Elevated glucocorticoid concentrations during gestation predict reduced reproductive success in subordinate female banded mongooses.

ABSTRACT: Dominant females in social species have been hypothesized to reduce the reproductive success of their subordinates by inducing elevated circulating glucocorticoid (GC) concentrations. However, this 'stress-related suppression' hypothesis has received little support in cooperatively breeding species, despite evident reproductive skews among females. We tested this hypothesis in the banded mongoose (Mungos mungo), a cooperative mammal in which multiple females conceive and carry to term in each communal breeding attempt. As predicted, lower ranked females had lower reproductive success, even among females that carried to term. While there were no rank-related differences in faecal glucocorticoid (fGC) concentrations prior to gestation or in the first trimester, lower ranked females had signi

SUBMITTER: Sanderson JL 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC4650177 | biostudies-literature | 2015 Oct

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature