| 1. |
- Arshamian, Artin, et al.
(author)
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A mammalian blood odor component serves as an approach-avoidance cue across phylum border - from flies to humans
- 2017
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In: Scientific Reports. - : Springer Science and Business Media LLC. - 2045-2322. ; 7
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Chemosignals are used by predators to localize prey and by prey to avoid predators. These cues vary between species, but the odor of blood seems to be an exception and suggests the presence of an evolutionarily conserved chemosensory cue within the blood odor mixture. A blood odor component, E2D, has been shown to trigger approach responses identical to those triggered by the full blood odor in mammalian carnivores and as such, is a key candidate as a food/alarm cue in blood. Using a multidisciplinary approach, we demonstrate that E2D holds the dual function of affecting both approach and avoidance behavior in a predator-prey predicted manner. E2D evokes approach responses in two taxonomically distant blood-seeking predators, Stable fly and Wolf, while evoking avoidance responses in the prey species Mouse. We extend this by demonstrating that this chemical cue is preserved in humans as well; E2D induces postural avoidance, increases physiological arousal, and enhances visual perception of affective stimuli. This is the first demonstration of a single chemical cue with the dual function of guiding both approach and avoidance in a predator-prey predicted manner across taxonomically distant species, as well as the first known chemosignal that affects both human and non-human animals alike.
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| 2. |
- Atikuzzaman, Mohammad, 1977-
(author)
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Seminal Influence on the Oviduct : Mating and/or semen components induce gene expression changes in the pre-ovulatory functional sperm reservoir in poultry and pigs
- 2016
-
Doctoral thesis (other academic/artistic)abstract
- Internal fertilization occurs in birds and eutherian mammals. Foetal development, however, is either extra- respectively intra-corpore (egg vs uterus). In these animal classes, the female genital tract stores ejaculated spermatozoa into a restricted oviductal segment; the functional pre-ovulatory sperm reservoir, where they survive until ovulation/s occur. Paradoxically, this immunologically foreign sperm suspension in seminal fluid/plasma, often microbiologically contaminated, ought to be promptly eliminated by the female local immune defence which, instead, tolerates its presence. The female immune tolerance is presumably signalled via a biochemical interplay of spermatozoa, as well as the peptides and proteins of the extracellular seminal fluid, with female epithelial and immune cells. Such interplay can result in gene expression shifts in the sperm reservoir in relation to variations in fertility. To further aid our understanding of the underlying mechanisms, this thesis studied the proteome of the seminal fluid (using 2D SDS-PAGE and mass spectrometry) including cytokine content (using Luminex and/or ELISA) of healthy, sexually mature and fertile boars and cocks. As well, gene expression changes (using cDNA microarray) in the oviductal sperm reservoirs of sexually-mature females, mated or artificially infused with homologous sperm-free seminal fluid/plasma were studied. Pigs were of commercial, fertility-selected modern breeds (Landrace), while chicken belonged to the ancestor Red Junglefowl (RJF, low egg laying-capacity), a selected egg-layer White Leghorn (WL) and of their Advanced Intercross Line (AIL). Ejaculates were manually collected as single sample in cocks or as the sperm-rich fraction [SRF] and the post- SRF fraction in boars to harvest seminal fluid/plasma for proteome/cytokine and infusion-studies. Oviducts were retrieved for gene-expression analyses via microarray immediately post-mortem (chicken) or at surgery (pig), 24 h after mating or genital infusion. In pigs, the protein-rich seminal plasma showed the highest amounts of cytokines [interferon-γ, interferon gamma-induced protein 10 (IP-10/CXCL10), macrophage derived chemokine (MDC/CCL22), growth-regulated oncogene (GRO/CXCL1), granulocyte-macrophage colony-stimulating factor (GM-CSF), monocyte chemo-attractant protein-1 (MCP-1/ CCL2), interleukin (IL)-6, IL-8/CXCL8, IL-10, IL-15, IL-17 and transforming growth factor (TGF)-β1-3) in the larger, protein-rich and sperm-poor post-SRF, indicating its main immune signalling influence. Chicken showed also a plethora of seminal fluid proteins with serum albumin and ovotransferrin being conserved through selection/evolution. However, they showed fewer cytokines than pigs, as the anti-inflammatory/immune-modulatory TGF-β2 or the pro-inflammatory CXCL10. The RJF contained fewer immune system process proteins and lacked TGF-β2 compared to WL and AIL, suggesting selection for increased fertility could be associated with higher expression of immune-regulating peptides/proteins. The oviductal sperm reservoir reacted in vivo to semen exposure. In chicken, mating significantly changed the expression of immune-modulatory and pH-regulatory genes in AIL. Moreover, modern fertile pigs (Landrace) and chicken (WL), albeit being taxonomically distant, shared gene functions for preservation of viable sperm in the oviduct. Mating or SP/SF-infusion were able to change the expression of comparable genes involved in pH-regulation (SLC16A2, SLC4A9, SLC13A1, SLC35F1, ATP8B3, ATP13A3) or immune-modulation (IFIT5, IFI16, MMP27, ADAMTS3, MMP3, MMP12). The results of the thesis demonstrate that both mating and components of the sperm-free seminal fluid/plasma elicit gene expression changes in the pre-ovulatory female sperm reservoir of chickens and pigs, some conserved over domestication and fertility-selection.
