Comparing Predictors and Outcomes of Higher Allostatic Load across Zoo-Housed African Great Apes

Stressors over the lifespan can contribute to physiological dysregulation, or allostatic load. Allostatic load has been studied in humans using indices (ALIs) for 25 years, but same methods are rarely applied other species. We constructed an ALI zoo-housed western lowland gorillas, chimpanzees, and bonobos tested potential predictors of health outcomes associated with scores ranged from 0–6 gorillas chimpanzees 0–7 bonobos. Age was significantly not Cumulative stressful events were positively chimpanzees. Wild-caught had higher than zoo-born conspecifics, rearing differences between animals significant any may affect associations birthplace as results change when it is included a covariate. retained best-fit models risk all-cause morbidity, cardiac disease, mortality risk. Some analyses herein limited by use retrospective data, such reason sample collection length records provided individual animals. Nevertheless, these data indicate additional research needed optimize ALIs non-human primates.