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Penteriani V, Etchart L, González-Bernardo E, Hartasánchez A, Falcinelli D, Ruiz‑Villar H, Morales‑González A, Delgado MDM. Sex-, age-, and time-specific visual communication in brown bears. J Mammal 2023; 104:279-291. [PMID: 37032703 PMCID: PMC10075341 DOI: 10.1093/jmammal/gyac126] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/16/2022] [Accepted: 12/22/2022] [Indexed: 02/16/2023] Open
Abstract
Abstract
Intraspecific communication in mammals is well-documented but generally restricted to chemical and acoustic signaling. However, other overlooked channels, such as visual signaling, may be used to communicate among conspecifics. Here, by using experimental manipulations together with camera traps on 13 brown bear (Ursus arctos) rubbing trees in the Cantabrian Mountains (northwestern Spain), we document detailed temporal patterns and behavioral aspects of a recently discovered novel communication channel for this species, visual signaling through the trunk debarking of focal trees. Video footage showed that visual marking is a sex-, age-, and time-specific means of communication in brown bears, being performed exclusively by adult males during the mating season (mainly April–June in the study area). Trunk debarking was always associated with chemical marking and was never an isolated behavior, suggesting that visual and chemical signals might be complementary. Visual and chemical marks may provide different information; for example, visual marks could be an indicator of individual size and, thus, the dominance status of adult males looking for mating opportunities. This is the first time that evidence is provided showing that visual signaling in a large carnivore is exclusive to a specific class of individuals (adult males) and linked to reproductive needs only. Bear visual signaling not only represents an advance in our comprehension of animal communication but may also serve to easily locate the mating areas of mammals, which are crucial for large carnivore species, such as the brown bear, that frequently need specific and urgent plans for conservation and management.
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Affiliation(s)
- Vincenzo Penteriani
- National Museum of Natural Sciences (MNCN), Department of Evolutionary Ecology, Spanish National Research Council (CSIC) , c/José Gutiérrez Abascal 2, 28006 Madrid , Spain
| | - Léa Etchart
- UMR 6249 Chrono-environnement, Université de Bourgogne Franche-Comté , 16 route de Gray, 25000 Besançon , France
| | - Enrique González-Bernardo
- Departamento de Zoología, Universidad de Granada, Facultad de Ciencias , Avda. Fuente Nueva S/N, E-18071 Granada , Spain
| | - Alfonso Hartasánchez
- FAPAS Fondo para la Protección de los Animales Salvajes , Ctra. AS-228, km 8,9 – Tuñón, 33115 Santo Adriano, Asturias , Spain
| | - Daniele Falcinelli
- Department of Environmental Biology, Sapienza University of Rome , 00185 Rome , Italy
| | - Héctor Ruiz‑Villar
- Biodiversity Research Institute (IMIB, CSIC-Oviedo University-Principality of Asturias), Mieres Campus , 33600 Mieres , Spain
| | - Ana Morales‑González
- Department of Conservation Biology, Estación Biológica de Doñana , C.S.I.C, Avda. Americo Vespucio 26, 41092 Seville , Spain
| | - María del Mar Delgado
- Biodiversity Research Institute (IMIB, CSIC-Oviedo University-Principality of Asturias), Mieres Campus , 33600 Mieres , Spain
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2
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Blaise A, Kiewra D, Chrząścik K, Selva N, Popiołek M, Sergiel A. Anti‐parasitic function of tree‐rubbing behaviour in brown bears suggested by an
in vitro
test on a generalist ectoparasite. J Zool (1987) 2023. [DOI: 10.1111/jzo.13045] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/21/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- A. Blaise
- Faculty of Life Sciences University of Strasbourg Strasbourg France
| | - D. Kiewra
- Department of Microbial Ecology and Acaroentomology, Faculty of Biological Sciences University of Wroclaw Wroclaw Poland
| | - K. Chrząścik
- Institute of Nature Conservation Polish Academy of Sciences Krakow Poland
| | - N. Selva
- Institute of Nature Conservation Polish Academy of Sciences Krakow Poland
| | - M. Popiołek
- Department of Parasitology, Faculty of Biological Sciences University of Wroclaw Wroclaw Poland
| | - A. Sergiel
- Institute of Nature Conservation Polish Academy of Sciences Krakow Poland
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3
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Hansen JE, Hertel AG, Frank SC, Kindberg J, Zedrosser A. Social environment shapes female settlement decisions in a solitary carnivore. Behav Ecol 2022; 33:137-146. [PMID: 35197809 PMCID: PMC8857934 DOI: 10.1093/beheco/arab118] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/28/2020] [Revised: 08/25/2021] [Accepted: 10/01/2021] [Indexed: 11/28/2022] Open
Abstract