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| 3. |
- Dausch Ibanez, Daniel, et al.
(author)
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Taste Responsiveness of Spider Monkeys to Dietary Ethanol
- 2019
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In: Chemical Senses. - : OXFORD UNIV PRESS. - 0379-864X .- 1464-3553. ; 44:8, s. 631-638
-
Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Recent studies suggest that frugivorous primates might display a preference for the ethanol produced by microbia in overripe, fermenting fruit as an additional source of calories. We, therefore, assessed the taste responsiveness of 8 spider monkeys (Ateles geoffroyi) to the range of ethanol concentrations found in overripe, fermenting fruit (0.05-3.0%) and determined taste preference thresholds as well as relative taste preferences for ethanol presented in sucrose solutions and in fruit matrices, respectively. Using a 2-bottle preference test of short duration (1 min), we found that spider monkeys are able to detect ethanol concentrations as low as 0.5%, that they prefer ethanol concentrations up to 3% over water, and that they prefer sucrose solutions and pureed fruit spiked with ethanol over equimolar sucrose solutions and pureed fruit without ethanol. However, when presented with an ethanol-spiked sucrose solution and a higher-concentrated sucrose solution without ethanol, the animals clearly preferred the latter, even when the sucrose-ethanol mixture contained 3 times more calories. These results demonstrate that spider monkeys are more sensitive to the taste of ethanol than rats and humans and that they prefer ecologically relevant suprathreshold concentrations of ethanol over water. Tests with sucrose solutions and pureed fruits that were either spiked with ethanol or not suggest that sweetness may be more important for the preferences displayed by the spider monkeys than the calories provided by ethanol. The present results, therefore, do not support the notion that dietary ethanol might be used by frugivorous primates as a supplemental source of calories.
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| 4. |
- Eliasson, Moa, et al.
(author)
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Spider monkeys (Ateles geoffroyi) are less sensitive to the odor of aliphatic ketones than to the odor of other classes of aliphatic compounds.
- 2015
-
In: Neuroscience research. - : Elsevier. - 0168-0102 .- 1872-8111. ; 99, s. 46-54
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Aliphatic ketones are widely present in body-borne and food odors of primates. Therefore, we used an operant conditioning paradigm and determined olfactory detection thresholds in four spider monkeys for a homologous series of aliphatic 2-ketones (2-butanone to 2-nonanone) and two of their isomers (3- and 4-heptanone). We found that, with the exception of the two shortest-chained ketones, all animals detected concentrations <1ppm (parts per million), and with five odorants individual animals even reached threshold values <0.1ppm. Further, we found a significant correlation between olfactory sensitivity of the spider monkeys and carbon chain length of the 2-ketones which can best be described as a U-shaped function. In contrast, no significant correlation was found between olfactory sensitivity and position of the functional carbonyl group. Across-odorant and across-species comparisons revealed the following: spider monkeys are significantly less sensitive to the odors of aliphatic ketones than to the odor of other classes of aliphatic compounds (1-alcohols, n-aldehydes, n-acetic esters, and n-carboxylic acids) sharing the same carbon length. Spider monkeys do not differ significantly in their olfactory sensitivity for aliphatic ketones from squirrel monkeys and pigtail macaques, but are significantly less sensitive to these odorants compared to human subjects and mice. These findings support the notion that neuroanatomical and genetic properties do not allow for reliable predictions with regard to a species' olfactory sensitivity. Further, we conclude that the frequency of occurrence of a class of odorants in a species' chemical environment does not allow for reliable predictions of the species' olfactory sensitivity.
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| 5. |
- Hanson, Michaela, et al.
