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Behavioral and adrenocortical responses of rhesus macaque mothers to infant separation in an unfamiliar environment

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Abstract

The behavioral and adrenocortical responses of rhesus macaque mothers to a series of four consecutive 4-day separations from their 5-month old infants in an unfamiliar environment were examined. A biphasic behavioral response to separation was observed, with passive behavior, locomotion, and vocalization highest on Day 1 of separation, and self-directed behaviors and environmental exploration peaking during Days 2–4. Stereotyped locomotion increased, and passive behavior decreased, across successive weeks of separation. The rhesus mothers exhibited substantial cortisol elevations one and two hours postseparation, with cortisol decreasing on the fourth day of separation. The cortisol response was strongest during the first week of separation, but robust elevations occurred in response to repeated separations. No signs of behavioral depression were observed. The results indicate that infant separation combined with removal to a novel environment can be a potent stressor for rhesus macaque mothers.

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  1. Maribeth Champoux & Stephen J. Suomi

    Present address: NIH Animal Center, P. O. Box 529, 20837, Poolesville, Maryland, U. S. A.

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  1. University of Wisconsin and National Institute of Child Health and Human Development, USA

    Maribeth Champoux & Stephen J. Suomi

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  1. Maribeth Champoux
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  2. Stephen J. Suomi
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Champoux, M., Suomi, S.J. Behavioral and adrenocortical responses of rhesus macaque mothers to infant separation in an unfamiliar environment. Primates 35, 191–202 (1994). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02382054

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02382054

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