How and where a female selects an area to settle and breed is of central importance in dispersal and population ecology as it governs range expansion and gene flow. Social structure and organization have been shown to influence settlement decisions, but its importance in the settlement of large, solitary mammals is largely unknown. We investigate how the identity of overlapping conspecifics on the landscape, acquired during the maternal care period, influences the selection of settlement home ranges in a non-territorial, solitary mammal using location data of 56 female brown bears (Ursus arctos). We used a resource selection function to determine whether females' settlement behavior was influenced by the presence of their mother, related females, familiar females, and female population density. Hunting may remove mothers and result in socio-spatial changes before settlement. We compared overlap between settling females and their mother's concurrent or most recent home ranges to examine the settling female's response to the absence or presence of her mother on the landscape. We found that females selected settlement home ranges that overlapped their mother's home range, familiar females, that is, those they had previously overlapped with, and areas with higher density than their natal ranges. However, they did not select areas overlapping related females. We also found that when mothers were removed from the landscape, female offspring selected settlement home ranges with greater overlap of their mother's range, compared with mothers who were alive. Our results suggest that females are acquiring and using information about their social environment when making settlement decisions.
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Affiliation(s)
- J E Hansen
- Faculty of Technology, Natural Sciences and Maritime Sciences, Department of Natural Sciences and Environmental Health, University of South-Eastern Norway, Bø i Telemark, Norway
| | - A G Hertel
- Faculty of Technology, Natural Sciences and Maritime Sciences, Department of Natural Sciences and Environmental Health, University of South-Eastern Norway, Bø i Telemark, Norway
- Senkenberg Biodiversity and Climate Research Centre, Frankfurt, Germany
| | - S C Frank
- Faculty of Technology, Natural Sciences and Maritime Sciences, Department of Natural Sciences and Environmental Health, University of South-Eastern Norway, Bø i Telemark, Norway
| | - J Kindberg
- Norwegian Institute for Nature Research, Trondheim, Norway
- Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, Department of Wildlife, Fish, and Environmental Studies, Umeå, Sweden
| | - A Zedrosser
- Faculty of Technology, Natural Sciences and Maritime Sciences, Department of Natural Sciences and Environmental Health, University of South-Eastern Norway, Bø i Telemark, Norway
- Department of Integrative Biology, Institute of Wildlife Biology and Game Management, University of Natural Resources and Applied Life Sciences, Vienna, Austria
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4
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Ogawa Y, Tochigi K, Naganuma T, Dewi BS, Koike S. Marking behavior of Asiatic black bears at rub trees. URSUS 2021. [DOI: 10.2192/ursus-d-20-00028.1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/23/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Yoh Ogawa
- Tokyo Metropolitan Agricultural High School, 1-10-2 Kotobuki, Fuchu 183-0056, Japan
| | - Kahoko Tochigi
- United Graduate School of Agriculture, Tokyo University of Agriculture and Technology, 3-5-8 Saiwai, Fuchu 183-8509, Japan
| | - Tomoko Naganuma
- Institute of Global Innovation Research, Tokyo University of Agriculture and Technology, 3-5-8 Saiwai, Fuchu 183-8509, Japan
| | - Bainah S. Dewi
- Tropical Biodiversity Research and Development Center, University of Lampung, Bandar Lampung 35145, Indonesia
| | - Shinsuke Koike
- Institute of Global Innovation Research, Tokyo University of Agriculture and Technology, 3-5-8 Saiwai, Fuchu 183-8509, Japan
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5
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Janssenswillen S, Roelants K, Carpentier S, de Rooster H, Metzemaekers M, Vanschoenwinkel B, Proost P, Bossuyt F. Odorant-binding proteins in canine anal sac glands indicate an evolutionarily conserved role in mammalian chemical communication. BMC Ecol Evol 2021; 21:182. [PMID: 34565329 PMCID: PMC8474896 DOI: 10.1186/s12862-021-01910-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/16/2020] [Accepted: 09/10/2021] [Indexed: 11/29/2022] Open
Abstract
Background Chemical communication is an important aspect of the behavioural ecology of a wide range of mammals. In dogs and other carnivores, anal sac glands are thought to convey information to conspecifics by secreting a pallet of small volatile molecules produced by symbiotic bacteria. Because these glands are unique to carnivores, it is unclear how their secretions relate to those of other placental mammals that make use of different tissues and secretions for chemical communication. Here we analyse the anal sac glands of domestic dogs to verify the secretion of proteins and infer their evolutionary relationship to those involved in the chemical communication of non-carnivoran mammals. Results Proteomic analysis of anal sac gland secretions of 17 dogs revealed the consistently abundant presence of three related proteins. Homology searches against