CRB: Socioendocrinology of Behavior

南美洲和中美洲沿海和热带森林的持续破坏威胁着自然动物种群的生存，包括毛猴和狨猴。虽然金狮狨被认为是濒临灭绝的物种，但通过内布拉斯加州大学在国家动物园主持下的一个非常成功的繁殖计划，这些灵长类动物正在人工饲养，最近有一小群六只被重新引入巴西的森林。然而，它们作为一个物种的生存，很大程度上取决于对它们如何同步繁殖以提高受精可能性的理解。弗兰奇博士将研究金狮狨内部生理因素与外部社会和环境因素之间复杂的相互作用。与旧大陆的灵长类动物和类人猿不同，毛毛灵长类动物是一夫一妻制的，因此，在繁殖中的雄性和雌性之间建立了密切而持久的联系，或称为配对关系。弗兰奇博士将对激素样本和行为测量使用无创数据收集技术，以比较社会因素对生殖激素调节的影响程度。他的发现将与在旧大陆非一夫一妻制灵长类动物中进行的类似研究的结果进行比较。这项工作将有助于我们了解荷尔蒙和社会影响对金狮狨以及其他新大陆灵长类动物生殖行为的作用，这些灵长类动物中许多被认为是受威胁或濒危物种。此外，研究结果将大大加强濒危物种的圈养繁殖计划，从而有助于保护这些小型南美灵长类动物。

The continued destruction of the coastal and tropical forest in South and Central America threatens the survival of natural animal populations, including the callitrichid primates (tamarins and marmosets). While the golden lion tamarins are considered an endangered species, through a highly successful breeding program at the University of Nebraska under the auspices of the National Zoological Park, these primates are being bred in captivity and a small group of six have recently been reintroduced into forests of Brazil. Their survival as a species, however, depends extensively on understanding how their reproduction is synchronized to lead to a greater likelihood of fertilization. Dr. French will investigate the complex interplay between internal physiological factors and external social and environmental factors in gold lion tamarins. Unlike Old World primates and apes, the callitrichid primates are monogamous and thus, develop a close and long-lasting association, or pair- bond, between a breeding male and female. Dr. French will use noninvasive data collection techniques for both hormone samples and behavioral measurements to compare the degree to which social factors influence hormonal regulation of reproduction. His findings will be compared with the results obtained in similarly conducted studies in which Old World non-monogamous primate species have been used. This work will contribute to our understanding of the role of hormonal and social influences on reproductive behavior in golden lion tamarins as well as other New World primates of which many are considered threatened or endangered species. Furthermore, the results will significantly enhance the captive breeding programs of endangered species and thus, contribute to the preservation of these small South American primates.