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LaDue CA, Snyder RJ. Asian elephants distinguish sexual status and identity of unfamiliar elephants using urinary odours. Biol Lett 2023; 19:20230491. [PMID: 38115746 PMCID: PMC10731322 DOI: 10.1098/rsbl.2023.0491] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/20/2023] [Accepted: 11/30/2023] [Indexed: 12/21/2023] Open
Abstract
Despite the ubiquity of odours in mammals, few studies have documented the natural olfactory abilities of many 'non-model' species such as the Asian elephant. As Asian elephants are endangered, we may apply odours to more effectively manage threatened populations. We implemented a habituation-discrimination paradigm for the first time in Asian elephants to test the ability of elephants to discriminate between unfamiliar male elephant urine, hypothesizing that elephants would successfully distinguish non-musth from musth urine and also distinguish identity between two closely related individuals. We conducted two bioassay series, exposing three female and three male zoo-housed elephants to the same urine sample (non-musth urine in the first series, and urine from an unfamiliar individual in the second) over 5 days. On the sixth day, we simultaneously presented each elephant with a novel sample (either musth urine or urine from a second unfamiliar individual) alongside the habituated urine sample, comparing rates of chemosensory response to each sample to indicate discrimination. All elephants successfully discriminated non-musth from musth urine, and also urine from two unfamiliar half-brothers. Our results further demonstrate the remarkable olfactory abilities of elephants with promising implications for conservation and management.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chase A. LaDue
- Oklahoma City Zoo and Botanical Garden, Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, USA
| | - Rebecca J. Snyder
- Oklahoma City Zoo and Botanical Garden, Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, USA
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2
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Not just for males: flehmen as a tool for detection of reproductive status and individual recognition across sexes in four African equid species. Behav Processes 2022; 203:104773. [DOI: 10.1016/j.beproc.2022.104773] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/09/2021] [Revised: 10/21/2022] [Accepted: 10/24/2022] [Indexed: 11/20/2022]
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Pluháček J, Tučková V, Šárová R, King SRB. Why wait to mark? Possible reasons behind latency from olfactory exploration to overmarking in four African equid species. Anim Cogn 2022; 25:1443-1452. [PMID: 35554766 DOI: 10.1007/s10071-022-01625-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/28/2021] [Revised: 03/30/2022] [Accepted: 04/02/2022] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Abstract
Whereas most studies on overmarking in mammals analysed the rate of overmarking, that those investigate time between exploration of an olfactory stimulus and the response to it remain less common, with inconsistent results. We examined the latency in time between elimination by the sender and sniffing by the receiver, and from sniffing and overmarking, in four captive African equid species to explore differences among species, and among age and sex classes. We investigated these latency time periods in light of three potential hypotheses explaining overmarking behaviour in equids: social bonds, group cohesion, and intrasexual competition. Analysing 1684 events of sniffing and 719 of overmarking among 130 individuals, we found that (i) the time from elimination to overmarking was shorter among female friends and in parent-offspring dyads, proving support to the social bond hypothesis; (ii) intraspecific differences in time periods do not reflect the social organisation of species, thus not supporting the group cohesion hypothesis; (iii) males were more attracted to elimination of conspecifics than females, and female's eliminations were inspected longer, in line with the sexual competition hypothesis and/or reproductive behaviour. In addition, we found that the younger foals came to sniff eliminations faster than older ones, and in larger groups foals devoted longer time to sniffing the elimination before overmarking. We concluded that examination of the elimination could be driven by motivations other than the decision to overmark. Whereas overmarking serves to express bonds to a familiar individual, the latency of overmarking reflects more reproductive interests.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jan Pluháček
- Department of Ethology, Institute of Animal Science, Přátelství 815, Uhříněves, 10400, Prague, Czech Republic.
- Ostrava Zoo, Michálkovická 2081/197, 71000, Ostrava, Czech Republic.