online databases indicate that these proteins are evolutionary related to ‘odorant binding proteins’ (OBPs) found in a wide range of mammalian secretions and known to contribute to chemical communication. Screening of the dog’s genome sequence show that the newly discovered OBPs are encoded by a single cluster of three genes in the pseudoautosomal region of the X-chromosome. Comparative genomic screening indicates that the same locus is shared by a wide range of placental mammals and that it originated at least before the radiation of extant placental orders. Phylogenetic analyses suggest a dynamic evolution of gene duplication and loss, resulting in large gene clusters in some placental taxa and recurrent loss of this locus in others. The homology of OBPs in canid anal sac glands and those found in other mammalian secretions implies that these proteins maintained a function in chemical communication throughout mammalian evolutionary history by multiple shifts in expression between secretory tissues involved in signal release and nasal mucosa involved in signal reception. Conclusions Our study elucidates a poorly understood part of the biology of a species that lives in close association with humans. In addition, it shows that the protein repertoire underlying chemical communication in mammals is more evolutionarily stable than the variation of involved glands and tissues would suggest. Supplementary Information The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1186/s12862-021-01910-w.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sunita Janssenswillen
- Amphibian Evolution Lab, Biology Department, Vrije Universiteit Brussel, Pleinlaan 2, 1050, Brussels, Belgium
| | - Kim Roelants
- Amphibian Evolution Lab, Biology Department, Vrije Universiteit Brussel, Pleinlaan 2, 1050, Brussels, Belgium.
| | - Sebastien Carpentier
- Proteomics Core - SyBioMa, Katholieke Universiteit Leuven, Herestraat 49 - 03.313, 3000, Leuven, Belgium
| | - Hilde de Rooster
- Small Animal Department, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Ghent University, Salisburylaan 133, 9820, Merelbeke, Belgium
| | - Mieke Metzemaekers
- Rega Institute, Molecular Immunology, Katholieke Universiteit Leuven, Herestraat 49 - Bus1042, 3000, Leuven, Belgium
| | - Bram Vanschoenwinkel
- Community Ecology Lab, Biology Department, Vrije Universiteit Brussel, Pleinlaan 2, 1050, Brussels, Belgium.,Center for Environmental Management, University of the Free State, Bloemfontein, 9030, South Africa
| | - Paul Proost
- Rega Institute, Molecular Immunology, Katholieke Universiteit Leuven, Herestraat 49 - Bus1042, 3000, Leuven, Belgium
| | - Franky Bossuyt
- Amphibian Evolution Lab, Biology Department, Vrije Universiteit Brussel, Pleinlaan 2, 1050, Brussels, Belgium
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González-Bernardo E, Bagnasco C, Bombieri G, Zarzo-Arias A, Ruiz-Villar H, Morales-González A, Lamamy C, Ordiz A, Cañedo D, Díaz J, Chamberlain DE, Penteriani V. Rubbing behavior of European brown bears: factors affecting rub tree selectivity and density. J Mammal 2021; 102:468-480. [PMID: 34121953 PMCID: PMC8189685 DOI: 10.1093/jmammal/gyaa170] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/12/2019] [Accepted: 12/03/2020] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Scent-mediated communication is considered the principal communication channel in many mammal species. Compared with visual and vocal communication, odors persist for a longer time, enabling individuals to interact without being in the same place at the same time. The brown bear (Ursus arctos), like other mammals, carries out chemical communication, for example, by means of scents deposited on marking (or rub) trees. In this study, we assessed rub tree selectivity of the brown bear in the predominantly deciduous forests of the Cantabrian Mountains (NW Spain). We first compared the characteristics of 101 brown bear rub trees with 263 control trees. We then analyzed the potential factors affecting the density of rub trees along 35 survey routes along footpaths. We hypothesized that: (1) bears would select particular trees, or tree species, with characteristics that make them more conspicuous; and (2) that bears would select trees located in areas with the highest presence of conspecifics, depending on the population density or the position of the trees within the species' range. We used linear models and generalized additive models to test these hypotheses. Our results showed that brown bears generally selected more conspicuous trees with a preference for birches (Betula spp.). This choice may facilitate the marking and/or detection of chemical signals and, therefore, the effectiveness of intraspecific communication. Conversely, the abundance of rub trees along footpaths did not seem to depend on the density of bear observations or their relative position within the population center or its border. Our results suggest that Cantabrian brown bears select trees based on their individual characteristics and their location, with no influence of characteristics of the bear population itself. Our findings can be used to locate target trees that could help in population monitoring.
