Baseline Cortisol and Behavioral Phenotype Are Linked to Context-Dependent Spatial Cognition and Space Use in Giant...

Animals differ consistently in how they respond to novelty and environmental change, but whether such variation links endocrine state, spatial cognition, and space use remains unresolved. In giant pandas (Ailuropoda melanoleuca), we combined novel object tests, a resource-change experiment, fecal cortisol measurements, and GPS tracking to ask whether baseline cortisol and repeatable behavioral differences relate to spatial cognition and space use in novel environments. We identified two repeatable behavioral dimensions, behavioral inhibition and exploration intensity, both positively associated with baseline cortisol. In the spatial task, BI was associated with higher task accuracy, EI showed a stronger association with accuracy after resource reversal, and the interaction between baseline cortisol and BI was associated with fewer search turns in the reversal phase. Exploratory GPS analyses showed directionally negative estimates between baseline cortisol and several adult movement or space-use metrics, although none remained statistically significant after FDR correction. These preliminary patterns suggest a possible association between baseline cortisol and more concentrated space use in unfamiliar environments. Overall, these findings identify stable endocrine-behavioral phenotypes in giant pandas that are linked to context-dependent spatial cognition, with GPS-derived space-use patterns providing preliminary support for future testing in unfamiliar environments.