Dung odours signal sex, age, territorial and oestrous state in white rhinos

Marneweck, Courtney J.; Jürgens, Andreas; Shrader, Adrian M.

doi:10.1098/rspb.2016.2376

Cited by 36 publications

(47 citation statements)

References 52 publications

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“…White rhino (Ceratotherium simum) olfactory signals are concentrated in communal middens (also called dung piles or latrines) by individuals of all ages and sex (Owen-Smith 1973), where age, sex, territorial and oestrous state are identifiable via dung odours (Marneweck et al 2017a). These middens are located at strategic locations including territory boundaries, well-travelled rhino paths, and next to water sources (Owen-Smith 1973), which increases encounter probability.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Ritualised Dung Kicking by White Rhino Males Amplifies Olfactory Signals but Reduces Odour Duration

2018

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Many mammals enhance their olfactory signals visually by depositing them in conspicuous locations such as well-travelled paths. It is also possible to enhance the odour itself through behaviours aimed at modifying odour emission rates. White rhinos defecate in communal middens. While defecating, territorial males kick sharply with their back feet which disperses their dung. Despite being a ubiquitous trait of territorial male white rhinos, the reason behind this behaviour is unclear. We hypothesised that the purpose of dung kicking was for olfactory signal amplification (OSA) in terms of an increased emission of volatile compounds (i.e. increased signal strength). Using dung collected from non-territorial adult males (because it is not possible to collect whole dung from territorial males), we show that the dispersal of male white rhino dung causes OSA by increasing the emission of hydrocarbon acids. The dung odour of territorial and non-territorial males differs only quantitatively, hence it is likely that the same emission patterns occur for territorial male dung odours following dung dispersal. The volatile compound indicating age of intact dung was toluene, but for dispersed dung it was acetophenone (similar to territorial male dung). Despite the benefits of OSA, dung dispersal carried a cost of decreased odour longevity. Thus, signal detectability is temporally reduced. However, territorial males likely counteract this by defecating in middens both before and during peak visitation times by other individuals (15:00-23:00). As a result, we suggest that dung kicking by territorial males amplifies signal strength, such that their dung odours are the most prominent and easily detectable by individuals visiting the middens. This would then better signal territorial ownership to both potential rivals and potential mates.

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Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Ritualised Dung Kicking by White Rhino Males Amplifies Olfactory Signals but Reduces Odour Duration

2018

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“…Identifying whether or not chemo‐sensory signals/cues differ between groups of interest is a major component of GC‐MS research . From simulation study 1, we found that when differences between groups were pronounced, and the structure of the underlying data was relatively simple, all methods resulted in comparable model performance.…”

Section: Classification Accuracy Is Related To Data Normalizationmentioning

confidence: 98%

“…Identifying whether or not chemo-sensory signals/cues differ between groups of interest is a major component of GC-MS research. [16,17,[19][20][21] From simulation study 1, we found that when differences between groups were pronounced, and the structure of the underlying data was relatively simple, all methods resulted in comparable model performance. When the data structure was more complex as in simulation study 2, calibrating against an external standard was the single most reliable normalization method for this purpose.…”

Section: Classification Accuracy Is Related To Data Normalizationmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…[9][10][11] Information in these 'odors' can be encoded either digitally through the presence/absence of individual compounds, and/or analogically through their relative abundance. [12] Their composition varies with primary gland products, secondary metabolites from commensal microbiota, [13][14][15] and environmental factors, [7,12] and can therefore convey a wide range of individual-specific information such as age, [16] sex, [17] diet, [18] disease status, [19] reproductive state, [20] and genotype. [21] The chemical analysis of olfactory samples is typically carried out via combined gas-chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Normalizing Gas‐Chromatography–Mass Spectrometry Data: Method Choice can Alter Biological Inference

Noonan

Tinnesand

Buesching³

2018

BioEssays

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We demonstrate how different normalization techniques in GC-MS analysis impart unique properties to the data, influencing any biological inference. Using simulations, and empirical data, we compare the most commonly used techniques (Total Sum Normalization 'TSN'; Median Normalization 'MN'; Probabilistic Quotient Normalization 'PQN'; Internal Standard Normalization 'ISN'; External Standard Normalization 'ESN'; and a compositional data approach 'CODA'). When differences between biological classes are pronounced, ESN and ISN provides good results, but are less reliable for more subtly differentiated groups. MN, TSN, and CODA approaches produced variable results dependent on the structure of the data, and are prone to false positive biomarker identification. In contrast, PQN exhibits the lowest false positive rate, though with occasionally poor model performance. Because ESN requires extensive pre-planning, and offers only mixed reliability, and ISN, TSN, MN, and CODA approaches are prone to introducing artefactual differences, we recommend the use of PQN in GC-MS research.

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“…Fatouros, van Loon, Hordijk, Smid, & Dicke, 2005;Mattiacci et al, 2001;Pierre et al, 2011) and environmental monitoring (e.g. Rabaud, Ebeler, Ashbaugh, & Flocchini, 2002;Wu, Feng, Lo, Lin, & Lo, 2004) but not for animal body odour, particularly in vertebrates (but see Marneweck, Jürgens, & Shrader, 2017 for an application to dung odour). In contrast to rubbing a medium over the skin or fur or sampling secretions directly from scent glands, TD tubes do not necessarily require handling and capture of animals, as only the ambient air in the immediate vicinity of an animal is sampled.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

A non‐invasive method for sampling the body odour of mammals

et al. 2017

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Olfaction is a central aspect of mammalian communication, providing information about individual attributes such as identity, sex, group membership or genetic quality. Yet, the chemical underpinnings of olfactory cues remain little understood, one of the reasons being the difficulty in obtaining high quality samples for chemical analysis. In this study, we adjusted and evaluated the use of thermal desorption (TD) tubes, commonly used in plant metabolomic and environmental studies, for non‐invasive sampling of mammalian body odour. We obtained chemical profiles of meerkat (Suricata suricatta) body odour samples, using TD tubes analysed with gas chromatography–mass spectrometry. TD tubes captured a wide range of volatile and semi‐volatile organic compounds, including compounds likely originating from the target animals. Adjustment of sampling parameters (distance, volume, flow rate, interruption of sampling) to increase the feasibility for a non‐invasive application yielded samples of adequate quality. However, to minimize the variability between samples, sampling parameters should be kept constant and samples should be collected when no conspecifics are close‐by. The method was sensitive enough to pick up population differences in the chemical profiles of two captive groups of meerkats, demonstrating its applicability to biological questions. With sufficiently habituated animals, the method is applicable non‐invasively, allowing short‐ and long‐term studies on a wide range of questions, including e.g. chemical signatures of kinship, diet, individual health or reproductive state.

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Dung odours signal sex, age, territorial and oestrous state in white rhinos

Cited by 36 publications

References 52 publications

Ritualised Dung Kicking by White Rhino Males Amplifies Olfactory Signals but Reduces Odour Duration

Ritualised Dung Kicking by White Rhino Males Amplifies Olfactory Signals but Reduces Odour Duration

Normalizing Gas‐Chromatography–Mass Spectrometry Data: Method Choice can Alter Biological Inference

A non‐invasive method for sampling the body odour of mammals

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