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Affiliation(s)
- Enrique González-Bernardo
- Research Unit of Biodiversity (UMIB, CSIC-UO-PA), Mieres Campus, Mieres, Spain
- Pyrenean Institute of Ecology (IPE), C.S.I.C., Avda. Montañana, Zaragoza, Spain
| | - Carlotta Bagnasco
- Department of Life Sciences and Systems Biology, University of Turin, Via Accademia Albertina, Turin, Italy
| | - Giulia Bombieri
- Research Unit of Biodiversity (UMIB, CSIC-UO-PA), Mieres Campus, Mieres, Spain
- Museo delle Scienze, Sezione Zoologia dei Vertebrati, Corso del Lavoro e della Scienza 3, Trento, Italy
| | - Alejandra Zarzo-Arias
- Research Unit of Biodiversity (UMIB, CSIC-UO-PA), Mieres Campus, Mieres, Spain
- Department of Applied Geoinformatics and Spatial Planning, Faculty of Environmental Sciences, Czech University of Life Sciences Prague, Kamýcká, Praha – Suchdol, Czech Republic
| | - Héctor Ruiz-Villar
- Research Unit of Biodiversity (UMIB, CSIC-UO-PA), Mieres Campus, Mieres, Spain
| | - Ana Morales-González
- Estación Biológica de Doñana, C.S.I.C., Department of Conservation Biology, Avda. Americo Vespucio, Sevilla, Spain
| | - Cindy Lamamy
- Gembloux Agro-Bio Tech, Dpt. BIOSE, Liège University, Passage des Déportés, Gembloux, Belgium
| | - Andrés Ordiz
- Faculty of Environmental Sciences and Natural Resource Management, Norwegian University of Life Sciences, Ås, Norway
| | - David Cañedo
- Consejería de Ordenación del Territorio, Infraestructuras y Medio Ambiente, Dirección General de Biodiversidad, Principado de Asturias, Oviedo, Spain
| | - Juan Díaz
- Consejería de Ordenación del Territorio, Infraestructuras y Medio Ambiente, Dirección General de Biodiversidad, Principado de Asturias, Oviedo, Spain
| | - Daniel E Chamberlain
- Department of Life Sciences and Systems Biology, University of Turin, Via Accademia Albertina, Turin, Italy
| | - Vincenzo Penteriani
- Research Unit of Biodiversity (UMIB, CSIC-UO-PA), Mieres Campus, Mieres, Spain
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7
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Revilla E, Ramos Fernández D, Fernández-Gil A, Sergiel A, Selva N, Naves J. Brown bear communication hubs: patterns and correlates of tree rubbing and pedal marking at a long-term marking site. PeerJ 2021; 9:e10447. [PMID: 33575120 PMCID: PMC7849508 DOI: 10.7717/peerj.10447] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/14/2018] [Accepted: 11/07/2020] [Indexed: 11/29/2022] Open
Abstract
Chemical communication is important for many species of mammals. Male brown bears, Ursus arctos, mark trees with a secretion from glands located on their back. The recent discovery of pedal glands and pedal-marking at a site used for tree-rubbing led us to hypothesize that both types of marking form part of a more complex communication system. We describe the patterns of chemical communication used by different age and sex classes, including differences in the roles of these classes as information providers or receivers over four years at a long-term marking site. Using video recordings from a camera trap, we registered a total of 285 bear-visits and 419 behavioral events associated with chemical communication. Bears visited the site more frequently during the mating season, during which communication behaviors were more frequent. A typical visit by male bears consisted of sniffing the depressions where animals pedal mark, performing pedal-marking, sniffing the tree, and, finally, rubbing against the trunk of the tree. Adult males performed most pedal- and tree-marking (95% and 66% of the cases, respectively). Males pedal-marked and tree-rubbed in 81% and 48% of their visits and sniffed the pedal marks and the tree in 23% and 59% of visits, respectively. Adult females never pedal marked, and juveniles did so at very low frequencies. Females rubbed against the tree in just 9% of their visits; they sniffed the tree and the pedal marks in 51% and 21% of their visits, respectively. All sex and age classes performed pedal- and tree-sniffing. There were significant associations between behaviors indicating that different behaviors tended to occur during the same visit and were more likely if another individual had recently visited. These associations leading to repeated marking of the site can promote the establishment of long-term marking sites. Marking sites defined by trees and the trails leading to them seem to act as communication hubs that brown bears use to share and obtain important information at population level.
