1
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Alves Soares T, Caspers BA, Loos HM. Volatile organic compounds in preen oil and feathers - a review. Biol Rev Camb Philos Soc 2024; 99:1085-1099. [PMID: 38303487 DOI: 10.1111/brv.13059] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/19/2022] [Revised: 01/18/2024] [Accepted: 01/22/2024] [Indexed: 02/03/2024]
Abstract
For a long time birds were assumed to be anosmic or at best microsmatic, with olfaction a poorly understood and seldom investigated part of avian physiology. The full viability of avian olfaction was first discovered through its functions in navigation and foraging. Subsequently, researchers have investigated the role of olfaction in different social and non-social contexts, including reproduction, kin recognition, predator avoidance, navigation and foraging. In parallel to the recognition of the importance of olfaction for avian social behaviour, there have been advances in the techniques and methods available for the sampling and analysis of trace volatiles and odourants, leading to insights into the chemistry underlying chemical communication in birds. This review provides (i) an overview of the current state of knowledge regarding the volatile chemical composition of preen oil and feathers, its phylogenetic coverage, chemical signatures and their potential functions, and (ii) a discussion of current methods used for the isolation and detection of volatiles. Finally, lines for future research are proposed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tatjana Alves Soares
- Chair of Aroma and Smell Research, Department of Chemistry and Pharmacy, Friedrich-Alexander-Universität Erlangen-Nürnberg (FAU), Henkestraße 9, Erlangen, 91054, Germany
| | - Barbara A Caspers
- Department of Behavioural Ecology, Bielefeld University, Konsequenz 45, Bielefeld, 33615, Germany
- Joint Institute for Individualisation in a Changing Environment (JICE), University of Münster and Bielefeld University, Bielefeld, Germany
| | - Helene M Loos
- Chair of Aroma and Smell Research, Department of Chemistry and Pharmacy, Friedrich-Alexander-Universität Erlangen-Nürnberg (FAU), Henkestraße 9, Erlangen, 91054, Germany
- Fraunhofer Institute for Process Engineering and Packaging IVV, Giggenhauser Straße 35, Freising, 85354, Germany
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2
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Mahr K, Nowack L, Knauer F, Hoi H. Songbirds use scent cues to relocate to feeding sites after displacement: An experiment in great tits (Parus major). Front Ecol Evol 2022. [DOI: 10.3389/fevo.2022.858981] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Air-borne chemicals are highly abundant sensory cues and their use in navigation might be one of the major evolutionary mechanisms explaining the development of olfaction in animals. Despite solid evidence for the importance of olfaction in avian life (e.g., foraging or mating), the importance of chemical cues in avian orientation remains controversial. In particular, songbirds are sorely neglected models, despite their remarkable orientation skills. Here we show that great tits (Parus major) require olfactory cues to orientate toward winter-feeding sites within their home range after displacement. Birds that received an olfaction-depriving treatment were impaired in homing. However, the return rates between olfaction-deprived and control individuals did not differ. Birds with decreased perception of olfactory cues required more time to return to the winter feeding sites. This effect became apparent when the distance between the releasing and capture sites was greater. Our results indicate that even in a familiar environment with possible visual landmarks, scent cues might serve as an important source of information for orientation.
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3
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Amo L, Saavedra I. Attraction to Smelly Food in Birds: Insectivorous Birds Discriminate between the Pheromones of Their Prey and Those of Non-Prey Insects. BIOLOGY 2021; 10:1010. [PMID: 34681109 PMCID: PMC8533543 DOI: 10.3390/biology10101010] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/12/2021] [Revised: 09/28/2021] [Accepted: 10/04/2021] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Abstract
Natural selection has favored the evolution of different capabilities that allow animals to obtain food-e.g., the development of senses for improving prey/food detection. Among these senses, chemical sense is possibly the most ancient mechanism used by organisms for environmental assessment. Comparative studies suggest the prime role of foraging ecology in the evolution of the olfactory apparatus of vertebrates, including birds. Here, we review empirical studies that have shown birds' abilities to detect prey/food via olfaction and report the results of a study aiming to analyze the specificity of eavesdropping on prey pheromones in insectivorous birds. In a field study, we placed artificial larvae and a dispenser with one of three treatments-prey (Operopthera brumata) pheromones, non-prey (Rhynchophorus ferrugineus) pheromones, or a control unscented dispenser-on the branches of Pyrenean oak trees (Quercus pyrenaica). We then measured the predation rate of birds on artificial larvae. Our results show that more trees had larvae with signs of avian predation when they contained a prey pheromone dispenser than when they contained a non-prey pheromone dispenser or an unscented dispenser. Our results indicate that insectivorous birds can discriminate between the pheromones emitted by their prey and those emitted by non-prey insects and that they only exhibit attraction to prey pheromones. These results highlight the potential use of insectivorous birds in the biological control of insect pests.
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Affiliation(s)
- Luisa Amo
- Departamento de Ecología Evolutiva, Museo Nacional de Ciencias Naturales (MNCN-CSIC), C/José Gutiérrez Abascal, 2, E-28006 Madrid, Spain;
- Area of Biodiversity and Conservation, Universidad Rey Juan Carlos, c/Tulipán s/n., E-28933 Madrid, Spain
| | - Irene Saavedra
- Departamento de Ecología Evolutiva, Museo Nacional de Ciencias Naturales (MNCN-CSIC), C/José Gutiérrez Abascal, 2, E-28006 Madrid, Spain;
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4
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Díaz-Siefer P, Tapia-Gatica J, Martínez-Harms J, Bergmann J, Celis-Diez JL. A larval aggregation pheromone as foraging cue for insectivorous birds. Biol Lett 2021; 17:20210360. [PMID: 34582735 PMCID: PMC8478522 DOI: 10.1098/rsbl.2021.0360] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/29/2021] [Accepted: 09/07/2021] [Indexed: 12/24/2022] Open
Abstract
Although birds have traditionally been considered anosmic, increasing evidence indicates that olfaction plays an important role in the foraging behaviours of insectivorous birds. Recent studies have shown that birds can exploit herbivore-induced plant volatiles and sexual pheromones of adult insects to locate their prey. Many insectivorous birds prey on immature insects, providing relevant ecosystem services as pest regulators in natural and agricultural ecosystems. We asked whether birds could rely on chemical cues emitted by the immature stages of insects to prey on them. To address this question, we performed field experiments to evaluate if insectivorous birds can detect the aggregation pheromone produced by the larvae of the carpenter worm, Chilecomadia valdiviana. Groups of five artificial larvae were placed in branches of 72 adult trees in a remnant fragment of a sclerophyllous forest in central Chile. Each grouping of larvae contained a rubber septum loaded with either larval pheromone as treatment or solvent alone as control. We found that the number of larvae damaged by bird pecks was significantly higher in groups with dispensers containing the larval extract than in control groups. Our results show that birds can rely on immature insect-derived chemical cues used for larvae aggregation to prey on them.
