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Volatile odours reflect breeding status but not social group membership in captive Damaraland mole-rats

Hazel Nichols Orcid Logo, Barbara A. Caspers Orcid Logo, Kevin Arbuckle Orcid Logo, Nigel C. Bennett Orcid Logo, Joseph I. Hoffman Orcid Logo

Animal Behaviour, Start page: 123015

Swansea University Authors: Hazel Nichols Orcid Logo, Kevin Arbuckle Orcid Logo

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DOI (Published version): 10.1016/j.anbehav.2024.10.029

Abstract

In mammals, olfaction plays a key role in social behaviour, for example in identifying mating opportunities and potential rivals. However, we still have a limited understanding of how social information is encoded in animal odours, including the social determinants of chemical similarity and diversi...

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Published in: Animal Behaviour
ISSN: 0003-3472
Published: Elsevier BV 2024
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URI: https://cronfa.swan.ac.uk/Record/cronfa67713
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spelling 2025-01-16T15:52:20.0183870 v2 67713 2024-09-18 Volatile odours reflect breeding status but not social group membership in captive Damaraland mole-rats 43ba12986bd7754484874c73eed0ebfe 0000-0002-4455-6065 Hazel Nichols Hazel Nichols true false d1775d20b12e430869cc7be5d7d4a27e 0000-0002-9171-5874 Kevin Arbuckle Kevin Arbuckle true false 2024-09-18 BGPS In mammals, olfaction plays a key role in social behaviour, for example in identifying mating opportunities and potential rivals. However, we still have a limited understanding of how social information is encoded in animal odours, including the social determinants of chemical similarity and diversity. Here, we used gas chromatography to analyse the chemical composition of swabs taken from the facial and anogenital regions of Damaraland mole-rats (Fukomys damarensis), a highly social subterranean mammal that relies almost exclusively on olfactory and tactile social cues. We found no sign of individual identity across the two body areas sampled; samples from the facial region and samples of the anogenital region from the same individual were not similar to each other, suggesting that these regions carry different information. However, chemical profiles varied significantly by sex and breeding status; female breeders differed from non-breeders in their anogenital profiles, but had higher chemical diversity in their facial profiles compared to both males and non-breeders. Interestingly, we found no signals of social group identity. Instead, individual identity may be conveyed through signature mixes that are learned through frequent contact, rather than through specific odours associated with genetic kinship or social group membership. Our results highlight the complexity of chemical communication systems in social species, and suggest that signals of group-level identity are not necessary for behavioural responses based on group-membership. Journal Article Animal Behaviour 0 123015 Elsevier BV 0003-3472 chemical communication; infochemical; mole-rat; olfaction; scent communication 13 12 2024 2024-12-13 10.1016/j.anbehav.2024.10.029 COLLEGE NANME Biosciences Geography and Physics School COLLEGE CODE BGPS Swansea University SU Library paid the OA fee (TA Institutional Deal) This work was supported by an Alexander von Humboldt Foundation Research Fellowship (awarded to HJN), a Leverhulme Trust International Fellowship (grant reference: IAF-2018-006; awarded to HJN) and a University of Pretoria Staff Exchange Bursary (awarded to HJN and NCB). 2025-01-16T15:52:20.0183870 2024-09-18T11:03:44.6476883 Faculty of Science and Engineering School of Biosciences, Geography and Physics - Biosciences Hazel Nichols 0000-0002-4455-6065 1 Barbara A. Caspers 0000-0002-4380-0476 2 Kevin Arbuckle 0000-0002-9171-5874 3 Nigel C. Bennett 0000-0001-9748-2947 4 Joseph I. Hoffman 0000-0001-5895-8949 5 67713__32734__2769a685194d4dd8a36b4467db9a3ab8.pdf 67713.AAM.pdf 2024-10-28T10:06:32.9129967 Output 6041472 application/pdf Accepted Manuscript true 2024-11-28T00:00:00.0000000 Author accepted manuscript document released under the terms of a Creative Commons CC-BY licence using the Swansea University Research Publications Policy (rights retention). true eng https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/deed.en 67713__32735__a383a2e848d443a7a662320a5c91e120.pdf 67713.Supplementary.pdf 2024-10-28T10:07:16.6188237 Output 197863 application/pdf Supplemental material true 2024-11-28T00:00:00.0000000 Released under the terms of a Creative Commons CC-BY licence using the Swansea University Research Publications Policy (rights retention). true eng https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/deed.en
title Volatile odours reflect breeding status but not social group membership in captive Damaraland mole-rats
spellingShingle Volatile odours reflect breeding status but not social group membership in captive Damaraland mole-rats
Hazel Nichols
Kevin Arbuckle
title_short Volatile odours reflect breeding status but not social group membership in captive Damaraland mole-rats
title_full Volatile odours reflect breeding status but not social group membership in captive Damaraland mole-rats
title_fullStr Volatile odours reflect breeding status but not social group membership in captive Damaraland mole-rats
title_full_unstemmed Volatile odours reflect breeding status but not social group membership in captive Damaraland mole-rats
title_sort Volatile odours reflect breeding status but not social group membership in captive Damaraland mole-rats
author_id_str_mv 43ba12986bd7754484874c73eed0ebfe
d1775d20b12e430869cc7be5d7d4a27e
author_id_fullname_str_mv 43ba12986bd7754484874c73eed0ebfe_***_Hazel Nichols
d1775d20b12e430869cc7be5d7d4a27e_***_Kevin Arbuckle
author Hazel Nichols
Kevin Arbuckle
author2 Hazel Nichols
Barbara A. Caspers
Kevin Arbuckle
Nigel C. Bennett
Joseph I. Hoffman
format Journal article
container_title Animal Behaviour
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container_start_page 123015
publishDate 2024
institution Swansea University
issn 0003-3472
doi_str_mv 10.1016/j.anbehav.2024.10.029
publisher Elsevier BV
college_str Faculty of Science and Engineering
hierarchytype
hierarchy_top_id facultyofscienceandengineering
hierarchy_top_title Faculty of Science and Engineering
hierarchy_parent_id facultyofscienceandengineering
hierarchy_parent_title Faculty of Science and Engineering
department_str School of Biosciences, Geography and Physics - Biosciences{{{_:::_}}}Faculty of Science and Engineering{{{_:::_}}}School of Biosciences, Geography and Physics - Biosciences
document_store_str 0
active_str 0
description In mammals, olfaction plays a key role in social behaviour, for example in identifying mating opportunities and potential rivals. However, we still have a limited understanding of how social information is encoded in animal odours, including the social determinants of chemical similarity and diversity. Here, we used gas chromatography to analyse the chemical composition of swabs taken from the facial and anogenital regions of Damaraland mole-rats (Fukomys damarensis), a highly social subterranean mammal that relies almost exclusively on olfactory and tactile social cues. We found no sign of individual identity across the two body areas sampled; samples from the facial region and samples of the anogenital region from the same individual were not similar to each other, suggesting that these regions carry different information. However, chemical profiles varied significantly by sex and breeding status; female breeders differed from non-breeders in their anogenital profiles, but had higher chemical diversity in their facial profiles compared to both males and non-breeders. Interestingly, we found no signals of social group identity. Instead, individual identity may be conveyed through signature mixes that are learned through frequent contact, rather than through specific odours associated with genetic kinship or social group membership. Our results highlight the complexity of chemical communication systems in social species, and suggest that signals of group-level identity are not necessary for behavioural responses based on group-membership.
published_date 2024-12-13T20:47:41Z
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