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Affiliation(s)
- Eloy Revilla
- Department of Conservation Biology, Estación Biológica de Doñana CSIC, Seville, Spain
| | - Damián Ramos Fernández
- Consejería de Infraestructuras, Ordenación del Territorio y Medio Ambiente, Gobierno del Principado de Asturias, Oviedo, Spain
| | - Alberto Fernández-Gil
- Department of Conservation Biology, Estación Biológica de Doñana CSIC, Seville, Spain
| | - Agnieszka Sergiel
- Institute of Nature Conservation, Polish Academy of Sciences, Krakow, Poland
| | - Nuria Selva
- Institute of Nature Conservation, Polish Academy of Sciences, Krakow, Poland
| | - Javier Naves
- Department of Conservation Biology, Estación Biológica de Doñana CSIC, Seville, Spain
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8
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KITAYAMA C, YAMAGUCHI Y, KONDO S, OGAWA R, KAWAI YK, KAYANO M, TOMIYASU J, KONDOH D. Behavioral effects of scents from male mature Rathke glands on juvenile green sea turtles (Chelonia mydas). J Vet Med Sci 2020; 82:1312-1315. [PMID: 32655096 PMCID: PMC7538326 DOI: 10.1292/jvms.20-0058] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/03/2020] [Accepted: 06/26/2020] [Indexed: 01/22/2023] Open
Abstract
Sea turtles can detect airborne and waterborne odors, but whether they recognize scents from the same species and if so, how they affect their behavior remains unknown. The present study evaluated the behavioral effects of odorants on juvenile green sea turtles (Chelonia mydas). The odorants were derived from Rathke glands (external scent glands) of mature male green sea turtles, and from two types of food. The activity of the juveniles increased when exposed to food scents, and significantly decreased compared with controls when exposed to scents from Rathke glands. These findings indicated that scents from the same species affect behavior, and that chemical communication via olfaction has important outcomes for sea turtles.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chiyo KITAYAMA
- Everlasting Nature of Asia (ELNA), Ogasawara Marine Center, Ogasawara, Tokyo 100-2101, Japan
| | - Yohei YAMAGUCHI
- Laboratory of Veterinary Anatomy, Obihiro University of Agriculture and Veterinary Medicine, Obihiro, Hokkaido 080-8555, Japan
| | - Satomi KONDO
- Everlasting Nature of Asia (ELNA), Ogasawara Marine Center, Ogasawara, Tokyo 100-2101, Japan
| | - Ryuta OGAWA
- Everlasting Nature of Asia (ELNA), Ogasawara Marine Center, Ogasawara, Tokyo 100-2101, Japan
| | - Yusuke K. KAWAI
- Laboratory of Toxicology, Obihiro University of Agricultural and Veterinary Medicine, Obihiro, Hokkaido 080-8555, Japan
| | - Mitsunori KAYANO
- Research Center for Global Agromedicine, Obihiro University of Agriculture and Veterinary Medicine, Obihiro, Hokkaido 080-8555, Japan
| | - Jumpei TOMIYASU
- Department of Reproductive Immunology and Pathology, Institute of Animal Reproduction and Food Research, Polish Academy of Sciences, Olsztyn 10-748,
Poland
| | - Daisuke KONDOH
- Laboratory of Veterinary Anatomy, Obihiro University of Agriculture and Veterinary Medicine, Obihiro, Hokkaido 080-8555, Japan
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9
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Tomiyasu J, Bochimoto H, Kondoh D, Sato Y, Matsumoto N, Sasaki K, Haneda S, Matsui M. Seasonal ultrastructural changes in apocrine gland cells in back skin of male brown bears (Ursus arctos). Microsc Res Tech 2020; 84:56-61. [PMID: 32965073 DOI: 10.1002/jemt.23564] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/19/2020] [Revised: 07/06/2020] [Accepted: 07/15/2020] [Indexed: 11/06/2022]
Abstract
Oily secretions from the back skin are involved in the marking behavior of male brown bears (Ursus arctos), and apocrine glands in back skin are activated during the breeding season. Here, we investigated seasonal changes in the intracellular organelles of apocrine gland cells in the back skin of male brown bears using transmission electron microscopy (TEM) and osmium-maceration scanning electron microscopy (OM-SEM). The morphological features of mitochondria and intracellular granules, and secretory mechanisms obviously differed between breeding and non-breeding seasons. The TEM findings showed that contents of low-density granules were released into the glandular lumen by frequent exocytosis, and sausage-shaped mitochondria were located in the perinuclear region during the non-breeding season. In contrast, high-density granules appeared in the apical region and in projections during the breeding season, and swollen