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Affiliation(s)
- Pablo Díaz-Siefer
- Centro Regional de Investigación e Innovación para la Sostenibilidad de la Agricultura y los Territorios Rurales, CERES, Quillota, Chile
- Escuela de Agronomía, Pontificia Universidad Católica de Valparaíso, Quillota, Chile
| | - Jaime Tapia-Gatica
- Escuela de Agronomía, Pontificia Universidad Católica de Valparaíso, Quillota, Chile
| | | | - Jan Bergmann
- Instituto de Química, Pontificia Universidad Católica de Valparaíso, Valparaíso, Chile
| | - Juan L. Celis-Diez
- Escuela de Agronomía, Pontificia Universidad Católica de Valparaíso, Quillota, Chile
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5
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Golüke S, Bischof HJ, Caspers BA. Nestling odour modulates behavioural response in male, but not in female zebra finches. Sci Rep 2021; 11:712. [PMID: 33436859 PMCID: PMC7804447 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-020-80466-z] [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: 12/06/2019] [Accepted: 12/21/2020] [Indexed: 01/29/2023] Open
Abstract
Studies investigating parent offspring recognition in birds led to the conclusion that offspring recognition is absent at the early nestling stage. Especially male songbirds were often assumed to be unable to discriminate between own and foreign offspring. However, olfactory offspring recognition in birds has not been taken into account as yet, probably because particularly songbirds have for a long time been assumed anosmic. This study aimed to test whether offspring might be recognised via smell. We presented zebra finch (Taeniopygia guttata) parents either the odour of their own or that of foreign nestlings and investigated whether the odour presentation resulted in a change in the number of head saccades, i.e. the rapid horizontal turning of the head, with which birds scan their environment and which can be used as a proxy of arousal. Our experiment indicates that male zebra finches, in contrast to females, differentiate between their own and foreign offspring based on odour cues, as indicated by a significant differences in the change of head saccadic movements between males receiving the own chick odour and males receiving the odour of a foreign chick. Thus, it provides behavioural evidence for olfactory offspring recognition in male zebra finches and also the existence of appropriate phenotypic odour cues of the offspring. The question why females do not show any sign of behavioural response remains open, but it might be likely that females use other signatures for offspring recognition.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sarah Golüke
- grid.7491.b0000 0001 0944 9128Department of Behavioural Ecology, Bielefeld University, Bielefeld, Germany
| | - Hans-Joachim Bischof
- grid.7491.b0000 0001 0944 9128Department of Animal Behaviour, Bielefeld University, Bielefeld, Germany
| | - Barbara A. Caspers
- grid.7491.b0000 0001 0944 9128Department of Behavioural Ecology, Bielefeld University, Bielefeld, Germany
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Whittaker DJ, Hagelin JC. Female-Based Patterns and Social Function in Avian Chemical Communication. J Chem Ecol 2020; 47:43-62. [PMID: 33103230 DOI: 10.1007/s10886-020-01230-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/23/2020] [Revised: 09/18/2020] [Accepted: 10/20/2020] [Indexed: 11/25/2022]
Abstract
Much of the growing interest in avian chemical signals has focused on the role of kin recognition or mate attraction, often with an emphasis on males, with uropygial gland secretions perhaps providing information about an individual's identity and quality. Yet, data collected to date suggest sexual dimorphism in uropygial glands and secretions are often emphasized in female, rather than in male birds. That is, when a sexual difference occurs (often during the breeding season only), it is the female that typically exhibits one of three patterns: (1) a larger uropygial gland, (2) a greater abundance of volatile or semi-volatile preen oil compounds and/or (3) greater diversity of preen oil compounds or associated microbes. These patterns fit a majority of birds studied to date (23 of 30 chemically dimorphic species exhibit a female emphasis). Multiple species that do not fit are confounded by a lack of data for seasonal effects or proper quantitative measures of chemical compounds. We propose several social functions for these secretions in female-based patterns, similar to those reported in mammals, but which are largely unstudied in birds. These include: (1) intersexual advertisement of female receptivity or quality, including priming effects on male physiology, (2) intrasexual competition, including scent marking and reproductive suppression or (3) parental behaviors, such as parent-offspring recognition and chemical protection of eggs and nestlings. Revisiting the gaps of chemical studies to quantify the existence of female social chemosignals and any fitness benefit(s) during breeding are potentially fruitful but overlooked areas of future research.
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Affiliation(s)
- Danielle J Whittaker
- BEACON Center for the Study of Evolution in Action, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI, 48824, USA.
| | - Julie C Hagelin
- Institute of Arctic Biology, University of Alaska Fairbanks, Fairbanks, AK, 99775, USA
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Griebel IA, Dawson RD. Nestling tree swallows (
Tachycineta bicolor
) alter begging behaviour in response to odour of familiar adults, but not their nests. Ethology 2020. [DOI: 10.1111/eth.13015] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Ilsa A. Griebel
- Ecosystem Science and Management Program University of Northern British Columbia Prince George BC Canada
| | - Russell D. Dawson
- Ecosystem Science and Management Program University of Northern British Columbia Prince George BC Canada
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9
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Liu J, Cheng C, Liang W. Egg recognition and chick discrimination in colonial breeding birds. Behav Processes 2019; 168:103955. [PMID: 31493492 DOI: 10.1016/j.beproc.2019.103955] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/29/2019] [Revised: 07/17/2019] [Accepted: 09/03/2019] [Indexed: 10/26/2022]
Abstract
Theory predicts that parents will not raise unrelated offsprings. For colonial breeding birds, evolving an ability to recognize their own eggs and chicks can prevent misdirecting parental behaviour. To verify this hypothesis, egg recognition experiments were performed on colonial breeding Chinese pond herons (Ardeola bacchus) and cattle egrets (Bubulcus ibis) in Chengmai and Lingao, tropical Hainan Island, China. Furthermore, a chick discrimination experiment was conducted on Chinese pond herons. In our study area, we did not record conspecific or interspecific brood parasitism in the two heron species. The results showed that Chinese pond herons had similar recognition rates for the four types of experimental eggs and lacked recognition ability. Cattle egrets had variable abilities to recognize different types of foreign eggs and have low egg recognition ability. Chinese pond herons cannot discriminate foreign chicks. Therefore, we suggest that the two species of colonial breeding herons may lack or have low egg recognition ability, and Chinese pond herons show no nestling recognition ability.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jianping Liu
- Ministry of Education Key Laboratory for Ecology of Tropical Islands, College of Life Sciences, Hainan Normal University, Haikou 571158, China
| | - Cheng Cheng
- Hainan Forestry Research Institute, Haikou 571100, China
| | - Wei Liang
- Ministry of Education Key Laboratory for Ecology of Tropical Islands, College of Life Sciences, Hainan Normal University, Haikou 571158, China.
