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Volatile odours reflect breeding status but not social group membership in captive Damaraland mole-rats

Hazel Nichols Orcid Logo

Animal Behaviour

Swansea University Author: Hazel Nichols Orcid Logo

Abstract

In mammals, olfaction plays a key role in social behaviour, for example in identifying mating opportunities and potential rivals. However, we still have a limited understanding of how social information is encoded in animal odours, including the social determinants of chemical similarity and diversi...

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Published in: Animal Behaviour
Published: Science Direct
URI: https://cronfa.swan.ac.uk/Record/cronfa67713
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first_indexed 2024-09-18T10:07:58Z
last_indexed 2024-09-18T10:07:58Z
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spelling v2 67713 2024-09-18 Volatile odours reflect breeding status but not social group membership in captive Damaraland mole-rats 43ba12986bd7754484874c73eed0ebfe 0000-0002-4455-6065 Hazel Nichols Hazel Nichols true false 2024-09-18 BGPS In mammals, olfaction plays a key role in social behaviour, for example in identifying mating opportunities and potential rivals. However, we still have a limited understanding of how social information is encoded in animal odours, including the social determinants of chemical similarity and diversity. Here, we used gas chromatography to analyse the chemical composition of swabs taken from the facial and anogenital regions of Damaraland mole-rats (Fukomys damarensis), a highly social subterranean mammal that relies almost exclusively on olfactory and tactile social cues. We found no sign of individual identity across the two body areas sampled; samples from the facial region and samples of the anogenital region from the same individual were not similar to each other, suggesting that these regions carry different information. However, chemical profiles varied significantly by sex and breeding status; female breeders differed from non-breeders in their anogenital profiles, but had higher chemical diversity in their facial profiles compared to both males and non-breeders. Interestingly, we found no signals of social group identity. Instead, individual identity may be conveyed through signature mixes that are learned through frequent contact, rather than through specific odours associated with genetic kinship or social group membership. Our results highlight the complexity of chemical communication systems in social species, and suggest that signals of group-level identity are not necessary for behavioural responses based on group-membership. Journal Article Animal Behaviour Science Direct 0 0 0 0001-01-01 COLLEGE NANME Biosciences Geography and Physics School COLLEGE CODE BGPS Swansea University SU Library paid the OA fee (TA Institutional Deal) This work was supported by an Alexander von Humboldt Foundation Research Fellowship (awarded to HJN), a Leverhulme Trust International Fellowship (grant reference: IAF-2018-006; awarded to HJN) and a University of Pretoria Staff Exchange Bursary (awarded to HJN and NCB). 2024-09-18T11:07:59.6519906 2024-09-18T11:03:44.6476883 Faculty of Science and Engineering School of Biosciences, Geography and Physics - Biosciences Hazel Nichols 0000-0002-4455-6065 1
title Volatile odours reflect breeding status but not social group membership in captive Damaraland mole-rats
spellingShingle Volatile odours reflect breeding status but not social group membership in captive Damaraland mole-rats
Hazel Nichols
title_short Volatile odours reflect breeding status but not social group membership in captive Damaraland mole-rats
title_full Volatile odours reflect breeding status but not social group membership in captive Damaraland mole-rats
title_fullStr Volatile odours reflect breeding status but not social group membership in captive Damaraland mole-rats
title_full_unstemmed Volatile odours reflect breeding status but not social group membership in captive Damaraland mole-rats
title_sort Volatile odours reflect breeding status but not social group membership in captive Damaraland mole-rats
author_id_str_mv 43ba12986bd7754484874c73eed0ebfe
author_id_fullname_str_mv 43ba12986bd7754484874c73eed0ebfe_***_Hazel Nichols
author Hazel Nichols
author2 Hazel Nichols
format Journal article
container_title Animal Behaviour
institution Swansea University
publisher Science Direct
college_str Faculty of Science and Engineering
hierarchytype
hierarchy_top_id facultyofscienceandengineering
hierarchy_top_title Faculty of Science and Engineering
hierarchy_parent_id facultyofscienceandengineering
hierarchy_parent_title Faculty of Science and Engineering
department_str School of Biosciences, Geography and Physics - Biosciences{{{_:::_}}}Faculty of Science and Engineering{{{_:::_}}}School of Biosciences, Geography and Physics - Biosciences
document_store_str 0
active_str 0
description In mammals, olfaction plays a key role in social behaviour, for example in identifying mating opportunities and potential rivals. However, we still have a limited understanding of how social information is encoded in animal odours, including the social determinants of chemical similarity and diversity. Here, we used gas chromatography to analyse the chemical composition of swabs taken from the facial and anogenital regions of Damaraland mole-rats (Fukomys damarensis), a highly social subterranean mammal that relies almost exclusively on olfactory and tactile social cues. We found no sign of individual identity across the two body areas sampled; samples from the facial region and samples of the anogenital region from the same individual were not similar to each other, suggesting that these regions carry different information. However, chemical profiles varied significantly by sex and breeding status; female breeders differed from non-breeders in their anogenital profiles, but had higher chemical diversity in their facial profiles compared to both males and non-breeders. Interestingly, we found no signals of social group identity. Instead, individual identity may be conveyed through signature mixes that are learned through frequent contact, rather than through specific odours associated with genetic kinship or social group membership. Our results highlight the complexity of chemical communication systems in social species, and suggest that signals of group-level identity are not necessary for behavioural responses based on group-membership.
published_date 0001-01-01T11:07:58Z
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score 11.028798

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