Oxytocin, Chlorpyrifos & Their Modulatory Roles in Southern Flying Squirrel (Glaucomys volans) Social Behavior

dc.contributor.advisorFreeman, Angela
dc.contributor.advisorEmmert, Elizabeth
dc.contributor.advisorNyland, Jennifer
dc.contributor.advisorLiebgold, Eric
dc.contributor.authorMitzel, Kelly
dc.contributor.departmentBiological Sciences
dc.contributor.programMaster of Science in Applied Biology
dc.date.accessioned2025-01-28T21:32:37Z
dc.date.available2025-01-28T21:32:37Z
dc.date.issued2024-12
dc.description.abstractSocial behaviors, such as cooperation, communication, and aggregation, enhance survival and reproductive success within groups. These behaviors are regulated by neuroendocrine functions like oxytocin signaling. Southern flying squirrels (Glaucomys volans) serve as an ideal model to study aggregation behaviors due to their co-nesting habits throughout the year and throughout their range. In behavioral trials, I dosed squirrels with oxytocin (OT), oxytocin antagonist (OTA), or saline, in both familiar and unfamiliar social contexts, and recorded their behaviors. I found no main effect of treatment on behavior, but OTA influenced aggregation, particularly when accounting for sex and familiarity. In my second project, I tested for endocrine disruptors (EDCs) in soil and squirrel tissue using gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS). While chlorpyrifos was not detected, several EDCs, including steroid hormone analogues, plasticizers, and the banned pesticide endrin, were found. Two compounds, 2,4-DTBP and fluoxymesterone, were detected in both squirrel tissue and their environments, which suggest environmental contamination as the source. High concentrations of EDCs were often found in ditch samples, indicating runoff as a contamination route. This thesis explores the connection between OT signaling, EDCs, and social behavior, offering insights into OT’s role in social bonding and stress responses. The detection of EDCs highlights the potential environmental impact on neuroendocrine systems, which could contribute to social and behavioral dysfunctions.
dc.format.extent151 pages
dc.genrethesesen_US
dc.identifierdoi:10.13016/m2tjpw-j7sg
dc.identifier.urihttp://hdl.handle.net/11603/37512
dc.language.isoen_US
dc.relation.isAvailableAtSalisbury Universityen_US
dc.subjectOxytocin signaling
dc.subjectSocial behavior
dc.subjectSouthern flying squirrels
dc.subjectGlaucomys volans
dc.subjectEndocrine disruptors
dc.subjectStress responses
dc.subjectEnvironmental impact
dc.titleOxytocin, Chlorpyrifos & Their Modulatory Roles in Southern Flying Squirrel (Glaucomys volans) Social Behavior
dc.typeText

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