural suite that supports strive for high dominance status of male chimpanzees. In a recent study, scientists of the Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology in Leipzig, Germany, and of the Royal Zoological Society of Antwerp in Belgium have investigated hormonal changes in bonobos and chimpanzees. For hormonal analyses, urine samples from around 200 zoo-living individuals ranging between one and 56 years of age were used.
Hormone measures showed that the thyroid hormone pattern of western modern humans and chimpanzees was very similar, with high levels before puberty and a decrease of this hormone during and after puberty. Unexpectedly, samples of bonobos differed: The concentration of thyroid hormone T3 remained high well until adulthood. In other words, compared to chimpanzees, bonobos retain the elevated levels of thyroid hormone which are a characteristic trait for young individuals for a longer time and experience the decline of thyroid hormones relatively late in life. Interestingly, male bonobos were found to have higher thyroid hormone levels than females during their entire life. "Our study showed that male bonobos, who are known for their low levels for aggressive behaviour, had higher thyroid hormone levels than females", says Verena Behringer of the Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology. "High thyroid hormone levels likely reduce aggression in male apes." It is likely that female bonobos prefer thyroid hormone "doped" mates.
Moreover, psychological studies indicate that the cognitive development is delayed in bonobos as compared to chimpanzees. It is known that by the age of ten years the growth of a chimpanzee's brain volume and bones has already been finished. The late decline of thyroid hormones in the urine of bonobos might thus show that these animals' mental capacities start developing later in life.
"These are challenging results and we want to find out next, what the biological relevance of the high thyroid levels in bonobos is in detail", says Verena Behringer. "As the thyroid hormone decline in humans is between the one of bonobos and chimpanzees it remains to be seen which of the two species represents the original thyroid rhythm, that is whether the chimpanzee is early ripe or the bonobo a late bloomer."
INFORMATION:
Original publication
Verena Behringer, Tobias Deschner, Róisín Murtagh, Jeroen M.G. Stevens, Gottfried Hohmann
Age-related changes in Thyroid hormone levels of bonobos and chimpanzees indicate heterochrony in development
Journal of Human Evolution, DOI: 10.1016/j.jhevol.2013.09.008
Bonobos stay young longer
Contrary to humans and chimpanzees bonobos retain elevated thyroid hormones well into adulthood
2013-12-18
ELSE PRESS RELEASES FROM THIS DATE:
Exposing the roots of the lithium battery problem
2013-12-18
Exposing the roots of the lithium battery problem
Berkeley Lab researchers find dendrite problem starts below the surface
The lithium-ion batteries that power our laptops, smartphones and electric vehicles could have significantly higher energy density ...
NASA satellites get double coverage on newborn Tropical Cyclone Amara
2013-12-18
NASA satellites get double coverage on newborn Tropical Cyclone Amara
System 93S strengthened into the third tropical depression of the Southern Indian Ocean cyclone season, which quickly became a tropical storm named Amara. NASA's TRMM and Aqua satellites flew overhead ...
Study finds known lung cancer oncogenes ALK and ROS1 also drive colorectal cancer
2013-12-18
Study finds known lung cancer oncogenes ALK and ROS1 also drive colorectal cancer
Genetically targeted drugs in use for lung cancer may have colorectal cancer application, as well
A University of Colorado Cancer Center study published online ahead of print in the ...
Pfeiffer fire near Big Sur, Calif.
2013-12-18
Pfeiffer fire near Big Sur, Calif.
The MODIS or Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer instrument that flies aboard NASA's Aqua satellite captured an image of smoke and detected the heat from the Pfeiffer Fire near Big Sur, California on December 16 at ...
Significant advance reported with genetically modified poplar trees
2013-12-18
Significant advance reported with genetically modified poplar trees
CORVALLIS, Ore. – Forest geneticists at Oregon State University have created genetically modified poplar trees that grow faster, have resistance to insect pests and are able to retain ...
Saving Fiji's coral reefs linked to forest conservation upstream
2013-12-18
Saving Fiji's coral reefs linked to forest conservation upstream
The health of coral reefs offshore depend on the protection of forests near the sea, according to a new study by the Wildlife Conservation Society that outlines the importance of terrestrial ...
New research on diverticular disease in the December issue of Clinical Gastroenterology and Hepatology
2013-12-18
New research on diverticular disease in the December issue of Clinical Gastroenterology and Hepatology
Diverticulosis, a condition that develops when pouches form in the wall of the colon, is increasing in frequency. It affects the majority of ...
Water in cells behaves in complex and intricate ways
2013-12-18
Water in cells behaves in complex and intricate ways
ANN ARBOR—In a sort of biological "spooky action at a distance," water in a cell slows down in the tightest confines between proteins and develops the ability to affect other proteins much farther away, University ...
Silencing synapses
2013-12-18
Silencing synapses
Hope for a pharmacological solution to cocaine addiction
PITTSBURGH—Imagine kicking a cocaine addiction by simply popping a pill that alters the way your brain processes chemical addiction. New research from the University of Pittsburgh suggests ...
Hack the planet? Geoengineering research, ethics, governance explored
2013-12-18
Hack the planet? Geoengineering research, ethics, governance explored
Hacking the Earth's climate to counteract global warming – a subject that elicits strong reactions from both sides – is the topic of a December special issue of the journal Climatic Change. A dozen ...
LAST 30 PRESS RELEASES:
Older teens who start vaping post-high school risk rapid progress to frequent use
Corpse flowers are threatened by spotty recordkeeping
Riding the AI wave toward rapid, precise ocean simulations
Are lifetimes of big appliances really shrinking?
Pink skies
Monkeys are world’s best yodellers - new research
Key differences between visual- and memory-led Alzheimer’s discovered
% weight loss targets in obesity management – is this the wrong objective?
An app can change how you see yourself at work
NYC speed cameras take six months to change driver behavior, effects vary by neighborhood, new study reveals
New research shows that propaganda is on the rise in China
Even the richest Americans face shorter lifespans than their European counterparts, study finds
Novel genes linked to rare childhood diarrhea
New computer model reveals how Bronze Age Scandinavians could have crossed the sea
Novel point-of-care technology delivers accurate HIV results in minutes
Researchers reveal key brain differences to explain why Ritalin helps improve focus in some more than others
Study finds nearly five-fold increase in hospitalizations for common cause of stroke
Study reveals how alcohol abuse damages cognition
Medicinal cannabis is linked to long-term benefits in health-related quality of life
Microplastics detected in cat placentas and fetuses during early pregnancy
Ancient amphibians as big as alligators died in mass mortality event in Triassic Wyoming
Scientists uncover the first clear evidence of air sacs in the fossilized bones of alvarezsaurian dinosaurs: the "hollow bones" which help modern day birds to fly
Alcohol makes male flies sexy
TB patients globally often incur "catastrophic costs" of up to $11,329 USD, despite many countries offering free treatment, with predominant drivers of cost being hospitalization and loss of income
Study links teen girls’ screen time to sleep disruptions and depression
Scientists unveil starfish-inspired wearable tech for heart monitoring
Footprints reveal prehistoric Scottish lagoons were stomping grounds for giant Jurassic dinosaurs
AI effectively predicts dementia risk in American Indian/Alaska Native elders
First guideline on newborn screening for cystic fibrosis calls for changes in practice to improve outcomes
Existing international law can help secure peace and security in outer space, study shows
[Press-News.org] Bonobos stay young longerContrary to humans and chimpanzees bonobos retain elevated thyroid hormones well into adulthood