mitochondria and lysosome-like organelles separating into high-density granules were located in the perinuclear region. The OM-SEM findings revealed swollen mitochondria with only a few partially developed cristae, and small mitochondria with cristae shaped like those in swollen mitochondria in the apical regions during the breeding season. These findings indicated that the small mitochondria corresponded to the high-density granules identified by TEM. These findings suggested that mitochondria in apocrine gland cells swell, degenerate, fracture into small pieces, and are finally released by apocrine secretions during the breeding season. Small mitochondria released in this secretory manner might function as the source of chemical signals in the oily secretions of brown bears during the breeding season.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jumpei Tomiyasu
- Department of Veterinary Medicine, Obihiro University of Agriculture and Veterinary Medicine, Obihiro, Japan
| | - Hiroki Bochimoto
- Health Care Administration Center, Obihiro University of Agriculture and Veterinary Medicine, Obihiro, Japan
| | - Daisuke Kondoh
- Department of Veterinary Medicine, Obihiro University of Agriculture and Veterinary Medicine, Obihiro, Japan
| | - Yoshikazu Sato
- Department of Environmental and Symbiotic Science, College of Agriculture, Food and Environmental Sciences, Rakuno Gakuen University, Ebetsu, Japan
| | | | | | - Shingo Haneda
- Department of Veterinary Medicine, Obihiro University of Agriculture and Veterinary Medicine, Obihiro, Japan
| | - Motozumi Matsui
- Department of Veterinary Medicine, Obihiro University of Agriculture and Veterinary Medicine, Obihiro, Japan
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10
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Kleiner JD, Van Horn RC, Swenson JE, Steyaert SM. Rub-tree selection by Andean bears in the Peruvian dry forest. URSUS 2018. [DOI: 10.2192/ursus-d-17-00012.1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 39] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/23/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Jack D. Kleiner
- Faculty of Environmental Sciences and Natural Resource Management, Department of Ecology and Natural Resource Management, Norwegian University of Life Sciences, P.O. Box 5003, NO-1432 Ås, Norway
| | - Russell C. Van Horn
- Institute for Conservation Research, San Diego Zoo Global, P.O. Box 120551, San Diego, CA 92112-0551, USA
| | - Jon E. Swenson
- Faculty of Environmental Sciences and Natural Resource Management, Department of Ecology and Natural Resource Management, Norwegian University of Life Sciences, P.O. Box 5003, NO-1432 Ås, Norway
| | - Sam M.J.G. Steyaert
- Faculty of Environmental Sciences and Natural Resource Management, Department of Ecology and Natural Resource Management, Norwegian University of Life Sciences, P.O. Box 5003, NO-1432 Ås, Norway
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11
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Tomiyasu J, Yanagawa Y, Sato Y, Shimozuru M, Nagano M, Sasaki M, Sakamoto H, Matsumoto N, Kobayashi K, Kayano M, Haneda S, Matsui M. Testosterone-related and seasonal changes in sebaceous glands in the back skin of adult male brown bears (Ursusarctos). CAN J ZOOL 2018. [DOI: 10.1139/cjz-2017-0028] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/22/2022]
Abstract
Adult male brown bears (Ursus arctos Linnaeus, 1758) display tree-marking behavior to chemically signal their dominance throughout the nondenning period, and this behavior peaks during the breeding season. Within the scent-marking sequence, back rub is a core marking posture. The present study investigated (i) seasonal changes in sebaceous glands in the back skin of brown bears and (ii) the relationship between those changes and testosterone levels. Back skin tissue samples and blood were collected from captive adult intact and castrated males during prebreeding, transitional, breeding, and postbreeding seasons, which were concurrent with back skin observations. In intact males, during the transitional and breeding seasons, an oily secretion from the back skin was observed along with enlarged sebaceous glands. The plasma testosterone concentrations during the transitional and breeding seasons were increased compared with the pre- and post-breeding seasons. Secretions and enlarged sebaceous glands were not found in castrated males, and the plasma testosterone concentrations remained at baseline levels. Oily secretions of the back skin glands that appear more abundant during the breeding season are rubbed against trees. Changes in size and volume of sebaceous glands, and thus their secreting capacity, are likely testosterone-regulated.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jumpei Tomiyasu