- Departement of Biology and Ecology, Faculty of Science, University of Ostrava, Chittussiho 10, 71000, Ostrava, Czech Republic.
| | - Vladimíra Tučková
- Department of Zoology, Faculty of Science, University of South Bohemia, Branišovská 1760, 37005, České Budějovice, Czech Republic
| | - Radka Šárová
- Department of Ethology, Institute of Animal Science, Přátelství 815, Uhříněves, 10400, Prague, Czech Republic
| | - Sarah R B King
- Natural Resource Ecology Laboratory, Warner College of Natural Resources, Colorado State University, Campus Delivery 1499, Fort Collins, USA
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Schulte BA, LaDue CA. The Chemical Ecology of Elephants: 21st Century Additions to Our Understanding and Future Outlooks. Animals (Basel) 2021; 11:2860. [PMID: 34679881 PMCID: PMC8532676 DOI: 10.3390/ani11102860] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/30/2021] [Revised: 09/24/2021] [Accepted: 09/28/2021] [Indexed: 01/19/2023] Open
Abstract
Chemical signals are the oldest and most ubiquitous means of mediating intra- and interspecific interactions. The three extant species of elephants, the Asian elephant and the two African species, savanna and forest share sociobiological patterns in which chemical signals play a vital role. Elephants emit secretions and excretions and display behaviors that reveal the importance of odors in their interactions. In this review, we begin with a brief introduction of research in elephant chemical ecology leading up to the 21st century, and then we summarize the body of work that has built upon it and occurred in the last c. 20 years. The 21st century has expanded our understanding on elephant chemical ecology, revealing their use of odors to detect potential threats and make dietary choices. Furthermore, complementary in situ and ex situ studies have allowed the careful observations of captive elephants to be extended to fieldwork involving their wild counterparts. While important advances have been made in the 21st century, further work should investigate the roles of chemical signaling in elephants and how these signals interact with other sensory modalities. All three elephant species are threatened with extinction, and we suggest that chemical ecology can be applied for targeted conservation efforts.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bruce A. Schulte
- Department of Biology, Western Kentucky University, Bowling Green, KY 42101, USA
| | - Chase A. LaDue
- Department of Environmental Science and Policy, George Mason University, Fairfax, VA 22030, USA;
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Field evidence supporting monitoring of chemical information on pathways by male African elephants. Anim Behav 2021. [DOI: 10.1016/j.anbehav.2021.04.004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/17/2022]
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LaDue CA, Schulte BA. Pheromonal enrichment in the zoo: An empirical approach with Asian elephants (Elephas maximus). Appl Anim Behav Sci 2021. [DOI: 10.1016/j.applanim.2021.105228] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/26/2022]
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LaDue CA, Goodwin TE, Schulte BA. Concentration-dependent chemosensory responses towards pheromones are influenced by receiver attributes in Asian elephants. Ethology 2018. [DOI: 10.1111/eth.12741] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Chase A. LaDue
- Department of Biology; Western Kentucky University; Bowling Green KY USA
| | | | - Bruce A. Schulte
- Department of Biology; Western Kentucky University; Bowling Green KY USA
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African elephants (Loxodonta africana) display remarkable olfactory acuity in human scent matching to sample performance. Appl Anim Behav Sci 2018. [DOI: 10.1016/j.applanim.2017.12.004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/19/2022]
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Affiliation(s)
- Saki Yasui
- Kyoto City Zoo, Okazaki Koen, Okazaki Houshojicho, Sakyo-Ku, Kyoto City, Kyoto 606-8333, Japan
| | - Gen’ichi Idani
- Wildlife Research Centre, Kyoto University, 2-24 Tanaka-Sekiden-cho, Sakyo-Ku, Kyoto 606-8203, Japan
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Soso SB, Koziel JA, Johnson A, Lee YJ, Fairbanks WS. Analytical methods for chemical and sensory characterization of scent-markings in large wild mammals: a review. SENSORS 2014; 14:4428-65. [PMID: 24603639 PMCID: PMC4003951 DOI: 10.3390/s140304428] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/27/2013] [Revised: 01/15/2014] [Accepted: 02/25/2014] [Indexed: 01/17/2023]
