1
|
Miaretsoa L, Torti V, Petroni F, Valente D, De Gregorio C, Ratsimbazafy J, Carosi M, Giacoma C, Gamba M. Behavioural Correlates of Lemur Scent-Marking in Wild Diademed Sifakas ( Propithecus diadema) in the Maromizaha Forest (Madagascar). Animals (Basel) 2023; 13:2848. [PMID: 37760248 PMCID: PMC10525727 DOI: 10.3390/ani13182848] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/28/2023] [Revised: 08/31/2023] [Accepted: 09/05/2023] [Indexed: 09/29/2023] Open
Abstract
Scent-marking through odours from excreta and glandular secretions is widespread in mammals. Among primates, diurnal group-living lemurs show different deployment modalities as part of their strategy to increase signal detection. We studied the diademed sifaka (Propithecus diadema) in the Maromizaha New Protected Area, Eastern Madagascar. We tested whether the scent-marking deposition occurred using a sequential rubbing of different body parts. We also tested if glands (i.e., deposition of glandular secretions) were more frequently rubbed than genital orifices (i.e., deposition of excreta) by comparing different kinds of rubbing behaviour. We then investigated if the depositor's rank and sex affected the sequence of rubbing behaviour, the height at which the scent-marking happened, and the tree part targeted. We found that glandular secretions were often deposited with urine, especially in dominant individuals. The probability of anogenital and chest marking was highest, but chest rubbing most frequently occurred in dominant males. Markings were deposited at similar heights across age and sex, and tree trunks were the most used substrate. Males exhibited long and more complex scent-marking sequences than females. Our results indirectly support the idea that diademed sifakas deploy a sex-dimorphic mixture of glandular secretions and excreta to increase the probability of signal detection by conspecifics.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Longondraza Miaretsoa
- Department of Life Sciences and Systems Biology, University of Torino, 10123 Torino, Italy (D.V.)
- Groupe d’Étude et de Recherche sur les Primates de Madagascar (GERP), Fort Duchesne, Antananarivo 101, Madagascar
| | - Valeria Torti
- Department of Life Sciences and Systems Biology, University of Torino, 10123 Torino, Italy (D.V.)
| | - Flavia Petroni
- Department of Sciences, Roma Tre University, 00146 Rome, Italy (M.C.)
| | - Daria Valente
- Department of Life Sciences and Systems Biology, University of Torino, 10123 Torino, Italy (D.V.)
| | - Chiara De Gregorio
- Department of Life Sciences and Systems Biology, University of Torino, 10123 Torino, Italy (D.V.)
| | - Jonah Ratsimbazafy
- Groupe d’Étude et de Recherche sur les Primates de Madagascar (GERP), Fort Duchesne, Antananarivo 101, Madagascar
| | - Monica Carosi
- Department of Sciences, Roma Tre University, 00146 Rome, Italy (M.C.)
| | - Cristina Giacoma
- Department of Life Sciences and Systems Biology, University of Torino, 10123 Torino, Italy (D.V.)
| | - Marco Gamba
- Department of Life Sciences and Systems Biology, University of Torino, 10123 Torino, Italy (D.V.)
| |
Collapse
|
2
|
Miaretsoa L, Cascella A, Vadàla L, Valente D, De Gregorio C, Torti V, Norscia I, Ratsimbazafy J, Friard O, Giacoma C, Gamba M. Marking Versus Overmarking: Spatial and Behavioral Patterns of Scent Marking in Wild Diademed Sifaka (Propithecus diadema). INT J PRIMATOL 2022. [DOI: 10.1007/s10764-022-00292-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/23/2022]
Abstract
AbstractIn mammals, olfactory communication plays an essential role in territorial and mating dynamics. Scent depositions in various species, including lemurs, can be placed via marking or overmarking (marking over previous depositions). We focused on the role that marking and overmarking play in territorial defence and intrasexual competition. We investigated these aspects in diademed sifaka (Propithecus diadema) in the primary rainforest of Maromizaha (eastern Madagascar). We collected scent marking data for five groups from April to November 2018 and from May to December 2019. We aimed to understand whether the lemurs deposited scent marks homogeneously across the home range and whether sex, rank, and occurrence of intergroup encounters affected the lemur’s deposition rate. We also asked whether males overmarked adult females more often than other depositions, and the marking and overmarking rates changed between the migration and non-migration seasons. We found that scent marking was performed higher in peripheral and overlapping areas than in the home range central areas. In addition, males had higher scent marking rates, but intergroup encounters did not affect deposition rates. Males showed higher rates of overmarking and primarily targeted dominant females’ depositions, particularly during the “migration” season (including premating and mating seasons). Our findings suggest a border-marking strategy in Propithecus diadema. More frequent scent marking in the “migration” season suggests intrasexual competition in males. Our results suggest that marking is associated with territorial and resource defence, suggesting that it plays a role in monopolizing females using a mate-guarding strategy and may also serve for males’ self-advertisement to females and subordinate depositors.
