Lyliane Rosetta

Energetics during reproduction: A doubly labeled water study of lactating baboons

Understanding the costs and regulation of reproduction in primates requires understanding the separate but linked effects of energy availability and total energy expenditure (TEE). We compared variation in TEE and energy intake (EI) between two periods, early lactation and after the resumption of sexual cycling, for eight females from two groups of normally reproducing colony-living baboons (Papio h. anubis). Total energy expenditure was assessed using the doubly labeled water method. TEE was correlated with maternal mass both during early lactation and after the resumption of cycling. TEE after the resumption of cycling was positively related to infant growth rates; mothers with rapidly growing infants had higher energy expenditure. TEE was however unrelated to maternal rank and only weakly associated with reproductive parameters such as delay to conception. EI in early lactation was related to infant mass and interbirth intervals, but unrelated to infant growth or reproductive parameters once cycling had resumed. Energy availability (EA; the difference between intake and expenditure) differed significantly between subordinate and dominant females during early lactation, was highly variable among individuals as a function of body composition, and is suggested to follow a nonlinear relationship as a complex function of social status, lactation stage, infant growth, and female fertility. Thus, as a consequence of reduced energy availability, subordinate females in this captive context may experience reproductive delays even though the total energy expenditure after the return of cycling was similar between high and low ranking females.

Growth in colony living anubis baboon infants and its relationship with maternal activity budgets and reproductive status.

Early growth is of interest because it is susceptible to maternal effects and linked to fitness components for a range of species. Here we present anthropometric measurements on 23 infant olive baboons born into a captive colony in order to describe growth over the first 2 years of life, to explore maternal influences on growth, and to assess the impact of growth profiles on maternal reproduction. Six main findings emerged: 1) Infant growth rates in our colony were higher than those reported for wild populations but comparable to those observed for food-enhanced animals. 2) The ratio of infant mass to maternal mass was positively associated with reproductive parameters, such as duration of post-partum amenorrhea and interbirth interval. 3) Mothers resumed cycling and reconceived when their infants attained a relatively consistent threshold mass. 4) Infant mass-for-age was associated with maternal rank and, independently, with maternal mass such that females of high dominance rank and heavy females had relatively large infants at their resumption of cycling. 5) Low-ranking and lighter females had longer investment periods but smaller infants. They continued investment in infant through prolonged lactation until their infants reached a mass similar to that of infants of high-ranking/heavy mothers, suggesting that the lengthening of investment is essentially compensatory for slow early growth. 6) There was no relationship between infant growth and maternal activity budgets. Maternal physical and social factors, not energetics, contributed to differences among infants in growth trajectories, and infant growth temporally influenced successive reproductive events.

Signals of female reproductive quality and fertility in colony-living baboons (Papio h. anubis) in relation to ensuring paternal investment.

The fitness of a females offspring depends cruicially on the traits, genetic and paternal, that the father contributes. As such, females may either have an interest in behaviorally choosing the highest‐quality male, or in reliably signaling their fertility status to males. Combining hormonal data on a females ovulatory fertile window with a behavioral context, we suggest that captive female olive baboons (Papio h. anubis) provide fathers with reliable signals of their fertile period. One signal, the maximum anogenital swelling (AGA), typically coincided with a 4‐day fertile window of ovulation, which occurred 2–3 days prior to deturgescence. As expected from previous studies, AGA swelling indicated general attractiveness to males, and males attended to the relative attractiveness of females. Males approached and copulated with females significantly more often during the 4‐day window around ovulation, irrespective of the absolute swelling stage. The two adult males present in the group were both able to copulate with consistent partners as at least two cycling females were available in most months; the dominant male was more selective about the timing of his copulations close to ovulation during the maximal swelling phase. Females with ovulatory but nonconceptive cycles were less attractive to males, especially during their maximal AGA swelling phase. Am. J. Primatol. 71:529–538, 2009.

Impact of social environment on variation in menstrual cycle length in captive female olive baboons (Papio anubis)

Factors affecting menstrual cycles and conception were explored for captive female olive baboons. We evaluated the relationship between the social environment and adequacy of the menstrual cycle in 55 non-conceptive and 21 conception cycles from 23 females. More abnormal cycles were expected for low-status females, and social stress levels were associated with variation in menstrual cycle length. Mean cycle length was 39.9 days (median=38) with a mean follicular phase duration of 23.7 (median=22) days. The duration of the follicular phase was more variable than that of the luteal phase (mean=15.8 days). The first cycle after postpartum resumption of cycling was not markedly different from subsequent cycles in terms of duration or probability of conception. Dominance rank was one significant factor affecting female fertility. Low-ranking females experienced more cycles prior to conception, longer cycles once cycling was well established and had smaller sexual swellings (anogenital area) than did high-ranking females. Both acute and chronic stresses may play important roles in fertility outcomes for these baboons and further research is needed to understand the role of stress and subtle menstrual cycle abnormalities in female mammal fertility.

Reproduction and Adaptation

Preface 1. Reproduction and environment Alan S. McNeilly 2. Genetic damage and male reproduction Michael Joffe 3. The microenvironment in health and cancer of the mammary gland John P. Wiebe 4. The energetic cost of physical activity and regulation of reproduction Darna L. Dufour 5. Energetic cost of gestation and lactation in humans Prakash Shetty 6. Adaptive maternal, placental and fetal responses to nutritional extremes in the pregnant adolescent: lessons from sheep Jacqueline M. Wallace 7. Growth and sexual maturation in human and non-human primates: a brief review Phyllis C. Lee 8. The evolution of post-reproductive life: adaptionist scenarios Lynnette Leidy Sievert 9. Analysing the characteristics of the menstrual cycle in field situations in humans: some methodological aspects Jean-Christophe Thalabard, Laurence Joubin, Lyliane Rosetta and C. G. Nicholas Mascie-Taylor 10. An insidious burden of disease: the pathological role of sexually transmitted diseases in fertility Geoff P. Garnett 11. Family planning and unsafe abortion Anna Glasier 12. Global sexual and reproductive health: responding to the needs of adolescents Molly Secour-Turner, Linda H. Bearinger and Renee Sieving 13. Understanding reproductive decisions Andrew Hinde Index.