- Laboratory of Theriogenology, Department of Applied Veterinary Medicine, Obihiro University of Agriculture and Veterinary Medicine, Obihiro, Hokkaido 080-8555, Japan
- United Graduate School of Veterinary Sciences, Gifu University, Gifu, Gifu 501-1193, Japan
| | - Yojiro Yanagawa
- Laboratory of Theriogenology, Department of Veterinary Clinical Sciences, Graduate School of Veterinary Medicine, Hokkaido University, Sapporo, Hokkaido 060-0818, Japan
| | - Yoshikazu Sato
- Laboratory of Wildlife Ecology, Department of Environmental Symbiotic Science, College of Agriculture, Food and Environmental Sciences, Rakuno Gakuen University, Ebetsu, Hokkaido 069-0836, Japan
| | - Michito Shimozuru
- Laboratory of Wildlife Biology and Medicine, Department of Environmental Veterinary Sciences, Graduate School of Veterinary Medicine, Hokkaido University, Sapporo, Hokkaido 060-0818, Japan
| | - Masashi Nagano
- Laboratory of Theriogenology, Department of Veterinary Clinical Sciences, Graduate School of Veterinary Medicine, Hokkaido University, Sapporo, Hokkaido 060-0818, Japan
| | - Motoki Sasaki
- United Graduate School of Veterinary Sciences, Gifu University, Gifu, Gifu 501-1193, Japan
- Laboratory of Veterinary Anatomy, Department of Basic Veterinary Science, Obihiro University of Agriculture and Veterinary Medicine, Obihiro, Hokkaido 080-8555, Japan
| | | | - Naoya Matsumoto
- Noboribetsu Bear Park, Noboribetsu, Hokkaido 059-0551, Japan
| | - Kohei Kobayashi
- EnVision Conservation Office, 5-2, Kita 9, Nishi 4, Kita-ku, Sapporo, Hokkaido 060-0809, Japan
| | - Mitsunori Kayano
- Research Center for Global Agromedicine, Obihiro University of Agriculture and Veterinary Medicine, Obihiro, Hokkaido 080-8555, Japan
| | - Shingo Haneda
- Laboratory of Theriogenology, Department of Applied Veterinary Medicine, Obihiro University of Agriculture and Veterinary Medicine, Obihiro, Hokkaido 080-8555, Japan
| | - Motozumi Matsui
- Laboratory of Theriogenology, Department of Applied Veterinary Medicine, Obihiro University of Agriculture and Veterinary Medicine, Obihiro, Hokkaido 080-8555, Japan
- United Graduate School of Veterinary Sciences, Gifu University, Gifu, Gifu 501-1193, Japan
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Frank SC, Steyaert SM, Swenson JE, Storch I, Kindberg J, Barck H, Zedrosser A. A "clearcut" case? Brown bear selection of coarse woody debris and carpenter ants on clearcuts. FOREST ECOLOGY AND MANAGEMENT 2015; 348:164-173. [PMID: 26190890 PMCID: PMC4459689 DOI: 10.1016/j.foreco.2015.03.051] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/11/2015] [Revised: 03/30/2015] [Accepted: 03/31/2015] [Indexed: 06/02/2023]
Abstract
Forest management alters habitat characteristics, resulting in various effects among and within species. It is crucial to understand how habitat alteration through forest management (e.g. clearcutting) affects animal populations, particularly with unknown future conditions (e.g. climate change). In Sweden, brown bears (Ursus arctos) forage on carpenter ants (Camponotus herculeanus) during summer, and may select for this food source within clearcuts. To assess carpenter ant occurrence and brown bear selection of carpenter ants, we sampled 6999 coarse woody debris (CWD) items within 1019 plots, of which 902 were within clearcuts (forests ⩽30 years of age) and 117 plots outside clearcuts (forests >30 years of age). We related various CWD and site characteristics to the presence or absence of carpenter ant galleries (nests) and bear foraging sign at three spatial scales: the CWD, plot, and clearcut scale. We tested whether both absolute and relative counts (the latter controlling for the number of CWD items) of galleries and bear sign in plots were higher inside or outside clearcuts. Absolute counts were higher inside than outside clearcuts for galleries (mean counts; inside: 1.8, outside: 0.8). CWD was also higher inside (mean: 6.8) than outside clearcuts (mean: 4.0). However, even after controlling for more CWD inside clearcuts, relative counts were higher inside than outside clearcuts for both galleries (mean counts; inside: 0.3, outside: 0.2) and bear sign (mean counts; inside: 0.03, outside: 0.01). Variables at the CWD scale best explained gallery and bear sign presence than variables at the plot or clearcut level, but bear selection was influenced by clearcut age. CWD circumference was important for both