Collapse
|
3
|
Rudolph K, Schneider D, Fichtel C, Daniel R, Heistermann M, Kappeler PM. Drivers of gut microbiome variation within and between groups of a wild Malagasy primate. MICROBIOME 2022; 10:28. [PMID: 35139921 PMCID: PMC8827170 DOI: 10.1186/s40168-021-01223-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/11/2021] [Accepted: 12/20/2021] [Indexed: 05/12/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Various aspects of sociality can benefit individuals' health. The host social environment and its relative contributions to the host-microbiome relationship have emerged as key topics in microbial research. Yet, understanding the mechanisms that lead to structural variation in the social microbiome, the collective microbial metacommunity of an animal's social network, remains difficult since multiple processes operate simultaneously within and among animal social networks. Here, we examined the potential drivers of the convergence of the gut microbiome on multiple scales among and within seven neighbouring groups of wild Verreaux's sifakas (Propithecus verreauxi) - a folivorous primate of Madagascar. RESULTS Over four field seasons, we collected 519 faecal samples of 41 animals and determined gut communities via 16S and 18S rRNA gene amplicon analyses. First, we examined whether group members share more similar gut microbiota and if diet, home range overlap, or habitat similarity drive between-group variation in gut communities, accounting for seasonality. Next, we examined within-group variation in gut microbiota by examining the potential effects of social contact rates, male rank, and maternal relatedness. To explore the host intrinsic effects on the gut community structure, we investigated age, sex, faecal glucocorticoid metabolites, and female reproductive state. We found that group members share more similar gut microbiota and differ in alpha diversity, while none of the environmental predictors explained the patterns of between-group variation. Maternal relatedness played an important role in within-group microbial homogeneity and may also explain why adult group members shared the least similar gut microbiota. Also, dominant males differed in their bacterial composition from their group mates, which might be driven by rank-related differences in physiology and scent-marking behaviours. Links to sex, female reproductive state, or faecal glucocorticoid metabolites were not detected. CONCLUSIONS Environmental factors define the general set-up of population-specific gut microbiota, but intrinsic and social factors have a stronger impact on gut microbiome variation in this primate species. Video abstract.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Katja Rudolph
- Behavioral Ecology & Sociobiology Unit, German Primate Center, Leibniz Institute for Primate Research, Kellnerweg 4, 37077, Göttingen, Germany.
- Department of Sociobiology/Anthropology, Johann-Friedrich-Blumenbach Institute of Zoology and Anthropology, Georg-August University Göttingen, Kellnerweg 6, 37077, Göttingen, Germany.
- Leibniz Science Campus "Primate Cognition", Göttingen, Germany.
| | - Dominik Schneider
- Genomic and Applied Microbiology and Göttingen Genomics Laboratory, Institute of Microbiology and Genetics, Georg-August University Göttingen, Grisebachstraße 8, 37077, Göttingen, Germany
| | - Claudia Fichtel
- Behavioral Ecology & Sociobiology Unit, German Primate Center, Leibniz Institute for Primate Research, Kellnerweg 4, 37077, Göttingen, Germany
- Leibniz Science Campus "Primate Cognition", Göttingen, Germany
| | - Rolf Daniel
- Genomic and Applied Microbiology and Göttingen Genomics Laboratory, Institute of Microbiology and Genetics, Georg-August University Göttingen, Grisebachstraße 8, 37077, Göttingen, Germany
| | - Michael Heistermann
- Endocrinology Laboratory, German Primate Center, Leibniz Institute for Primate Research, Kellnerweg 4, 37077, Göttingen, Germany
| | - Peter M Kappeler
- Behavioral Ecology & Sociobiology Unit, German Primate Center, Leibniz Institute for Primate Research, Kellnerweg 4, 37077, Göttingen, Germany
- Department of Sociobiology/Anthropology, Johann-Friedrich-Blumenbach Institute of Zoology and Anthropology, Georg-August University Göttingen, Kellnerweg 6, 37077, Göttingen, Germany
- Leibniz Science Campus "Primate Cognition", Göttingen, Germany
| |
Collapse
|
4
|