Abstract
In conjoining the disciplines of "ethology" and "chemistry" the field of "Ethochemistry" has been instituted. Ethochemistry is an effective tool in conservation efforts of endangered species and the understanding of behavioral patterns across all species. Chemical constituents of scent-markings have an important, yet poorly understood function in territoriality, reproduction, dominance, and impact on evolutionary biology, especially in large mammals. Particular attention has recently been focused on scent-marking analysis of great cats (Kalahari leopards (Panthera pardus), puma (Puma concolor) snow leopard (Panthera uncia), African lions (Panthera leo), cheetahs (Acinonyx jubatus), and tigers (Panthera tigris)) for the purpose of conservation. Sensory analyses of scent-markings could address knowledge gaps in ethochemistry. The objective of this review is to summarize the current state-of-the art of both the chemical and sensory analyses of scent-markings in wild mammals. Specific focus is placed on sampling and sample preparation, chemical analysis, sensory analysis, and simultaneous chemical and sensory analyses. Constituents of exocrine and endocrine secretions have been most commonly studied with chromatography-based analytical separations. Odor analysis of scent-markings provides an insight into the animal's sensory perception. A limited number of articles have been published in the area of sensory characterization of scent marks. Simultaneous chemical and sensory analyses with chromatography-olfactometry hyphenation could potentially aid conservation efforts by linking perceived odor, compounds responsible for odor, and resulting behavior.
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Affiliation(s)
- Simone B Soso
- Environmental Science Interdepartmental Graduate Program, Iowa State University, Ames, IA 50011, USA.
| | - Jacek A Koziel
- Environmental Science Interdepartmental Graduate Program, Iowa State University, Ames, IA 50011, USA.
| | - Anna Johnson
- Department of Animal Science, Iowa State University, Ames, IA 50011, USA.
| | - Young Jin Lee
- Department of Chemistry, Iowa State University, Ames, IA 50011, USA.
| | - W Sue Fairbanks
- Department of Natural Resource Ecology and Management, Oklahoma State University, Stillwater, OK 74078, USA.
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Ord TJ, Garcia-Porta J. Is sociality required for the evolution of communicative complexity? Evidence weighed against alternative hypotheses in diverse taxonomic groups. Philos Trans R Soc Lond B Biol Sci 2012; 367:1811-28. [PMID: 22641820 DOI: 10.1098/rstb.2011.0215] [Citation(s) in RCA: 34] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Complex social communication is expected to evolve whenever animals engage in many and varied social interactions; that is, sociality should promote communicative complexity. Yet, informal comparisons among phylogenetically independent taxonomic groups seem to cast doubt on the putative role of social factors in the evolution of complex communication. Here, we provide a formal test of the sociality hypothesis alongside alternative explanations for the evolution of communicative complexity. We compiled data documenting variations in signal complexity among closely related species for several case study groups--ants, frogs, lizards and birds--and used new phylogenetic methods to investigate the factors underlying communication evolution. Social factors were only implicated in the evolution of complex visual signals in lizards. Ecology, and to some degree allometry, were most likely explanations for complexity in the vocal signals of frogs (ecology) and birds (ecology and allometry). There was some evidence for adaptive evolution in the pheromone complexity of ants, although no compelling selection pressure was identified. For most taxa, phylogenetic null models were consistently ranked above adaptive models and, for some taxa, signal complexity seems to have accumulated in species via incremental or random changes over long periods of evolutionary time. Becoming social presumably leads to the origin of social communication in animals, but its subsequent influence on the trajectory of signal evolution has been neither clear-cut nor general among taxonomic groups.
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Affiliation(s)
- Terry J Ord
- Evolution and Ecology Research Centre, The University of New South Wales, Kensington, New South Wales 2052, Australia.
