African elephants ( Loxodonta africana ) can detect TNT using olfaction: Implications for biosensor application

Miller, Ashadee K.; Hensman, Michael C.; Hensman, Sean; Schultz, Kip; Reid, Paul R.; Shore, Mike; Brown, Jessica S.; Furton, Kenneth G.

doi:10.1016/j.applanim.2015.08.003

Cited by 34 publications

(18 citation statements)

References 46 publications

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“…Thus, during training and testing all indications were recorded. Given that repeated indications on targets in a multi-sample, multi-indication design can be an artefact of indiscriminate indications rather than accuracy [35,36], meerkats only qualified as 'scent-matchers' if they met the Scientific Working Group for Dogs and Orthogonal detector Guidelines (SWGDOG) criteria [37], where correct identifications are maintained above 90% and incorrect below 10%. In general, meerkats required 10 training sessions each to achieve SWGDOG criteria, and all five scent-matching meerkats were used to evaluate the chemical crypsis of brown house snake (B. capensis) and captive puff adder during outdoor, scent-matching trials.…”

Section: (C) Meerkat Scent-matching Protocolmentioning

confidence: 99%

An ambusher's arsenal: chemical crypsis in the puff adder (Bitis arietans)

et al. 2015

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Ambush foragers use a hunting strategy that places them at risk of predation by both visual and olfaction-oriented predators. Resulting selective pressures have driven the evolution of impressive visual crypsis in many ambushing species, and may have led to the development of chemical crypsis. However, unlike for visual crypsis, few studies have attempted to demonstrate chemical crypsis. Field observations of puff adders (Bitis arietans) going undetected by several scent-orientated predator and prey species led us to investigate chemical crypsis in this ambushing species. We trained dogs (Canis familiaris) and meerkats (Suricata suricatta) to test whether a canid and a herpestid predator could detect B. arietans using olfaction. We also tested for chemical crypsis in five species of active foraging snakes, predicted to be easily detectable. Dogs and meerkats unambiguously indicated active foraging species, but failed to correctly indicate puff adder, confirming that B. arietans employs chemical crypsis. This is the first demonstration of chemical crypsis anti-predatory behaviour, though the phenomenon may be widespread among ambushers, especially those that experience high mortality rates owing to predation. Our study provides additional evidence for the existence of an ongoing chemically mediated arms race between predator and prey species.

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Section: (C) Meerkat Scent-matching Protocolmentioning

confidence: 99%

An ambusher's arsenal: chemical crypsis in the puff adder (Bitis arietans)

et al. 2015

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“…The lack of preference between two preferred or two non-preferred species at the feeding-station scale occurred despite the ability of the elephants to differentiate plant species based on odour. The sense of smell of African elephants is superior to that of domestic dogs (Miller et al, 2015), which is better than the olfactory detection of many current GC-MS instruments (Harper, Almirall, & Furton, 2005). The lack of differentiation could be due to a number of reasons.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Due to their keen sense of smell (Miller et al, 2015), we predicted that elephants are able to use plant odours to make foraging decisions. Furthermore, we predicted that the combination of plant species presented to elephants, as well as the difference in preference rank between plant species, would influence the elephant's foraging choice.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

African elephants use plant odours to make foraging decisions across multiple spatial scales

et al. 2018

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“…As stated previously, canines are the biological detector of choice, specifically in the realm of law enforcement and security purposes. In terms of biosensor applications, other animal models such as rats, bees, wasps ( 49 ), and elephants ( 50 ) have demonstrated such potential applications. To date, the avian species has not been the focus of any study for forensic odorant detection applications.…”

Section: How Can Avian Use Of Odors Be Compared To Canine Biological mentioning

confidence: 99%

Birds and Dogs: Toward a Comparative Perspective on Odor Use and Detection

Prada

Furton

2018

Front. Vet. Sci.

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While canines are generally considered the gold standard for olfactory detection in many situations other animals provide alternatives and offer a unique opportunity to compare biological detection capabilities. Critical components in successfully studying biological detectors is not only understanding their anatomical evidence for olfaction, but also, understanding the life history of the species to better direct the potential of an olfactory task. Here, a brief overview is provided presenting a comparative viewpoint on the use of odors by birds and canines over a range of unique detection scenarios. Similar to canines, birds use olfactory information in various natural oriented contexts where odors are dispersed over a widespread spatial range. Comparing these two distinctive animal models, and current trends in physiological and behavioral assessments may open the door for novel uses of birds as biological sensors in forensic applications.

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African elephants ( Loxodonta africana ) can detect TNT using olfaction: Implications for biosensor application

Cited by 34 publications

References 46 publications

An ambusher's arsenal: chemical crypsis in the puff adder (Bitis arietans)

An ambusher's arsenal: chemical crypsis in the puff adder (Bitis arietans)

African elephants use plant odours to make foraging decisions across multiple spatial scales

Birds and Dogs: Toward a Comparative Perspective on Odor Use and Detection

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