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10
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Golüke S, Bischof HJ, Engelmann J, Caspers BA, Mayer U. Social odour activates the hippocampal formation in zebra finches (Taeniopygia guttata). Behav Brain Res 2019; 364:41-49. [DOI: 10.1016/j.bbr.2019.02.013] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/17/2019] [Revised: 02/04/2019] [Accepted: 02/05/2019] [Indexed: 02/06/2023]
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12
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Red-legged partridges perceive the scent of predators and alarm scents of an avian heterospecific. Anim Behav 2018. [DOI: 10.1016/j.anbehav.2018.08.008] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/21/2022]
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13
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Maraci Ö, Engel K, Caspers BA. Olfactory Communication via Microbiota: What Is Known in Birds? Genes (Basel) 2018; 9:E387. [PMID: 30065222 PMCID: PMC6116157 DOI: 10.3390/genes9080387] [Citation(s) in RCA: 27] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/31/2018] [Revised: 07/27/2018] [Accepted: 07/27/2018] [Indexed: 12/11/2022] Open
Abstract
Animal bodies harbour a complex and diverse community of microorganisms and accumulating evidence has revealed that microbes can influence the hosts' behaviour, for example by altering body odours. Microbial communities produce odorant molecules as metabolic by-products and thereby modulate the biochemical signalling profiles of their animal hosts. As the diversity and the relative abundance of microbial species are influenced by several factors including host-specific factors, environmental factors and social interactions, there are substantial individual variations in the composition of microbial communities. In turn, the variations in microbial communities would consequently affect social and communicative behaviour by influencing recognition cues of the hosts. Therefore, microbiota studies have a great potential to expand our understanding of recognition of conspecifics, group members and kin. In this review, we aim to summarize existing knowledge of the factors influencing the microbial communities and the effect of microbiota on olfactory cue production and social and communicative behaviour. We concentrate on avian taxa, yet we also include recent research performed on non-avian species when necessary.
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Affiliation(s)
- Öncü Maraci
- Research Group Chemical Signalling, Department of Animal Behaviour, Bielefeld University, Konsequenz 45, 33615 Bielefeld, Germany.
| | - Kathrin Engel
- Research Group Chemical Signalling, Department of Animal Behaviour, Bielefeld University, Konsequenz 45, 33615 Bielefeld, Germany.
| | - Barbara A Caspers
- Research Group Chemical Signalling, Department of Animal Behaviour, Bielefeld University, Konsequenz 45, 33615 Bielefeld, Germany.
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14
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Fracasso G, Tuliozi B, Hoi H, Griggio M. Can house sparrows recognize familiar or kin-related individuals by scent? Curr Zool 2018; 65:53-59. [PMID: 30697238 PMCID: PMC6347097 DOI: 10.1093/cz/zoy018] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/09/2017] [Accepted: 02/27/2018] [Indexed: 11/12/2022] Open
Abstract
In the last decades, higher attention has been paid to olfactory perception in birds. As a consequence, a handful of avian species have been discovered to use olfaction in different contexts. Nevertheless, we still have a very limited knowledge about the use of odor cues in avian social life, particularly, in the case of songbirds. Here, we investigate if female house sparrows Passer domesticus show any preference for the odor of kin and nonkin conspecifics and we also test a possible role of familiarity based on male scent in female choice. We performed the experiment with captive birds twice, during the nonbreeding and breeding seasons. Our results show that female house sparrows strongly avoided the odor of unrelated familiar (UF) males, both in the breeding and nonbreeding seasons. Our results suggest recognition for olfactory stimuli related to familiarity and kinship. We suggest that avoidance for UF males is associated with previous experience in this species. Also, we provided further evidence to the use of olfaction in passerine species by using a new experimental setup.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gerardo Fracasso
- Evolutionary Ecology Group, Biology Department, University of Antwerp, Campus Drie Eiken, Universiteitsplein 1, Wilrijk, Belgium.,Department of Biology, University of Padova, Via U. Bassi 58/B, Padova, Italy, and
| | - Beniamino Tuliozi
- Department of Biology, University of Padova, Via U. Bassi 58/B, Padova, Italy, and
| | - Herbert Hoi
- Konrad Lorenz Institute of Ethology, Department of Integrative Biology and Evolution, University of Veterinary Medicine of Vienna, Savoyenstrasse 1/A, Vienna, Austria
| | - Matteo Griggio
- Department of Biology, University of Padova, Via U. Bassi 58/B, Padova, Italy, and
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15
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Krause ET, Bischof HJ, Engel K, Golüke S, Maraci Ö, Mayer U, Sauer J, Caspers BA. Olfaction in the Zebra Finch ( Taeniopygia guttata ): What Is Known and Further Perspectives. ADVANCES IN THE STUDY OF BEHAVIOR 2018. [DOI: 10.1016/bs.asb.2017.11.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/07/2023]
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16
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Caspers BA, Hagelin JC, Paul M, Bock S, Willeke S, Krause ET. Zebra Finch chicks recognise parental scent, and retain chemosensory knowledge of their genetic mother, even after egg cross-fostering. Sci Rep 2017; 7:12859. [PMID: 28993703 PMCID: PMC5634463 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-017-13110-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 34] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/12/2016] [Accepted: 09/19/2017] [Indexed: 01/20/2023] Open
Abstract
Mechanisms underlying parent-offspring recognition in birds have fascinated researchers for centuries. Yet, the possibility that chicks recognise parental odour at hatching has been completely overlooked, despite the fact that olfaction is one of the first sensory modalities to develop, and social chemosignals occur in avian taxa. Here we show that Zebra Finch chicks (Taeniopygia guttata) are capable of identifying parental odours at hatching. In our first experiment, chicks begged significantly longer in response to the odour of their genetic mother or father compared to the odour of a non-relative of the same sex and reproductive status. In a second experiment, we cross-fostered eggs and tested the response of hatchlings to the scent of genetic vs. foster parents. Chicks from cross-fostered eggs responded significantly more to the odour of their genetic mother than their foster mother, but exhibited no difference in response to genetic vs. foster fathers. This is the first evidence that embryonic altricial birds are capable of acquiring chemosensory knowledge of their parents during early development, and retain chemical familiarity with their genetic mother despite egg cross-fostering. Furthermore our data reveals that kin recognition in birds can develop without any association with a genetic parent at hatching.