(author)
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Facial expressions and other behavioral responses to pleasant andunpleasant tastes in cats (Felis silvestris catus)
- 2016
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In: Applied Animal Behaviour Science. - : Elsevier. - 0168-1591 .- 1872-9045. ; 181, s. 129-136
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- The goal of the present study was to assess how cats react to tastes previously reported to be preferredor avoided relative to water. To this end, the facial and behavioral reactions of 13 cats to differentconcentrations of l-Proline and quinine monohydrochloride (QHCl) as well as mixtures with differentconcentrations of the two substances were assessed using a two-bottle preference test of short duration.The cats were videotaped and the frequency and duration of different behaviors were analyzed. Significantdifferences in the cats’ behavior in response to the taste quality of the different solutions included,but were not limited to, Tongue Protrusions (p < 0.039), Mouth smacks (p = 0.008) and Nose Licks (p = 0.011)with four different stimulus concentrations. The cats responded to preferred taste by keeping their Eyeshalf-closed (p = 0.017) for significantly longer periods of time with four different stimulus concentrationscompared to a water control. When encountering mixtures containing l-Proline and QHCl the cats performedTongue protrusion gapes (p < 0.038) significantly more frequently with three different stimulusconcentrations compared to an l-Proline control. A stepwise increase in the concentration of l-Prolinefrom 5 mM to 500 mM in mixtures with 50 M QHCl did not overcome the negative impact of the bittertaste on intake. The results of the present study suggest that behavioral responses provide an additionaldimension and may be more informative than consumption data alone to assess whether cats perceivetastes as pleasant or unpleasant. Thus, the analysis of behavioral responses to different taste qualitiesmay be a useful tool to assess and improve the acceptance of commercial food by cats.
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| 6. |
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| 7. |
- Hernandez-Hernandez, Julio C., et al.
(author)
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Diet selectivity in relation to food quality and availability by the endemic Perote squirrel (Xerospermophilus perotensis)
- 2018
-
In: Therya. - Colonia Villa Quietud, Mexico : Asociacion Mexicana de Mastozoologia A.C.. - 2007-3364. ; 9:2, s. 121-127
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Climatic fluctuations have a biogeochemical effect on food availability and quality, resulting in adjustments of the foraging and food selection behavior of animals. Our study aimed to evaluate the influence of seasonal variation on abundance of food resources and its effect on food selection of Xerospermophilus perotensis, an endemic species of ground squirrel in the Oriental Basin. Food selection behavior was recorded using focal animal and continuous behavior sampling on a squirrel population inhabiting the grassland of a semi-arid area. The results show that their diet consisted of 6 plant species with significant differences in the time spent feeding on each plant species (X2 = 128.96; P = 0.01). The species with the highest feeding times included Scleropogon brevifolius (63.6 %), Verbena bipinnatifida (10.6 %) and Erigeron pubescens (10.5 %). These plant species had the highest percentage of vegetation cover and availability among seasons, but they were of low nutritional quality with regard to their protein/fiber ratio. However, during specific periods, associated either with gestation and lactation or prior to hibernation, the squirrels increased their protein consumption. This suggests that squirrels are opportunistic feeders, and under certain conditions tend to select plant species that provide them with better quality diets.
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| 8. |
- Hernández Salazar, Laura T., et al.
(author)
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The Sensory Systems of Alouatta : Evolutionwith an Eye to Ecology
- 2015
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In: Howler Monkeys. - New York : Springer Science+Business Media B.V.. - 9781493919567 ; , s. 317-336
-
Book chapter (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Our knowledge about the perceptual world of howler monkeys is unevenlydistributed between the fi ve senses. Whereas there is abundant knowledge about thesense of vision in the genus Alouatta , only limited data on the senses of hearing,smell, taste, and touch are available. The discovery that howler monkeys are theonly genus among the New World primates to possess routine trichromacy hasimportant implications for the evolution of color vision and therefore has been studiedintensively. Detailed information about the genetic mechanisms and physiologicalprocesses underlying color vision in howler monkeys are available. Although thesound production, vocal repertoire, and acoustic communication in the genusAlouatta have been well documented, basic physiological measures of hearing performancesuch as audiograms are missing. Similarly, despite an increasing numberof observational studies on olfactory communication in howler monkeys, there is acomplete lack of physiological studies on the effi ciency of their sense of smell.Information about the senses of taste and touch is even scarcer and mainly restrictedto a description of their anatomical basis. A goal of this chapter is to summarize ourcurrent knowledge of the anatomy, physiology, genetics, and behavioral relevanceof the different senses in howler monkeys in comparison to other platyrrhines.
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| 9. |
- Hottges, Nina, et al.
(author)
-
How does feeding regime affect behaviour and activity in captive African lions (Panthera leo)?
