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Sampling and Analysis of Animal Scent Signals
Published on: February 13, 2021
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Sexual Dimorphism in Crowned Lemur Scent-Marking
Emily J Elwell1, David Walker1, Stefano Vaglio1,2
1Department of Biology, Chemistry and Forensic Science, University of Wolverhampton, Wolverhampton WV1 1LY, UK.
Animals : an Open Access Journal From MDPI
|August 7, 2021
Summary
Crowned lemurs use scent marking for communication, with males and females exhibiting distinct behaviors. Chemical analysis revealed specific volatile compounds in their scent marks, indicating complex olfactory communication in primates.
Area of Science:
- Primate behavior and chemical ecology
- Mammalian olfaction and communication
Background:
- Primates are often thought to have a poor sense of smell, but scent marking is crucial for many non-human primates.
- Lemurs, like crowned lemurs (Eulemur coronatus), exhibit notable scent-marking behaviors.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the scent-marking behaviors and chemical composition of scent marks in crowned lemurs.
- To understand the role of olfaction in the social and territorial communication of this primate species.
Main Methods:
- Behavioral observations of olfactory behaviors using instantaneous scan sampling over 201 hours.
- Chemical analysis of ano-genital odor secretions (n=16) using solid-phase microextraction and gas chromatography-mass spectrometry.
Main Results:
- Males exhibited frequent ano-genital marking for allomarking, head marking for countermarking, and wrist marking.
- Females predominantly used ano-genital marking on feeding devices.
- 38 volatile compounds were identified in male scent marks and 26 in female samples, including esters, aldehydes, and ketones.
Conclusions:
- Sexual dimorphism in scent-marking behavior was observed in crowned lemurs.
- Male marking may serve territorial defense and mate-guarding functions.
- Female marking could be related to resource defense.
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