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Affiliation(s)
- Barbara A Caspers
- Department of Animal Behaviour, Research Group Olfactory Communication, Bielefeld University, Morgenbreede 45, 33615, Bielefeld, Germany.
| | - Julie C Hagelin
- Institute of Arctic Biology, University of Alaska, Fairbanks, Alaska, 99775, USA
| | - Madeleine Paul
- Department of Animal Behaviour, Research Group Olfactory Communication, Bielefeld University, Morgenbreede 45, 33615, Bielefeld, Germany
| | - Sandra Bock
- Department of Animal Behaviour, Research Group Olfactory Communication, Bielefeld University, Morgenbreede 45, 33615, Bielefeld, Germany
| | - Sandra Willeke
- Department of Animal Behaviour, Research Group Olfactory Communication, Bielefeld University, Morgenbreede 45, 33615, Bielefeld, Germany
| | - E Tobias Krause
- Institute of Animal Welfare and Animal Husbandry, Friedrich-Loeffler-Institut, Dörnbergstr. 25-27, 29223, Celle, Germany
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17
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18
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Baran NM. Sensitive Periods, Vasotocin-Family Peptides, and the Evolution and Development of Social Behavior. Front Endocrinol (Lausanne) 2017; 8:189. [PMID: 28824549 PMCID: PMC5539493 DOI: 10.3389/fendo.2017.00189] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/16/2017] [Accepted: 07/19/2017] [Indexed: 01/15/2023] Open
Abstract
Nonapeptides, by modulating the activity of neural circuits in specific social contexts, provide an important mechanism underlying the evolution of diverse behavioral phenotypes across vertebrate taxa. Vasotocin-family nonapeptides, in particular, have been found to be involved in behavioral plasticity and diversity in social behavior, including seasonal variation, sexual dimorphism, and species differences. Although nonapeptides have been the focus of a great deal of research over the last several decades, the vast majority of this work has focused on adults. However, behavioral diversity may also be explained by the ways in which these peptides shape neural circuits and influence social processes during development. In this review, I synthesize comparative work on vasotocin-family peptides during development and classic work on early forms of social learning in developmental psychobiology. I also summarize recent work demonstrating that early life manipulations of the nonapeptide system alter attachment, affiliation, and vocal learning in zebra finches. I thus hypothesize that vasotocin-family peptides are involved in the evolution of social behaviors through their influence on learning during sensitive periods in social development.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nicole M. Baran
- Department of Psychology, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY, United States
- School of Biological Sciences, Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta, GA, United States
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19
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Rossi M, Marfull R, Golüke S, Komdeur J, Korsten P, Caspers BA. Begging blue tit nestlings discriminate between the odour of familiar and unfamiliar conspecifics. Funct Ecol 2017. [DOI: 10.1111/1365-2435.12886] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Marta Rossi
- Department of Animal Behaviour Bielefeld University Bielefeld Germany
- School of Life Sciences University of Sussex Falmer Brighton UK
| | - Reinaldo Marfull
- Behavioural Physiology and Ecology Groningen Institute for Evolutionary Life Sciences University of Groningen Groningen The Netherlands
| | - Sarah Golüke
- Department of Animal Behaviour Bielefeld University Bielefeld Germany
| | - Jan Komdeur
- Behavioural Physiology and Ecology Groningen Institute for Evolutionary Life Sciences University of Groningen Groningen The Netherlands
| | - Peter Korsten
- Department of Animal Behaviour Bielefeld University Bielefeld Germany
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20
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O'Neill G, Musto C, Gomez G. Chronic odorant exposure upregulates acquisition of functional properties in cultured embryonic chick olfactory sensory neurons. J Neurosci Res 2016; 95:1216-1224. [PMID: 27714890 DOI: 10.1002/jnr.23966] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/22/2016] [Revised: 09/22/2016] [Accepted: 09/23/2016] [Indexed: 01/30/2023]
Abstract
Neuronal development and differentiation is modulated by activity-dependent mechanisms that stimulate endogenous neurogenesis and differentiation to promote adaptive survival of the organism. Studies on bird odor imprinting have shown how sensory stimuli or environmental influences can affect neonatal behavior, presumably by remodeling the developing nervous system. It is unclear whether these changes originate from the sensory neurons themselves or from the brain. Thus, we attempted to address this by using an in vitro system to separate the peripheral neurons from their central connections. Olfactory neurons from embryonic day 17 Gallus domesticus chicks were isolated, cultured, and exposed to 100 µM amyl acetate or phenethyl alcohol in 12-hr bouts, alternated with periods of no-odor exposure. On days 4 and 5 in vitro, cells were immunostained for olfactory marker protein, neuron-specific tubulin, and olfactory GTP-binding protein, and tested for odorant sensitivity using calcium imaging. While odorant exposure did not result in a significant increase in the overall number of neurons, it promoted neuron differentiation: a larger proportion of odorant-exposed cells expressed olfactory marker protein and the olfactory GTP-binding protein. When cell responsiveness was tested using calcium imaging, a greater proportion of odorant-exposed cells responded to stimulation with 100 µM amyl acetate or phenethyl alcohol. Thus, odorant exposure during development modulated the developmental trajectories of individual neurons, resulting in changes in protein expression associated with odorant signaling. This suggests that the neuronal changes in the periphery have an important contribution to the overall long-term functional changes associated with odor imprinting. © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
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Affiliation(s)
- Grace O'Neill
- Biology Department, University of Scranton, Scranton, Pennsylvania.,Pennsylvania State College of Medicine, Hershey, Pennsylvania
| | - Christa Musto
- Biology Department, University of Scranton, Scranton, Pennsylvania.,University of Pittsburgh School of Dental Medicine, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
| | - George Gomez
- Biology Department, University of Scranton, Scranton, Pennsylvania
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21
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Lu Q, Wang K, Lei F, Yu D, Zhao H. Penguins reduced olfactory receptor genes common to other waterbirds. Sci Rep 2016; 6:31671. [PMID: 27527385 PMCID: PMC4985648 DOI: 10.1038/srep31671] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/23/2016] [Accepted: 07/26/2016] [Indexed: 12/21/2022] Open
Abstract
The sense of smell, or olfaction, is fundamental in the life of animals. However, penguins (Aves: Sphenisciformes) possess relatively small olfactory bulbs compared with most other waterbirds such as Procellariiformes and Gaviiformes. To test whether penguins have a reduced reliance on olfaction, we analyzed the draft genome sequences of the two penguins, which diverged at the origin of the order Sphenisciformes; we also examined six closely related species with available genomes, and identified 29 one-to-one orthologous olfactory receptor genes (i.e. ORs) that are putatively functionally conserved and important across the eight birds. To survey the 29 one-to-one orthologous ORs in penguins and their relatives, we newly generated 34 sequences that are missing from the draft genomes. Through the analysis of totaling 378 OR sequences, we found that, of these functionally important ORs common to other waterbirds, penguins have a significantly greater percentage of OR pseudogenes than other waterbirds, suggesting a reduction of olfactory capability. The penguin-specific reduction of olfactory capability arose in the common ancestor of penguins between 23 and 60 Ma, which may have resulted from the aquatic specializations for underwater vision. Our study provides genetic evidence for a possible reduction of reliance on olfaction in penguins.