Burger D, Meuwly C, Thomas S, Sieme H, Oberthür M, Wedekind C, Meinecke-Tillmann S. Cycle-specific female preferences for visual and non-visual cues in the horse (Equus caballus). PLoS One 2018; 13:e0191845. [PMID: 29466358 PMCID: PMC5842875 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0191845] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/21/2016] [Accepted: 01/12/2018] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Although female preferences are well studied in many mammals, the possible effects of the oestrous cycle are not yet sufficiently understood. Here we investigate female preferences for visual and non-visual male traits relative to the periodically cycling of sexual proceptivity (oestrus) and inactivity (dioestrus), respectively, in the polygynous horse (Equus caballus). We individually exposed mares to stallions in four experimental situations: (i) mares in oestrus and visual contact to stallions allowed, (ii) mares in oestrus, with blinds (wooden partitions preventing visual contact but allowing for acoustic and olfactory communication), (iii) mares in dioestrus, no blinds, and (iv) mares in dioestrus, with blinds. Contact times of the mares with each stallion, defined as the cumulative amount of time a mare was in the vicinity of an individual stallion and actively searching contact, were used to rank stallions according to each mare’s preferences. We found that preferences based on visual traits differed significantly from preferences based on non-visual traits in dioestrous mares. The mares then showed a preference for older and larger males, but only if visual cues were available. In contrast, oestrous mares showed consistent preferences with or without blinds, i.e. their preferences were mainly based on non-visual traits and could not be predicted by male age or size. Stallions who were generally preferred displayed a high libido that may have positively influenced female interest or may have been a consequence of it. We conclude that the oestrous cycle has a significant influence on female preferences for visual and non-visual male traits in the horse.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Dominik Burger
- Swiss Institute of Equine Medicine ISME, University of Berne, and Agroscope, Avenches, Switzerland
- * E-mail:
| | - Charles Meuwly
- Swiss Institute of Equine Medicine ISME, University of Berne, and Agroscope, Avenches, Switzerland
| | - Selina Thomas
- Swiss Institute of Equine Medicine ISME, University of Berne, and Agroscope, Avenches, Switzerland
| | - Harald Sieme
- Unit for Reproductive Medicine–Clinic for Horses, University of Veterinary Medicine Hannover, Hanover, Germany
| | - Michael Oberthür
- Institute for Reproductive Biology, University of Veterinary Medicine Hannover, Hanover, Germany
| | - Claus Wedekind
- Department of Ecology and Evolution, Biophore, University of Lausanne, Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Sabine Meinecke-Tillmann
- Institute for Reproductive Biology, University of Veterinary Medicine Hannover, Hanover, Germany
| |
Collapse
|
5
|
Individual, social, and sexual niche traits affect copulation success in a polygynandrous mating system. Behav Ecol Sociobiol 2016. [DOI: 10.1007/s00265-016-2112-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/22/2022]
|
6
|
Drea CM. D'scent of man: a comparative survey of primate chemosignaling in relation to sex. Horm Behav 2015; 68:117-33. [PMID: 25118943 DOI: 10.1016/j.yhbeh.2014.08.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 88] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/28/2014] [Revised: 07/29/2014] [Accepted: 08/01/2014] [Indexed: 11/24/2022]
Abstract
This article is part of a Special Issue (Chemosignals and Reproduction). As highly visual animals, primates, in general, and Old World species (including humans), in particular, are not immediately recognized for reliance in their daily interactions on olfactory communication. Nevertheless, views on primate olfactory acuity and the pervasiveness of their scent signaling are changing, with increased appreciation for the important role of body odors in primate social and sexual behavior. All major taxonomic groups, from lemurs to humans, are endowed with scent-producing organs, and either deposit or exude a wealth of volatile compounds, many of which are known semiochemicals. This review takes a comparative perspective to illustrate the reproductive context of primate signaling, the relevant information content of their signals, the sexually differentiated investigative responses generated, and the behavioral or physiological consequences of message transmission to both signaler and receiver. Throughout, humans are placed alongside their relatives to illustrate the evolutionary continuum in the sexual selection of primate chemosignals. This ever-growing body of evidence points to a critical role of scent in guiding the social behavior and reproductive function throughout the primate order.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Christine M Drea
- Department of Evolutionary Anthropology, Duke University, Durham, NC 27708-0383, USA; Department of Biology, Duke University, Durham, NC 27708-0383, USA.
| |
Collapse
|