- 2019
-
In: JOURNAL OF ZOO AND AQUARIUM RESEARCH. - : EUROPEAN ASSOC ZOOS & AQUARIA. - 2214-7594. ; 7:3, s. 117-125
-
Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Lions (Panthera leo) are popular zoo animals and obligate carnivores. In the past, zoos focused on the nutritional aspect of feeding, whereas today they also aim to encourage naturalistic feeding opportunities. AZAs Lion Care Manual recommends a frequent feeding schedule, while other sources highlight the benefits of unpredictable, infrequent feeding schedules. Further, the husbandry guidelines for lions by EAZA propose to feed lions separately. To assess how lions are affected by feeding frequency, we collected data on five event behaviour categories (social affiliative, agonistic, exploratory, marking, maintenance) and four state behaviour categories (inactive, active, feed, pace) of four captive lion prides held on either high frequency (HF: feeding pieces of meat on four to five occasions per week) or low frequency feeding (LF: feeding a whole carcass on one occasion per week). We found that some event behaviour categories (agonistic, exploratory and marking) and one state behaviour (feeding) were more frequent for lions on HF feeding. Lions on both feeding regimes engaged more often in agonistic behaviour and were more inactive on feeding days than fasting days. On fasting days, activity and pacing, as well as exploratory, maintenance, marking and social behaviour, were more frequent than on feeding days. During the consecutive fasting days, the lions on LF feeding were increasingly active in terms of walking, trotting and running. The results show that LF feeding with whole carcasses allowed the prides to resolve social discrepancies during feeding, which reduced aggression between feedings. LF feeding resulted in satiety of the lions to the extent of altered behaviour during feeding day and the first fasting day, whereas lions on HF feeding showed unvarying behaviour during feeding and fasting days suggesting a lack of satiety.
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| 10. |
- Lahger, Christian, et al.
(author)
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Behavioral responses of CD-1 mice to conspecific and heterospecific blood odors and to a blood odor component
- 2018
-
In: Physiology and Behavior. - : Elsevier. - 0031-9384 .- 1873-507X. ; 184, s. 205-210
-
Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- The odor of blood may have both aversive and attractive properties for mammals, depending on the species of the odor donor and the species perceiving the odor. To better understand the informational content of blood odor for a prey species we assessed behavioral responses of male CD-1 mice (n = 60) to the odor of blood of same-sex and opposite-sex conspecifics, of a natural predator of mice (cat), and of a herbivore (horse) and an omnivore (human) non-predator of mice. Further, we assessed their behavior towards the mammalian blood odor component trans-4,5-epoxy-(E)-2-decenal which recent studies have shown to be as attractive to mammalian predators as the odor of real blood. A two-compartment test arena was used to record approach/avoidance behavior when the animals were presented with an odor in one compartment and a blank control in the other compartment. We found that both conspecific and heterospecific blood odors elicited significant avoidance behavior in the mice whereas a control odor (n-pentyl acetate) did not. The blood odor component trans-4,5-epoxy-(E)-2-decenal was also significantly avoided and thus appears to play an important role in the perception of mammalian blood odor in this prey species. These results support the notion that mammalian blood odor contains an olfactory warning signal which elicits an adaptive behavioral avoidance response in a prey species, the mouse. Our finding that the mice avoided the mammalian blood odor component trans-4,5-epoxy-(E)-2-decenal to the same degree as the odor of real blood suggests that this volatile compound might be (part of) this warning signal.
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| 11. |
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| 12. |
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| 13. |
- Laska, Matthias, et al.
(author)
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Olfaction in Nonhuman Primates
- 2015. - 3
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In: Handbook of Olfaction and Gustation. - : Wiley-Blackwell. - 9781118139226 ; , s. 605-621
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Book chapter (other academic/artistic)
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| 14. |
- Laska, Matthias
(author)
-
Olfactory Discrimination Learning in an Outbred and an Inbred Strain of Mice.
- 2015
-
In: Chemical Senses. - : Oxford University Press. - 0379-864X .- 1464-3553. ; 40:7, s. 489-496
-
Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- The present study compared olfactory discrimination learning in CD-1 mice, a widely used outbred strain of mice with that of C57BL/6J mice, one of the most widely used inbred mouse strains. Using an automated olfactometer and a standard operant conditioning procedure, I found that CD-1 mice needed 60 trials to reach learning criterion in an initial 2-odor discrimination task. They improved in learning speed in subsequent discrimination tasks in which either the rewarded or the unrewarded stimulus was replaced for a new stimulus. C57BL/6J mice, in contrast, needed 120 trials to reach learning criterion in an initial 2-odor discrimination task and also needed significantly more trials than the CD-1 mice in 3 of the 4 subsequent discrimination tasks. Further, the results showed that discrimination learning performance of both mouse strains was largely unaffected by the odor stimuli used. The results of the present study demonstrate differences between an outbred and an inbred strain of mice with regard to odor discrimination learning, a classical measure of cognitive performance in comparative psychology. Thus, they emphasize the need to be careful with generalizing statements as to cognitive or sensory abilities of Mus musculus when inbred strains of mice are used.
