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Nonhuman primate welfare: Can there be a relationship between personality, lateralization and physiological
Gloria Fernández-Lázaro1, Roberto Latorre2, Enrique Alonso-García1
1Friends of Thoreau Program, Instituto Franklin, Universidad de Alcalá, Trinidad 1, 28801, Alcalá de Henares, Madrid, Spain.
Behavioural Processes
|July 5, 2019
Summary
This study links nonhuman primate personality, brain lateralization, and stress responses. Exploratory primates showed higher stress and aggression, with brain lateralization correlating with stress and aggression levels.
Area of Science:
- Primate Ethology
- Comparative Psychology
- Animal Welfare Science
Background:
- Personality assessment is increasingly used to enhance nonhuman primate welfare.
- Identifying shared traits and reliable, efficient measures is crucial for broader application.
- Combining personality data with other indicators strengthens validation.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the relationship between physiological stress response (fecal cortisol metabolites), personality traits, and brain lateralization (hand preferences) in eight nonhuman primate species.
- To determine if personality components and lateralization are consistent across species and sexes.
Main Methods:
- Personality was assessed through keeper ratings and reactions to novel objects in eight primate species.
- Fecal cortisol metabolites were measured to assess physiological stress.
- Hand preferences were recorded to evaluate brain lateralization.
Main Results:
- Personality assessments demonstrated good interrater reliability, revealing three components: fearfulness, activeness, and aggressiveness.
- More exploratory individuals exhibited higher activity, aggressiveness, and elevated cortisol metabolite levels.
- Right-handed subjects explored novel objects more quickly, and the degree of lateralization correlated with individual stress and aggressiveness.
Conclusions:
- A significant relationship exists between personality, brain lateralization, and physiological stress indicators in nonhuman primates.
- While some findings are generalizable across species and sexes, others are species- or sex-dependent, highlighting the complexity of these interrelations.
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