Assessing chemical communication in elephants

Schulte, Bruce A.; Bagley, Kathryn R.; Correll, Maureen; Gray, Amy; Heineman, Sarah M.; Loizi, Helen; Malament, Michelle; Scott, Nancy L.; Slade, Barbara E.; Stanley, Lauren; Goodwin, Thomas E.; Rasmussen, L.E.L.

doi:10.1007/0-387-25160-x_18

Cited by 8 publications

(7 citation statements)

References 34 publications

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“…Studies on mammalian evolution (Rowe et al, 2011) and African elephant olfactory receptor genes (Nimura et al, 2014) have revealed the historical significance of odours to mammals and elephants in particular. Our understanding of olfaction in elephants has profited greatly from research in captive and wild settings, including the discovery of the oestrous pheromone [(Z)-7dodecen-1-yl acetate] and musth pheromone (frontalin) in Asian elephants (Rasmussen et al, 1997(Rasmussen et al, , 2016Rasmussen & Schulte, 1998;Rasmussen & Greenwood, 2003;Schulte et al, 2005Schulte et al, , 2013. Recent work with captive Asian elephants has investigated their ability to discriminate among structurally similar odours (Arvidsson et al, 2012;Rizvanovic et al, 2013), while another study conducted at numerous facilities in North America examined responses to varying concentration of the two known Asian elephant pheromones (LaDue et al, 2018).…”

Section: Elephant Sensesmentioning

confidence: 99%

Zoo elephant research: contributions to conservation of captive and free‐ranging species

Bechert

Brown

Dierenfeld

et al. 2019

International Zoo Yearbook

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African elephants Loxodonta africana and Asian elephants Elephas maximus are not thriving in many captive settings and are threatened throughout their native ranges. Many zoos support in situ conservation projects and provide opportunities to conduct ex situ research in controlled settings with comparably approachable animals. Zoo elephant projects may facilitate fieldwork with free‐ranging elephants (e.g. development of non‐invasive sampling and analytical tools), which may then also improve the husbandry of elephants in human care. Free‐ranging elephants also benefit from drug therapies and veterinary care when they are orphaned, kept as working elephants or brought in as rehabilitation cases – especially as human–elephant conflicts become more common as a result of ever‐expanding human populations. Much has been learned about the basic biology and husbandry needs of elephants but, often, the more we learn, the more questions arise. There are physiological differences between African and Asian elephants, and this should affect the management of these animals. This paper will provide brief overviews of the current state of knowledge regarding the pharmacology, nutrition, reproduction, sensory biology and diseases (primarily elephant endotheliotropic herpesvirus infections) relevant to elephants with recommendations for future research.

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Section: Elephant Sensesmentioning

confidence: 99%

Zoo elephant research: contributions to conservation of captive and free‐ranging species

Bechert

Brown

Dierenfeld

et al. 2019

International Zoo Yearbook

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“…Thus, the less volatile or nonvolatile compounds in the urine could be introduced into the VNO for better examination and assessment of the “semiochemical status” of the urinating female. A similar mechanism can be clearly observed in both, Asian ( Elephas maximus ) and African elephants ( Loxodonta africana ), which used their trunk to collect from the ground urine samples of the females being in the preovulatory phase of the ovarian cycle [ 43 , 44 ].…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 92%

The Role of Urine in Semiochemical Communication between Females and Males of Domestic Dog (Canis familiaris) during Estrus

Woszczyło

Jezierski

Szumny

et al. 2020

Animals

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This study aimed to assess the mechanisms of semiochemical signal detection in dogs. In the first experiment, five males were exposed to volatile semiochemicals emitted by a live female in estrus and the female’s urine sample collected during estrus. The odor of canine food and clean air were used as controls. In the second experiment, 25 males could directly sniff and lick the urine samples from females in estrus, from females in anestrus, from males and from humans, placed in a lineup. Sniffing, licking and salivation, as well as keeping dogs at different distances from the source of odor, were recorded in both experiments. Experiment 1 showed that food odor was sniffed by males longer than estrous urine. Volatile semiochemicals from females in estrus evoked interest in males but without visual cues did not cause overt symptoms of sexual arousal. In Experiment 2, the estrous urine evoked interest in males and provoked significantly longer sniffing. Licking accompanied by salivation was observed in all instances only during direct contact with estrous urine. The results suggest a complex character of detection of female reproductive status, in which both volatile and nonvolatile compounds emitted by females and present in female urine are involved.

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“…Female response patterns were slightly different: they exhibited flehmen behaviours towards mid‐range and higher frontalin concentrations, but flehmen responses were only performed towards mid‐range Z 7‐12:Ac concentrations. Flehmen responses in mammals likely correspond to a receiver's relative interest in a chemical signal (e.g., Perkins & Fitzgerald, ; Schulte et al., ), so these results may reflect the relevance of these signals across sex, experience and concentration.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Concentration‐dependent chemosensory responses towards pheromones are influenced by receiver attributes in Asian elephants

2018

Self Cite

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The physical structure of a signal is not sufficient to determine its meaning. For chemical signals between conspecifics, this concept is termed “pheromonal parsimony.” The function of a compound depends not only on its molecular structure but also on its context, which can include signal concentration and various receiver attributes. We sought to investigate the contextual flexibility of chemosensory responses through bioassays with Asian elephant (Elephas maximus) sex pheromones of various concentrations (frontalin, from males, and (Z)‐7‐dodecenyl acetate [Z7‐12:Ac], from females). We hypothesized that elephants would respond stronger to higher concentrations, especially towards the opposite‐sex pheromone, and that receiver age and sexual experience would modify responses. We examined responses of 73 captive elephants to both compounds. Pheromone concentration impacted the rate of chemosensory response, which was further modified by the sex, age and/or sexual experience of the receiver. Response rates increased with concentration for each compound across both sexes. Experience shaped male responses with older, physiologically primed males responding more often. The interaction between experience and age affected female response to frontalin, but not to Z7‐12:Ac. Furthermore, response thresholds were modified by sexual experience in most cases: experienced animals generally had lower thresholds than inexperienced animals. Elephants responded to each solution according to its perceived relevance, including concentration. These results also indicate that receiver attributes (e.g., sex, age and sexual experience) may modify seemingly fixed chemosensory responses and further emphasize the flexibility of vertebrate communication systems.

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Assessing chemical communication in elephants

Cited by 8 publications

References 34 publications

Zoo elephant research: contributions to conservation of captive and free‐ranging species

Zoo elephant research: contributions to conservation of captive and free‐ranging species

The Role of Urine in Semiochemical Communication between Females and Males of Domestic Dog (Canis familiaris) during Estrus

Concentration‐dependent chemosensory responses towards pheromones are influenced by receiver attributes in Asian elephants

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