Urinary progesterone in free-ranging red howler monkeys (Alouatta seniculus): preliminary observations of the estrous cycle and gestation.
The goals of this study were to develop and validate a radioimmunoassay (RIA) for measurement of unconjugated progesterone (P) concentrations in the urine of red howler monkeys (Alouatta seniculus) and to use urinary P profiles to characterize the reproductive cycle of this species. Analysis of P profiles from two females provided a preliminary estimate of the length of the estrous cycle (mean days +/- S.E.M. = 29.5 +/- 1.5; n = 2), and indicated that one female red howler copulated throughout two apparent estrous cycles. Urinary P concentrations during two confirmed pregnancies (211.8 +/- 29.7 ng P/ml) were higher (P < 0.05) than during the luteal phase (77.4 +/- 10.6 ng P/ml; n = 4) of the cycle.
Herrick
J R
JR
Department of Evolution, Ecology, and Organismal Biology, Ohio State University, Columbus, USA.
Agoramoorthy
G
G
Rudran
R
R
Harder
J D
JD
D000508:Alouatta / Q000652:urine*; D000818:Animals; D005260:Female; D008597:Menstrual Cycle / Q000502:physiology*; D011247:Pregnancy; D011270:Pregnancy, Animal / Q000652:urine*; D011374:Progesterone / Q000652:urine*; D011863:Radioimmunoassay / Q000662:veterinary
D011374:Progesterone