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Histological analysis of scent glands in banded mongooses, with implications for chemical communication

Megan Nicholl, N. Schubert, A. K. O. Alstrup, O. L. Nielsen, F. Höner, J. I. Hoffman, B. A. Caspers, O. Krüger, B. Spittau, Hazel Nichols Orcid Logo, J. C. Winternitz Orcid Logo

Journal of Zoology

Swansea University Authors: Megan Nicholl, Hazel Nichols Orcid Logo

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DOI (Published version): 10.1111/jzo.70081

Abstract

Chemical communication is the most ancient and widespread form of communication. In many species, specialised structures called scent glands have evolved to facilitate this communication. These glands vary considerably among species in structure, size, body location and the composition of their secr...

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Published in: Journal of Zoology
ISSN: 0952-8369 1469-7998
Published: Wiley 2025
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URI: https://cronfa.swan.ac.uk/Record/cronfa70774
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spelling 2025-11-20T14:35:43.4839293 v2 70774 2025-10-28 Histological analysis of scent glands in banded mongooses, with implications for chemical communication 1c45599b593d52a0451c24b0375268b4 Megan Nicholl Megan Nicholl true false 43ba12986bd7754484874c73eed0ebfe 0000-0002-4455-6065 Hazel Nichols Hazel Nichols true false 2025-10-28 Chemical communication is the most ancient and widespread form of communication. In many species, specialised structures called scent glands have evolved to facilitate this communication. These glands vary considerably among species in structure, size, body location and the composition of their secretions. Histological analysis is therefore required to confirm the presence of scent glands, identify secretion types and assess potential roles of the immune system and microbiota in modifying secretions. Here, we investigated the distribution and structure of scent glands in the banded mongoose (Mungos mungo), a cooperatively breeding, group-living mammal. We found that individuals possess two large (1.5 cm diameter) anal glands, each consisting of a central sac surrounded by glandular tissue. This in turn is surrounded by a layer of striated muscle, which likely facilitates the deposition of relatively large quantities of odorous chemicals when engaging in deliberate scent marking behaviour. The glands are lined by two different types of epithelia (keratinised and non-keratinised) which may impact how immune genes such as the major histocompatibility complex (MHC) affect the microbiome of the glands, and therefore, the chemicals that are secreted during scent marking. Additionally, we reveal a previously unidentified small (0.75 mm in length) scent gland in the cheek, which may be used for scent marking. We provide evidence that banded mongooses may use their chin and abdomen for scent rubbing, as these regions are often rubbed in odorous substances, but we found no evidence of specialised scent glands in these areas. Our findings highlight the importance of integrating anatomical, behavioural and biochemical approaches to understand the mechanisms and purposes of scent communication. This study serves as a foundation for future research on the interplay between scent marking and rubbing behaviours, and the role of immune genes and microbiota in shaping chemical communication in banded mongooses and other mammalian species. Journal Article Journal of Zoology 0 Wiley 0952-8369 1469-7998 histology, anal gland, scent marking, communication, odour, microbiota, MHC, banded mongoose 5 11 2025 2025-11-05 10.1111/jzo.70081 COLLEGE NANME COLLEGE CODE Swansea University SU Library paid the OA fee (TA Institutional Deal) NS and MHN were supported in part by the German Research Foundation (DFG) Project Number 416495992 to JW. MHN was supported by the Swansea University Research Excellence Scholarship Programme. 2025-11-20T14:35:43.4839293 2025-10-28T09:14:25.1526173 Faculty of Science and Engineering School of Biosciences, Geography and Physics - Biosciences Megan Nicholl 1 N. Schubert 2 A. K. O. Alstrup 3 O. L. Nielsen 4 F. Höner 5 J. I. Hoffman 6 B. A. Caspers 7 O. Krüger 8 B. Spittau 9 Hazel Nichols 0000-0002-4455-6065 10 J. C. Winternitz 0000-0002-1113-9126 11 70774__35587__bf449756dcdb46649c310760be7cec8a.pdf 70774.VOR.pdf 2025-11-07T12:22:38.4445644 Output 14300391 application/pdf Version of Record true © 2025 The Author(s). This is an open access article under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License. true eng https://doi.org/10.1111/jzo.70081
title Histological analysis of scent glands in banded mongooses, with implications for chemical communication
spellingShingle Histological analysis of scent glands in banded mongooses, with implications for chemical communication
Megan Nicholl
Hazel Nichols
title_short Histological analysis of scent glands in banded mongooses, with implications for chemical communication
title_full Histological analysis of scent glands in banded mongooses, with implications for chemical communication
title_fullStr Histological analysis of scent glands in banded mongooses, with implications for chemical communication
title_full_unstemmed Histological analysis of scent glands in banded mongooses, with implications for chemical communication
title_sort Histological analysis of scent glands in banded mongooses, with implications for chemical communication
author_id_str_mv 1c45599b593d52a0451c24b0375268b4
43ba12986bd7754484874c73eed0ebfe
author_id_fullname_str_mv 1c45599b593d52a0451c24b0375268b4_***_Megan Nicholl
43ba12986bd7754484874c73eed0ebfe_***_Hazel Nichols
author Megan Nicholl
Hazel Nichols
author2 Megan Nicholl
N. Schubert
A. K. O. Alstrup
O. L. Nielsen
F. Höner
J. I. Hoffman
B. A. Caspers
O. Krüger
B. Spittau
Hazel Nichols
J. C. Winternitz
format Journal article
container_title Journal of Zoology
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publishDate 2025
institution Swansea University
issn 0952-8369
1469-7998
doi_str_mv 10.1111/jzo.70081
publisher Wiley
college_str Faculty of Science and Engineering
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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 1
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description Chemical communication is the most ancient and widespread form of communication. In many species, specialised structures called scent glands have evolved to facilitate this communication. These glands vary considerably among species in structure, size, body location and the composition of their secretions. Histological analysis is therefore required to confirm the presence of scent glands, identify secretion types and assess potential roles of the immune system and microbiota in modifying secretions. Here, we investigated the distribution and structure of scent glands in the banded mongoose (Mungos mungo), a cooperatively breeding, group-living mammal. We found that individuals possess two large (1.5 cm diameter) anal glands, each consisting of a central sac surrounded by glandular tissue. This in turn is surrounded by a layer of striated muscle, which likely facilitates the deposition of relatively large quantities of odorous chemicals when engaging in deliberate scent marking behaviour. The glands are lined by two different types of epithelia (keratinised and non-keratinised) which may impact how immune genes such as the major histocompatibility complex (MHC) affect the microbiome of the glands, and therefore, the chemicals that are secreted during scent marking. Additionally, we reveal a previously unidentified small (0.75 mm in length) scent gland in the cheek, which may be used for scent marking. We provide evidence that banded mongooses may use their chin and abdomen for scent rubbing, as these regions are often rubbed in odorous substances, but we found no evidence of specialised scent glands in these areas. Our findings highlight the importance of integrating anatomical, behavioural and biochemical approaches to understand the mechanisms and purposes of scent communication. This study serves as a foundation for future research on the interplay between scent marking and rubbing behaviours, and the role of immune genes and microbiota in shaping chemical communication in banded mongooses and other mammalian species.
published_date 2025-11-05T05:33:33Z
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score 11.096027

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