Chemical Composition of Scent Marks in the Ringtailed Lemur (Lemur catta): Glandular Differences, Seasonal Variation, and Individual Signatures

Abstract

The apocrine and sebaceous scent glands of ringtailed lemurs (Lemur catta) appear to serve different social functions. In behavioral experiments, lemurs modulate their responses to scent marks based on the type of odorant, their own physiological state, the signaler's physiological state, and prior social experience. To examine variation in odorant chemistry relative to olfactory behavior, we used gas chromatography and mass spectrometry to analyze over 86 samples of glandular secretion collected over 2 years from 15 adult lemurs. Labial and scrotal secretions contained organic acids and esters, whereas male brachial secretions were composed almost entirely of squalene and cholesterol derivatives. Principal component and linear discriminant analyses revealed glandular, individual-specific, and seasonal variation in chemical profiles but no relationship to the signaler's social status. The chemical composition of the various secretions provides further clues about the function of the different glands: the higher molecular weight compounds in genital and brachial secretions may increase signal longevity and provide lasting information to conspecifics, consistent with a role in advertising resource ownership or reproductive state. Conversely, the lower molecular weight compounds of antebrachial secretions produce ephemeral signals used primarily in social dominance displays and require integration of multiple sensory modalities for effective signal transmission.

Socioecological and phylogenetic patterns in the chemical signals of strepsirrhine primates

“…As anticipated, the authors found that the chemical profiles of these two species' secretions were chemically distinct. Given that these species differ in their glandular structures (notably, the scrotal gland of male L. catta is species specific; Montagna & Yun, 1962) and that different glandular secretions are chemically distinct even within a species (Scordato et al, 2007), it is difficult to interpret the nature of these chemical differences. Comparable morphological derivation constitutes only one of the multiple challenges facing broadly comparative studies.…”

“…The chemistry of their volatile urinary (delBarco-Trillo et al, 2011) and glandular signals (Boulet et al, 2009(Boulet et al, , 2010Charpentier et al, 2008;Crawford et al, 2011;Hayes et al, 2004;Palagi & Dapporto, 2006;Scordato et al, 2007) has been well characterized. Notably, whereas the genital secretions of males and females in any species of Eulemur examined to date contain fewer than 30 compounds (delBarco-Trillo et al, 2012), hundreds of compounds have been detected in the genital secretions of male and female L. catta (Boulet et al, 2009;Scordato et al, 2007). These comparisons suggest a relationship between chemical complexity and social complexity; however, as noted above, this comparison is complicated by the different glandular morphologies.…”

“…, identity (Palagi & Dapporto, 2006;Penn et al, 2007;Scordato et al, 2007;Smith, Tomlinson, Mlotkiewicz, & Abbott, 2001) and 'quality' (as estimated by genetic diversity: Boulet, Crawford, Charpentier, & Drea, 2010;Charpentier, Boulet, & Drea, 2008; as estimated by major histocompatibility complex genotype: Setchell et al, 2011), as well as the genetic relatedness between individuals (Boulet, Charpentier, & Drea, 2009;Charpentier et al, 2008;Morelli et al, 2013).…”

Individual recognition through olfactory–auditory matching in lemurs

“…Although ringtailed lemurs are most interested in conspecific scents during the breeding season, they are attentive to scents year round [22]. We selected one time of the year because the chemical composition of females' scents show seasonal variation [33] and the nonbreeding season, specifically, because captive female lemurs often receive hormonal contraception during the breeding season, which alters their scents and olfactory signatures [34]. On testing days, we moved the whole group to an indoor pen far from the testing arena to minimize olfactory and vocal interference.…”

Detective mice assess relatedness in baboons using olfactory cues

“…In contrast with the optical and acoustical properties of an object, there is as yet no easy way to 'record' and quantify the olfactory properties of objects and chemical signals, especially under field conditions (Epple, 1986). Although significant advances in semiochemistry (Zhang et al, 2005;Scordato et al, 2007) have taken us a step forward in revealing the information potentially available within a chemosignal (Belcher et al, 1986;Belcher et al, 1990;Smith et al, 2001), the analysis of the composition of chemical signals through gas chromatography-mass spectrometry still remains relatively expensive and often technically challenging, especially for nonvolatile components such as proteins. However, these compounds have been shown to play a crucial role in communication in many species (Belcher et al, 1990;Hurst et al, 1998;Nevison et al, 2003).…”