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Affiliation(s)
- Qin Lu
- Department of Ecology, College of Life Sciences, Wuhan University, Wuhan 430072, China
| | - Kai Wang
- Department of Ecology, College of Life Sciences, Wuhan University, Wuhan 430072, China
| | - Fumin Lei
- Key Laboratory of Zoological Systematics and Evolution, Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100101, China
| | - Dan Yu
- Department of Ecology, College of Life Sciences, Wuhan University, Wuhan 430072, China
| | - Huabin Zhao
- Department of Ecology, College of Life Sciences, Wuhan University, Wuhan 430072, China
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Krause ET, Schrader L, Caspers BA. Olfaction in Chicken (Gallus gallus): A Neglected Mode of Social Communication? Front Ecol Evol 2016. [DOI: 10.3389/fevo.2016.00094] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
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Golüke S, Dörrenberg S, Krause ET, Caspers BA. Female Zebra Finches Smell Their Eggs. PLoS One 2016; 11:e0155513. [PMID: 27192061 PMCID: PMC4871452 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0155513] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/22/2016] [Accepted: 04/30/2016] [Indexed: 11/24/2022] Open
Abstract
Parental investment in unrelated offspring seems maladaptive from an evolutionary perspective, due to the costs of energy and resources that cannot be invested in related offspring at the same time. Therefore selection should favour mechanisms to discriminate between own and foreign offspring. In birds, much emphasis has been placed on understanding the visual mechanisms underlying egg recognition. However, olfactory egg recognition has almost been completely ignored. Here, we investigated whether female zebra finches (Taeniopygia guttata) are able to discriminate between their own and a conspecific egg based on olfactory cues alone. Zebra finches are colonial—breeding songbirds. Eggs are monomorphic, i.e. without any spotting pattern, and intraspecific brood parasitism frequently occurs. In a binary choice experiment, female zebra finches were given the choice between the scent of their own and a conspecific egg. After the onset of incubation, females chose randomly and showed no sign of discrimination. However, shortly before hatching, females preferred significantly the odour of their own egg. The finding that females are capable to smell their own egg may inspire more research on the potential of olfaction involved in egg recognition, especially in cases where visual cues might be limited.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sarah Golüke
- Research Group Olfactory Communication, Department of Animal Behaviour, Bielefeld University, Bielefeld, Germany
- * E-mail: (SG); (BAC)
| | - Sebastian Dörrenberg
- Research Group Olfactory Communication, Department of Animal Behaviour, Bielefeld University, Bielefeld, Germany
| | - E. Tobias Krause
- Friedrich-Loeffler Institut, Institute of Animal Welfare and Animal Husbandry, Celle, Germany
| | - Barbara A. Caspers
- Research Group Olfactory Communication, Department of Animal Behaviour, Bielefeld University, Bielefeld, Germany
- * E-mail: (SG); (BAC)
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Rastogi A, Surbhi, Malik S, Rani S, Kumar V. Annual life-history dependent seasonal differences in neural activity of the olfactory system between non-migratory and migratory songbirds. Behav Brain Res 2016; 296:233-239. [PMID: 26386306 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbr.2015.09.019] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/30/2015] [Revised: 09/09/2015] [Accepted: 09/14/2015] [Indexed: 10/23/2022]
Abstract
Present study investigated seasonal plasticity in neural activity of the olfactory system, and assessed whether this was influenced by differences in seasonal life-history states (LHSs) between the non-migratory and migratory birds. Brains of non-migratory Indian weaver birds and migratory redheaded buntings were processed for ZENK immunohistochemistry, a marker of neuronal activation, at the times of equinoxes (March, September) and solstices (June, December), which correspond with the periods of different seasonal LHSs during the year. Immunoreactivity was quantified in brain regions comprising the olfactory system viz. olfactory bulb (OB), anterior olfactory nucleus (AON), prepiriform cortex (CPP), lateral olfactory tract (LOT) and olfactory cortex (piriform cortex, CPI; lateral olfactory cortex, LOC). In weaver birds, ZENK-like immunoreactive (ZENK-lir) cells were significantly higher in all the brain areas during post-breeding season (September) than during the other seasons; OBs had higher neuronal activity in the breeding season (June), however. A similar neural activity pattern but at enhanced levels was found in migratory buntings almost all the year. These results for the first time show LHS-associated differences in the seasonal plasticity of a sensory system between the non-migratory and migratory songbirds.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ashutosh Rastogi
- DST-IRHPA Centre for Excellence in Biological Rhythms Research and IndoUS Centre for Biological Timing, Department of Zoology, University of Lucknow, Lucknow 226 007, India
| | - Surbhi
- DST-IRHPA Centre for Excellence in Biological Rhythms Research and IndoUS Centre for Biological Timing, Department of Zoology, University of Delhi, Delhi 110 007, India
| | - Shalie Malik
- DST-IRHPA Centre for Excellence in Biological Rhythms Research and IndoUS Centre for Biological Timing, Department of Zoology, University of Lucknow, Lucknow 226 007, India
| | - Sangeeta Rani
- DST-IRHPA Centre for Excellence in Biological Rhythms Research and IndoUS Centre for Biological Timing, Department of Zoology, University of Lucknow, Lucknow 226 007, India
| | - Vinod Kumar
- DST-IRHPA Centre for Excellence in Biological Rhythms Research and IndoUS Centre for Biological Timing, Department of Zoology, University of Delhi, Delhi 110 007, India.
