title: Urinary progesterone in free-ranging red howler monkeys (Alouatta seniculus): preliminary observations of the estrous cycle and gestation.
abstract: 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.
authors.affiliation: Department of Evolution, Ecology, and Organismal Biology, Ohio State University, Columbus, USA.
authors.forename: J R
authors.initials: JR
authors.lastname: Herrick
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Agoramoorthy
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Rudran
authors.forename: J D
authors.initials: JD
authors.lastname: Harder
mesh_terms: 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
chemical_list: D011374:Progesterone