Mortality among Serere children in Senegal

Seasonal variation in nutritional status and child survival was studied in a representative sample of 40 Serere households in a rural area in Senegal. Hazard models (Gage: Am. J. Phys. Anthropol. 76: 429–441, 1988, Rosenberg: J. Biosoc. Sci. 21(3): 335–348, 1989) were used to investigate risk factors associated with child mortality in a Senegalese rural area. Not surprisingly the most important risk factor was the childs nutritional status, as reflected in the BMI. These models can incorporate sequentially observed information and in this way it becomes clear how a falling relative BMI manifested itself in a sharply rising hazard rate. In addition to the BMI, we investigated other risk factors and their relation to child survival. Of these, birth rank and mothers age were seen to be associated with survival and all the more so in the presence of an unfavourably evolving BMI.

Ovulatory status and menstrual cycle duration assessed by self-collection of urine on pH strips in a population-based sample of French women not using hormonal contraception

Abstract Background: Assessing menstrual cycle function in the general population using a non-invasive method is challenging, both in non-industrialized and industrialized countries. Subjects and methods: The Observatory of Fecundity in France (Obseff) recruited on a nationwide basis a random sample of 943 women aged 18–44 years with unprotected intercourse. A sub-study was set up to assess the characteristics of a menstrual cycle by using a non-invasive method adapted to the general population. Voluntary women were sent a collection kit by the post and requested to collect urine samples on pH strips, together with daily recording of reproductive-related information during a full menstrual cycle. A total of 48 women collected urine every day, whereas 160 women collected urine every other day. Immunoassays were used to measure pregnanediol-3–α–glucuronide, estrone-3-glucuronide and creatinine. Ovulation occurrence and follicular phase duration were estimated using ovulation detection algorithms, compared to a gold standard consisting of three external experts in reproductive medicine. Results: Every other day urine collection gave consistent results in terms of ovulation detection with every day collection (intraclass coefficient of correlation, 0.84, 95% confidence interval, 0.76–0.98). The proportion of anovulatory menstrual cycles was 8%. The characteristics of the ovulatory cycles were length 28 (26–34), follicular phase 16 (12–23), luteal phase 13 (10–16) days median (10th–90th percentiles). Discussion-Conclusion: Assessing menstrual cycle characteristics based on urine sample spot only collected every other day in population-based studies through a non-invasive, well accepted and cost-limited procedure not requiring any direct contact with the survey team appears feasible and accurate.

Reproduction and Adaptation: Contents

Preface 1. Reproduction and environment Alan S. McNeilly 2. Genetic damage and male reproduction Michael Joffe 3. The microenvironment in health and cancer of the mammary gland John P. Wiebe 4. The energetic cost of physical activity and regulation of reproduction Darna L. Dufour 5. Energetic cost of gestation and lactation in humans Prakash Shetty 6. Adaptive maternal, placental and fetal responses to nutritional extremes in the pregnant adolescent: lessons from sheep Jacqueline M. Wallace 7. Growth and sexual maturation in human and non-human primates: a brief review Phyllis C. Lee 8. The evolution of post-reproductive life: adaptionist scenarios Lynnette Leidy Sievert 9. Analysing the characteristics of the menstrual cycle in field situations in humans: some methodological aspects Jean-Christophe Thalabard, Laurence Joubin, Lyliane Rosetta and C. G. Nicholas Mascie-Taylor 10. An insidious burden of disease: the pathological role of sexually transmitted diseases in fertility Geoff P. Garnett 11. Family planning and unsafe abortion Anna Glasier 12. Global sexual and reproductive health: responding to the needs of adolescents Molly Secour-Turner, Linda H. Bearinger and Renee Sieving 13. Understanding reproductive decisions Andrew Hinde Index.

Reproduction and Adaptation: Reproduction and Adaptation

Preface 1. Reproduction and environment Alan S. McNeilly 2. Genetic damage and male reproduction Michael Joffe 3. The microenvironment in health and cancer of the mammary gland John P. Wiebe 4. The energetic cost of physical activity and regulation of reproduction Darna L. Dufour 5. Energetic cost of gestation and lactation in humans Prakash Shetty 6. Adaptive maternal, placental and fetal responses to nutritional extremes in the pregnant adolescent: lessons from sheep Jacqueline M. Wallace 7. Growth and sexual maturation in human and non-human primates: a brief review Phyllis C. Lee 8. The evolution of post-reproductive life: adaptionist scenarios Lynnette Leidy Sievert 9. Analysing the characteristics of the menstrual cycle in field situations in humans: some methodological aspects Jean-Christophe Thalabard, Laurence Joubin, Lyliane Rosetta and C. G. Nicholas Mascie-Taylor 10. An insidious burden of disease: the pathological role of sexually transmitted diseases in fertility Geoff P. Garnett 11. Family planning and unsafe abortion Anna Glasier 12. Global sexual and reproductive health: responding to the needs of adolescents Molly Secour-Turner, Linda H. Bearinger and Renee Sieving 13. Understanding reproductive decisions Andrew Hinde Index.