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Ligout S, Dentressangle F, Mathevon N, Vignal C. Not for Parents Only: Begging Calls Allow Nest-Mate Discrimination in Juvenile Zebra Finches. Ethology 2015. [DOI: 10.1111/eth.12450] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Séverine Ligout
- Université de Lyon/Saint-Etienne; Neuro-PSI/ENES CNRS UMR 9197; Saint-Etienne France
| | - Fabrice Dentressangle
- Université de Lyon/Saint-Etienne; Neuro-PSI/ENES CNRS UMR 9197; Saint-Etienne France
| | - Nicolas Mathevon
- Université de Lyon/Saint-Etienne; Neuro-PSI/ENES CNRS UMR 9197; Saint-Etienne France
| | - Clémentine Vignal
- Université de Lyon/Saint-Etienne; Neuro-PSI/ENES CNRS UMR 9197; Saint-Etienne France
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Caspers BA, Hagelin J, Bock S, Krause ET. An Easy Method to Test Odour Recognition in Songbird Hatchlings. Ethology 2015. [DOI: 10.1111/eth.12400] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Affiliation(s)
| | - Julie Hagelin
- Institute of Arctic Biology; University of Alaska; Fairbanks AK USA
- Alaska Department of Fish and Game; Fairbanks AK USA
| | - Sandra Bock
- Department of Animal Behaviour; Bielefeld University; Bielefeld Germany
| | - E. Tobias Krause
- Department of Animal Behaviour; Bielefeld University; Bielefeld Germany
- Behavioural Ecology Group; Department of Animal Sciences; Wageningen University; Wageningen The Netherlands
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Caro SP, Balthazart J, Bonadonna F. The perfume of reproduction in birds: chemosignaling in avian social life. Horm Behav 2015; 68:25-42. [PMID: 24928570 PMCID: PMC4263688 DOI: 10.1016/j.yhbeh.2014.06.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 62] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/05/2014] [Revised: 06/02/2014] [Accepted: 06/03/2014] [Indexed: 11/23/2022]
Abstract
This article is part of a Special Issue "Chemosignals and Reproduction". Chemical cues were probably the first cues ever used to communicate and are still ubiquitous among living organisms. Birds have long been considered an exception: it was believed that birds were anosmic and relied on their acute visual and acoustic capabilities. Birds are however excellent smellers and use odors in various contexts including food searching, orientation, and also breeding. Successful reproduction in most vertebrates involves the exchange of complex social signals between partners. The first evidence for a role of olfaction in reproductive contexts in birds only dates back to the seventies, when ducks were shown to require a functional sense of smell to express normal sexual behaviors. Nowadays, even if the interest for olfaction in birds has largely increased, the role that bodily odors play in reproduction still remains largely understudied. The few available studies suggest that olfaction is involved in many reproductive stages. Odors have been shown to influence the choice and synchronization of partners, the choice of nest-building material or the care for the eggs and offspring. How this chemical information is translated at the physiological level mostly remains to be described, although available evidence suggests that, as in mammals, key reproductive brain areas like the medial preoptic nucleus are activated by relevant olfactory signals. Olfaction in birds receives increasing attention and novel findings are continuously published, but many exciting discoveries are still ahead of us, and could make birds one of the animal classes with the largest panel of developed senses ever described.
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Affiliation(s)
- Samuel P Caro
- Research Group in Behavioural Ecology, Department of Evolutionary Ecology, CEFE-CNRS (UMR 5175), Montpellier, France; Department of Animal Ecology, Netherlands Institute of Ecology (NIOO-KNAW), Wageningen, The Netherlands.
| | - Jacques Balthazart
- Research Group in Behavioral Neuroendocrinology, Center for Cellular and Molecular Neurobiology, University of Liège, Belgium
| | - Francesco Bonadonna
- Research Group in Behavioural Ecology, Department of Evolutionary Ecology, CEFE-CNRS (UMR 5175), Montpellier, France
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29
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Atoji Y, Wild JM. Efferent and afferent connections of the olfactory bulb and prepiriform cortex in the pigeon (Columba livia). J Comp Neurol 2014; 522:1728-52. [PMID: 24222632 DOI: 10.1002/cne.23504] [Citation(s) in RCA: 28] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/16/2013] [Revised: 11/04/2013] [Accepted: 11/07/2013] [Indexed: 11/07/2022]
Abstract
Although olfaction in birds is known to be involved in a variety of behaviors, there is comparatively little detailed information on the olfactory brain. In the pigeon brain, the olfactory bulb (OB) is known to project to the prepiriform cortex (CPP), piriform cortex (CPi), and dorsolateral corticoid area (CDL), which together are called the olfactory pallium, but centrifugal pathways to the OB have not been fully explored. Fiber connections of CPi and CDL have been reported, but those of other olfactory pallial nuclei remain unknown. The present study examines the fiber connections of OB and CPP in pigeons to provide a more detailed picture of their connections using tract-tracing methods. When anterograde and retrograde tracers were injected in OB, projections to a more extensive olfactory pallium were revealed, including the anterior olfactory nucleus, CPP, densocellular part of the hyperpallium, tenia tecta, hippocampal continuation, CPi, and CDL. OB projected commissural fibers to the contralateral OB but did not receive afferents from the contralateral olfactory pallium. When tracers were injected in CPP, reciprocal ipsilateral connections with OB and nuclei of the olfactory pallium were observed, and CPP projected to the caudolateral nidopallium and the limbic system, including the hippocampal formation, septum, lateral hypothalamic nucleus, and lateral mammillary nucleus. These results show that the connections of OB have a wider distribution throughout the olfactory pallium than previously thought and that CPP provides a centrifugal projection to the OB and acts as a relay station to the limbic system.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yasuro Atoji
- Laboratory of Veterinary Anatomy, Faculty of Applied Biological Sciences, Gifu University, Gifu, 501-1193, Japan
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Wascher CAF, Heiss RS, Baglione V, Canestrari D. Behavioural responses to olfactory cues in carrion crows. Behav Processes 2014; 111:1-5. [PMID: 25447513 DOI: 10.1016/j.beproc.2014.11.009] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/28/2014] [Revised: 10/03/2014] [Accepted: 11/10/2014] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Abstract
Until recently, the use of olfactory signals in birds has been largely ignored, despite the fact that birds do possess a fully functioning olfactory system and have been shown to use odours in social and foraging tasks, predator detection and orientation. The present study investigates whether carrion crows (Corvus corone corone), a bird species living in complex social societies, respond behaviourally to olfactory cues of conspecifics. During our experiment, carrion crows were observed less often close to the conspecific scent compared to a control side. Because conspecific scent was extracted during handling, a stressful procedure for birds, we interpreted the general avoidance of the 'scent' side as disfavour against a stressed conspecific. However, males, unlike females, showed less avoidance towards the scent of a familiar individual compared to an unfamiliar one, which might reflect a stronger interest in the information conveyed and/or willingness to provide social support.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Rebecca S Heiss