carpenter ant and bear sign presence. CWD hardness was most important for carpenter ant selection. However, the most important predictor for bear sign was the presence or absence of carpenter ant galleries. Bears had a high foraging "success" rate (⩾88%) in foraging CWD where galleries also occurred, which was assessed by summing CWD items with the concurrence of bear sign and galleries, divided by the sum of all CWD with bear sign. Clearcuts appeared to increase the occurrence of a relatively important summer food item, the carpenter ant, on Swedish managed forests for the brown bear. However, the potential benefit of this increase can only be determined from a better understanding of the seasonal and interannual variation of the availability and use of other important brown bear food items, berries (e.g. Vaccinium myrtillus and Empetrum spp.), as well as other primary needs for bears (e.g. secure habitat and denning habitat), within the landscape mosaic of managed forests.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shane C. Frank
- Faculty of Arts and Sciences, Department of Environmental and Health Studies, Telemark University College, Bø NO-3800, Norway
| | - Sam M.J.G. Steyaert
- Department of Ecology and Natural Resource Management, Norwegian University of Life Sciences, As NO-1432, Norway
| | - Jon E. Swenson
- Department of Ecology and Natural Resource Management, Norwegian University of Life Sciences, As NO-1432, Norway
- Norwegian Institute for Nature Research, PO Box 5685 Sluppen, NO-7485 Trondheim, Norway
| | - Ilse Storch
- Chair of Wildlife Ecology and Management, Faculty of Environment and Natural Resources, University of Freiburg, D-79085 Freiburg, Germany
| | - Jonas Kindberg
- Department of Wildlife, Fish and Environmental Studies, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, Umeå SE-90183, Sweden
| | - Hanna Barck
- Department of Wildlife, Fish and Environmental Studies, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, Umeå SE-90183, Sweden
| | - Andreas Zedrosser
- Faculty of Arts and Sciences, Department of Environmental and Health Studies, Telemark University College, Bø NO-3800, Norway
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Cinková I, Policht R. Discrimination of familiarity and sex from chemical cues in the dung by wild southern white rhinoceros. Anim Cogn 2014; 18:385-92. [PMID: 25273823 DOI: 10.1007/s10071-014-0810-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/27/2013] [Revised: 09/14/2014] [Accepted: 09/17/2014] [Indexed: 12/27/2022]
Abstract
Communication in rhinos is primarily mediated by the vocal and olfactory signals as they have relatively poor eyesight. White rhinos are the most social of all the rhinoceros species, they defecate at common dungheaps and the adult bulls use dung and urine to mark their territory. Chemical communication may therefore be particularly important in the social interactions of white rhinos, and its knowledge could be very helpful in their management and conservation. However, no studies have investigated up until now the olfactory discrimination in any rhinoceros species in the wild. We have experimentally studied the reactions of the wild southern white rhinos (Ceratotherium simum) to the dung of familiar and unfamiliar adult females and adult territorial males. We registered the number of sniffing events, the duration of sniffing and the latency of the vigilance posture from the onset of sniffing. The dung of unfamiliar rhinos was sniffed longer than that of familiar rhinos. The rhinos showed a shorter latency of vigilance posture to the familiar dung of males than that of females. For unfamiliar dung, they displayed a shorter latency of vigilance posture to female than male dung. Our results indicate that the rhinos are able to discriminate the familiarity and sex of conspecifics from the smell of their dung. Olfactory cues could therefore play an important role in the social relationships and spatial organization of the southern white rhinoceros.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ivana Cinková
- Department of Zoology and Laboratory of Ornithology, Faculty of Science, Palacký University, 17. listopadu 50, 771 46, Olomouc, Czech Republic,
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Clapham M, Nevin OT, Ramsey AD, Rosell F. Scent-marking investment and motor patterns are affected by the age and sex of wild brown bears. Anim Behav 2014. [DOI: 10.1016/j.anbehav.2014.05.017] [Citation(s) in RCA: 69] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/26/2022]
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