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Freeman EW, Schulte BA, Brown JL. Investigating the impact of rank and ovarian activity on the social behavior of captive female African elephants. Zoo Biol 2010; 29:154-67. [PMID: 20391466 DOI: 10.1002/zoo.20235] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/06/2022]
Abstract
Over a third of captive female African elephants in North America fail to exhibit normal estrous cycles based on long-term serum progestagen analyses. Why acyclicity occurs is unknown; however, the majority of noncycling females are ranked by keepers as the dominant individual within the group. To investigate the relationship between ovarian cyclicity status and keeper-determined social rank, observations were conducted on 33 female African elephants (18 cycling, 15 noncycling). Based on keeper evaluations, five cycling elephants were ranked dominant, seven in the middle and six as subordinate. In contrast, 10 noncycling elephants were ranked as dominate and five as subordinate with none ranked as middle. When comparing the behavior of the elephants by their keeper-determined rank, the dominant females dominant were significantly more likely to approach, displace and push. Similarly, keeper-determined subordinate females more frequently presented their hind end and held their ears erect. Behaviors initiated by one elephant toward another did not vary between cycling and noncycling females, except when the interaction with social rank was tested. Dominant, noncycling females initiated a higher percentage of "approach" and "displace" behaviors than both cycling and noncycling, subordinate elephants. Subordinate, noncycling elephants displayed the highest percentage of "ears erect." Social rank drives the interactions of ex situ female African elephants more than ovarian cyclicity status. Thus, behavioral interactions cannot be used to predict which cycling elephants are most likely to become acyclic.
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Affiliation(s)
- Elizabeth W Freeman
- National Zoological Park, Conservation & Research Center, Front Royal, Virginia, USA.
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Haberer W, Steiger S, Müller JK. (E)-Methylgeranate, a chemical signal of juvenile hormone titre and its role in the partner recognition system of burying beetles. Anim Behav 2010. [DOI: 10.1016/j.anbehav.2009.09.019] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/20/2022]
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Blacher P, Lecoutey E, Fresneau D, Nowbahari E. Reproductive hierarchies and status discrimination in orphaned colonies of Pachycondyla apicalis ants. Anim Behav 2010. [DOI: 10.1016/j.anbehav.2009.10.008] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/17/2022]
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Merte CE, Goodwin TE, Schulte BA. Male and female developmental differences in chemosensory investigations by African elephants (Loxodonta africana) approaching waterholes. Behav Ecol Sociobiol 2009. [DOI: 10.1007/s00265-009-0856-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/20/2022]
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Daspre A, Heistermann M, Hodges JK, Lee PC, Rosetta L. Signals of female reproductive quality and fertility in colony-living baboons (Papio h. anubis) in relation to ensuring paternal investment. Am J Primatol 2009; 71:529-38. [PMID: 19373878 DOI: 10.1002/ajp.20684] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/09/2022]
Abstract
The fitness of a female's offspring depends cruicially on the traits, genetic and paternal, that the father contributes. As such, females may either have an interest in behaviorally choosing the highest-quality male, or in reliably signaling their fertility status to males. Combining hormonal data on a female's ovulatory fertile window with a behavioral context, we suggest that captive female olive baboons (Papio h. anubis) provide fathers with reliable signals of their fertile period. One signal, the maximum anogenital swelling (AGA), typically coincided with a 4-day fertile window of ovulation, which occurred 2-3 days prior to deturgescence. As expected from previous studies, AGA swelling indicated general attractiveness to males, and males attended to the relative attractiveness of females. Males approached and copulated with females significantly more often during the 4-day window around ovulation, irrespective of the absolute swelling stage. The two adult males present in the group were both able to copulate with consistent partners as at least two cycling females were available in most months; the dominant male was more selective about the timing of his copulations close to ovulation during the maximal swelling phase. Females with ovulatory but nonconceptive cycles were less attractive to males, especially during their maximal AGA swelling phase.
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Affiliation(s)
- Agnès Daspre
- Laboratoire de Dynamique de l'Evolution Humaine, CNRS UPR 2147, Paris, France
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Haakonsson JE, Semple S. Lateralisation of trunk movements in captive Asian elephants (Elephas maximus). Laterality 2009; 14:413-22. [DOI: 10.1080/13576500802572442] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/21/2022]
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