- Department of Biology, South Carolina Governor's School for Science and Mathematics, Hartsville, SC, USA
| | - Vittorio Baglione
- Departamento de Ciencias Agro-Forestales, University of Valladolid, Spain
| | - Daniela Canestrari
- Unidad Mixta de Investigación en Biodiversidad, Campus de Mieres, University of Oviedo, Spain
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Amo L, Tomás G, Parejo D, Avilés JM. Are female starlings able to recognize the scent of their offspring? PLoS One 2014; 9:e109505. [PMID: 25299305 PMCID: PMC4192304 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0109505] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/11/2014] [Accepted: 09/03/2014] [Indexed: 12/02/2022] Open
Abstract
Background Although there is growing evidence that birds may have individual chemical profiles that can function in several social contexts, offspring recognition based on olfactory cues has never been explored. This ability should be more likely evolved in colonial birds and/or species suffering brood parasitism, in which the risk of being engaged in costly misdirected parental care is high. Methodology/Principal Findings We performed a choice experiment to examine whether females of the spotless starling, Sturnus unicolor, a species that is colonial, and where a fraction of the population is exposed to intraspecific brood parasitism, can discriminate between the scent of their offspring and that of unrelated nestlings. We also explored whether the development of the uropygial gland secretion may play a role in such olfactory discrimination by performing the choice experiments to females rearing nestlings of two different ages, that is, without and with developed uropygial glands. Results showed that female starlings did not preferentially choose the scent of their offspring, independently of whether the gland of nestlings was developed or not. Conclusions/Significance Our results suggest that female starlings do not have or do not show the ability to distinguish their offspring based on olfaction, at least up to 12–14 days of nestling age. Further research is needed to examine whether odour-based discrimination may function when fledgling starlings leave the nest and the risk of costly misidentification is likely to increase.
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Affiliation(s)
- Luisa Amo
- Departamento de Ecología Funcional y Evolutiva, Estación Experimental de Zonas Áridas (CSIC), La Cañada de San Urbano, Almería, Spain
- * E-mail:
| | - Gustavo Tomás
- Departamento de Ecología Funcional y Evolutiva, Estación Experimental de Zonas Áridas (CSIC), La Cañada de San Urbano, Almería, Spain
| | - Deseada Parejo
- Departamento de Ecología Funcional y Evolutiva, Estación Experimental de Zonas Áridas (CSIC), La Cañada de San Urbano, Almería, Spain
| | - Jesús Miguel Avilés
- Departamento de Ecología Funcional y Evolutiva, Estación Experimental de Zonas Áridas (CSIC), La Cañada de San Urbano, Almería, Spain
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32
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Differences in olfactory species recognition in the females of two Australian songbird species. Behav Ecol Sociobiol 2014. [DOI: 10.1007/s00265-014-1791-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/15/2022]
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Zhang YH, Du YF, Zhang JX. Uropygial gland volatiles facilitate species recognition between two sympatric sibling bird species. Behav Ecol 2013. [DOI: 10.1093/beheco/art068] [Citation(s) in RCA: 28] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
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34
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Caspers BA, Hoffman JI, Kohlmeier P, Krüger O, Krause ET. Olfactory imprinting as a mechanism for nest odour recognition in zebra finches. Anim Behav 2013. [DOI: 10.1016/j.anbehav.2013.04.015] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/26/2022]
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35
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Hicks RE, Larned A, Borgia G. Bower paint removal leads to reduced female visits, suggesting bower paint functions as a chemical signal. Anim Behav 2013. [DOI: 10.1016/j.anbehav.2013.03.007] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/27/2022]
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36
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Ikebuchi M, Nanbu S, Okanoya K, Suzuki R, Bischof HJ. Very Early Development of Nucleus Taeniae of the Amygdala. BRAIN, BEHAVIOR AND EVOLUTION 2013; 81:12-26. [DOI: 10.1159/000342785] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/07/2011] [Accepted: 08/21/2012] [Indexed: 02/02/2023]
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Bonadonna F, Sanz-Aguilar A. Kin recognition and inbreeding avoidance in wild birds: the first evidence for individual kin-related odour recognition. Anim Behav 2012. [DOI: 10.1016/j.anbehav.2012.06.014] [Citation(s) in RCA: 52] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/28/2022]
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39
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Zidar J, Løvlie H. Scent of the enemy: behavioural responses to predator faecal odour in the fowl. Anim Behav 2012. [DOI: 10.1016/j.anbehav.2012.06.006] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/28/2022]
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Are olfactory cues involved in nest recognition in two social species of estrildid finches? PLoS One 2012; 7:e36615. [PMID: 22574196 PMCID: PMC3344906 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0036615] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/04/2011] [Accepted: 04/11/2012] [Indexed: 11/26/2022] Open
Abstract
Reliably recognizing their own nest provides parents with a necessary skill to invest time and resources efficiently in raising their offspring and thereby maximising their own reproductive success. Studies investigating nest recognition in adult birds have focused mainly on visual cues of the nest or the nest site and acoustic cues of the nestlings. To determine whether adult songbirds also use olfaction for nest recognition, we investigated the use of olfactory nest cues for two estrildid finch species, zebra finches (Taeniopygia guttata) and Bengalese finches (Lonchura striata var. domestica) during the nestling and fledgling phase of their offspring. We found similar behavioural responses to nest odours in both songbird species. Females preferred the odour of their own nest over a control and avoided the foreign conspecific nest scent over a control during the nestling phase of their offspring, but when given the own odour and the foreign conspecific odour simultaneously we did not find a preference for the own nest odour. Males of both species did not show any preferences at all. The behavioural reaction to any nest odour decreased after fledging of the offspring. Our results show that only females show a behavioural response to olfactory nest cues, indicating that the use of olfactory cues for nest recognition seems to be sex-specific and dependent on the developmental stage of the offspring. Although estrildid finches are known to use visual and acoustic cues for nest recognition, the similar behavioural pattern of both species indicates that at least females gain additional information by olfactory nest cues during the nestling phase of their offspring. Thus olfactory cues might be important in general, even in situations in which visual and acoustic cues are known to be sufficient.
