Behavioral, physiological, and genetic drivers of coping in a non-human primate
Debottam Bhattacharjee,
Aníta Rut Guðjónsdóttir,
Paula Escriche Chova,
Esmee Middelburg,
Jana Jäckels,
Natasja G. de Groot,
Bernard Wallner,
Jorg J.M. Massen,
Lena S. Pflüger
Affiliations
Debottam Bhattacharjee
Animal Behaviour and Cognition, Department of Biology, Utrecht University, Padualaan 8, 3584 CH Utrecht, the Netherlands; Department of Infectious Diseases and Public Health, Jockey Club College of Veterinary Medicine and Life Sciences, City University of Hong Kong, 31 To Yuen Street, Hong Kong SAR, China; Centre for Animal Health and Welfare, Jockey Club College of Veterinary Medicine and Life Sciences, City University of Hong Kong, 31 To Yuen Street, Hong Kong SAR, China; Corresponding author
Aníta Rut Guðjónsdóttir
Animal Behaviour and Cognition, Department of Biology, Utrecht University, Padualaan 8, 3584 CH Utrecht, the Netherlands
Paula Escriche Chova
Animal Behaviour and Cognition, Department of Biology, Utrecht University, Padualaan 8, 3584 CH Utrecht, the Netherlands
Esmee Middelburg
Animal Behaviour and Cognition, Department of Biology, Utrecht University, Padualaan 8, 3584 CH Utrecht, the Netherlands
Jana Jäckels
Department of Behavioral and Cognitive Biology, University of Vienna, Djerassiplatz 1, 1030 Vienna, Austria; Department of Evolutionary Anthropology, University of Vienna, Djerassiplatz 1, 1030 Vienna, Austria
Natasja G. de Groot
Department of Comparative Genetics & Refinement, Biomedical Primate Research Centre, 2288 GJ Rijswijk, the Netherlands
Bernard Wallner
Department of Evolutionary Anthropology, University of Vienna, Djerassiplatz 1, 1030 Vienna, Austria; Austrian Research Center for Primatology, Ossiach 16, 9570 Ossiach, Austria
Jorg J.M. Massen
Animal Behaviour and Cognition, Department of Biology, Utrecht University, Padualaan 8, 3584 CH Utrecht, the Netherlands; Austrian Research Center for Primatology, Ossiach 16, 9570 Ossiach, Austria
Lena S. Pflüger
Department of Behavioral and Cognitive Biology, University of Vienna, Djerassiplatz 1, 1030 Vienna, Austria; Austrian Research Center for Primatology, Ossiach 16, 9570 Ossiach, Austria
Summary: Animals experience stressful situations, from predation to social conflicts, but mostly deal with them successfully. This adaptive mechanism, coping, reduces the adverse effects of stressors, and its failure may result in reduced fitness. Substantial inter-individual variation in coping is observed, yet little is known about how behavioral, physiological and genetic drivers regulate coping holistically and contribute to such variations. We assessed behavioral coping styles (n=30), emotional arousal (n=12), and personalities (n=32) of long-tailed macaques (Macaca fascicularis) and also investigated the association of coping with a valine/methionine polymorphism encoded by a critical human stress regulatory gene, catechol-O-methyltransferase (COMT) (n=26). Personality and the human equivalent COMT Val/Met polymorphism were associated with “nonaggression-based” and “aggression-based” coping styles. Compared to nonaggression-based, aggression-based copers maintained higher average facial temperatures, indicating potentially lower emotional arousal, as measured using infrared thermography. These findings demonstrate a complex interplay of various proximate mechanisms governing coping in a non-human primate.