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Amo L, Avilés JM, Parejo D, Peña A, Rodríguez J, Tomás G. Sex recognition by odour and variation in the uropygial gland secretion in starlings. J Anim Ecol 2012; 81:605-13. [PMID: 22220811 DOI: 10.1111/j.1365-2656.2011.01940.x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 66] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/01/2022]
Abstract
1. Although a growing body of evidence supports that olfaction based on chemical compounds emitted by birds may play a role in individual recognition, the possible role of chemical cues in sexual selection of birds has been only preliminarily studied. 2. We investigated for the first time whether a passerine bird, the spotless starling Sturnus unicolor, was able to discriminate the sex of conspecifics by using olfactory cues and whether the size and secretion composition of the uropygial gland convey information on sex, age and reproductive status in this species. 3. We performed a blind choice experiment during mating, and we found that starlings were able to discriminate the sex of conspecifics by using chemical cues alone. Both male and female starlings preferred male scents. Furthermore, the analysis of the chemical composition of the uropygial gland secretion by using gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS) revealed differences between sexes, ages and reproductive status. 4. In conclusion, our study reveals for first time that a passerine species can discriminate the sex of conspecifics by relying on chemical cues and suggests that the uropygial gland secretion may potentially function as a chemical signal used in mate choice and/or intrasexual competition in this species.
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Affiliation(s)
- Luisa Amo
- Departamento de Ecología Funcional y Evolutiva, Estación Experimental de Zonas Áridas (CSIC), Carretera de Sacramento s/n, E-04120, La Cañada de San Urbano, Almería, Spain.
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42
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Krause ET, Krüger O, Kohlmeier P, Caspers BA. Olfactory kin recognition in a songbird. Biol Lett 2012; 8:327-9. [PMID: 22219391 DOI: 10.1098/rsbl.2011.1093] [Citation(s) in RCA: 105] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/12/2022] Open
Abstract
The ability to recognize close relatives in order to cooperate or to avoid inbreeding is widespread across all taxa. One accepted mechanism for kin recognition in birds is associative learning of visual or acoustic cues. However, how could individuals ever learn to recognize unfamiliar kin? Here, we provide the first evidence for a novel mechanism of kin recognition in birds. Zebra finch (Taeniopygia guttata) fledglings are able to distinguish between kin and non-kin based on olfactory cues alone. Since olfactory cues are likely to be genetically based, this finding establishes a neglected mechanism of kin recognition in birds, particularly in songbirds, with potentially far-reaching consequences for both kin selection and inbreeding avoidance.
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Affiliation(s)
- E Tobias Krause
- Department of Animal Behaviour, Bielefeld University, Bielefeld, Germany
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Coffin HR, Watters JV, Mateo JM. Odor-based recognition of familiar and related conspecifics: a first test conducted on captive Humboldt penguins (Spheniscus humboldti). PLoS One 2011; 6:e25002. [PMID: 21957471 PMCID: PMC3177858 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0025002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 53] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/04/2011] [Accepted: 08/25/2011] [Indexed: 11/26/2022] Open
Abstract
Studies of kin recognition in birds have largely focused on parent-offspring recognition using auditory or visual discrimination. Recent studies indicate that birds use odors during social and familial interactions and possibly for mate choice, suggesting olfactory cues may mediate kin recognition as well. Here, we show that Humboldt penguins (Spheniscus humboldti), a natally philopatric species with lifetime monogamy, discriminate between familiar and unfamiliar non-kin odors (using prior association) and between unfamiliar kin and non-kin odors (using phenotype matching). Penguins preferred familiar non-kin odors, which may be associated with the recognition of nest mates and colony mates and with locating burrows at night after foraging. In tests of kin recognition, penguins preferred unfamiliar non-kin odors. Penguins may have perceived non-kin odors as novel because they did not match the birds' recognition templates. Phenotype matching is likely the primary mechanism for kin recognition within the colony to avoid inbreeding. To our knowledge this is the first study to provide evidence of odor-based kin discrimination in a bird.
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Affiliation(s)
- Heather R. Coffin
- Institute for Mind and Biology, The University of Chicago, Chicago, Illinois, United States of America
| | - Jason V. Watters
- Committee on Evolutionary Biology, The University of Chicago, Chicago, Illinois, United States of America
- Chicago Zoological Society, Brookfield, Illinois, United States of America
| | - Jill M. Mateo
- Institute for Mind and Biology, The University of Chicago, Chicago, Illinois, United States of America
- Committee on Evolutionary Biology, The University of Chicago, Chicago, Illinois, United States of America
- * E-mail:
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Whittaker DJ, Richmond KM, Miller AK, Kiley R, Bergeon Burns C, Atwell JW, Ketterson ED. Intraspecific preen oil odor preferences in dark-eyed juncos (Junco hyemalis). Behav Ecol 2011. [DOI: 10.1093/beheco/arr122] [Citation(s) in RCA: 67] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
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Célérier A, Bon C, Malapert A, Palmas P, Bonadonna F. Chemical kin label in seabirds. Biol Lett 2011; 7:807-10. [PMID: 21525047 DOI: 10.1098/rsbl.2011.0340] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Chemical signals yield critical socio-ecological information in many animals, such as species, identity, social status or sex, but have been poorly investigated in birds. Recent results showed that chemical signals are used to recognize their nest and partner by some petrel seabirds whose olfactory anatomy is well developed and which possess a life-history propitious to olfactory-mediated behaviours. Here, we investigate whether blue petrels (Halobaena caerulea) produce some chemical labels potentially involved in kin recognition and inbreeding avoidance. To overcome methodological constraints of chemical analysis and field behavioural experiments, we used an indirect behavioural approach, based on mice olfactory abilities in discriminating odours. We showed that mice (i) can detect odour differences between individual petrels, (ii) perceive a high odour similarity between a chick and its parents, and (iii) perceive this similarity only before fledging but not during the nestling developmental stage. Our results confirm the existence of an individual olfactory signature in blue petrels and show for the first time, to our knowledge, that birds may exhibit an olfactory kin label, which may have strong implications for inbreeding avoidance.
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Affiliation(s)
- Aurélie Célérier
- Department of Biology-Ecology, University of Montpellier II, Montpellier, France.
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