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| 15. |
- Malidaki, Maria, et al.
(author)
-
Effects of an odor or taste stimulus applied to an artificial teat on the suckling behavior of newborn dairy calves
- 2018
-
In: Journal of Animal Science and Technology. - : BioMed Central (BMC). - 2055-0391. ; 60
-
Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Background: In their first days of life, dairy calves in artificial rearing systems often have difficulty using an artificial teat for feeding. Methods: We examined the age at which calves are able to stand up voluntarily and suckle as well as their suckling behavior when presented with a plain dry teat versus a dry teat modified with a presumably attractive odor or taste substance. Single-housed newborn dairy calves (n = 51) were presented for ten consecutive days with a two-minute two-choice test, in which suckling time was recorded for 1) a plain (control) teat versus a glucose-coated teat (taste test) and 2) a plain teat versus a teat with a "Freshly Cut Grass" odor (odor test). Results: On average, the calves were able to stand up voluntarily and suckle from the second or third day of age on. The "Freshly Cut Grass" odor had no significant effect on their suckling behavior. In contrast, the calves showed a significant preference for suckling the glucose-coated teat and displayed a significantly longer total suckling time in the taste test compared to the odor test. There were no significant differences between sexes regarding suckling behavior. Conclusion: The results of the present study show that glucose had a significant effect on the calves’ teat preference and significantly increased total suckling time with a dry artificial teat. As such, glucose may increase suckling motivation in non-efficient drinkers or ill calves with low motivation to suckle
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| 16. |
- Motes-Rodrigo, Alba, et al.
(author)
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Chimpanzee extractive foraging with excavating tools: Experimental modeling of the origins of human technology
- 2019
-
In: PLOS ONE. - : PUBLIC LIBRARY SCIENCE. - 1932-6203. ; 14:5
-
Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- It is hypothesized that tool-assisted excavation of plant underground storage organs (USOs) played an adaptive role in hominin evolution and was also once considered a uniquely human behavior. Recent data indicate that savanna chimpanzees also use tools to excavate edible USOs. However, those chimpanzees remain largely unhabituated and we lack direct observations of this behavior in the wild. To fill this gap in our knowledge of hominoid USO extractive foraging, we conducted tool-mediated excavation experiments with captive chimpanzees naive to this behavior. We presented the chimpanzees with the opportunity to use tools in order to excavate artificially-placed underground foods in their naturally forested outdoor enclosure. No guidance or demonstration was given to the chimpanzees at any time. The chimpanzees used tools spontaneously in order to excavate the underground foods. They exhibited six different tool use behaviors in the context of excavation: probe, perforate, dig, pound, enlarge and shovel. However, they still excavated manually more often than they did with tools. Chimpanzees were selective in their choice of tools that we provided, preferring longer tools for excavation. They also obtained their own tools mainly from naturally occurring vegetation and transported them to the excavation site. They reused some tools throughout the study. Our new data provide a direction for the study of variables relevant to modeling USO extractive foraging by early hominins.
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| 17. |
- Motes-Rodrigo, Alba, et al.
(author)
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Preferential hand use by captive chimpanzees (Pan troglodytes) in manual and tool digging
- 2019
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In: Primates. - : SPRINGER JAPAN KK. - 0032-8332 .- 1610-7365. ; 60:4, s. 367-373
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Digging for underground storage organs of plants has been reported in various populations of wild chimpanzees (Pan troglodytes). However, it is unknown so far whether chimpanzees display lateral biases in manual digging as direct observations of this behavior are still lacking. It was therefore the aim of the present study to assess, for the first time, hand preferences for digging in a group of nine captive chimpanzees. We found that with only one exception, all individuals engaged in manual digging for buried food. Five individuals displayed a significant right-hand preference, two a significant left-hand preference, and one was ambidextrous. No apparent differences between males and females were found with regard to the direction or strength of hand preferences for manual digging. Only one out of four parent-offspring pairs was congruent in their preferred hand for manual digging. Three of the eight chimpanzees who dug manually also used tools in order to excavate buried food. Among those three individuals, one displayed a significant right-, one a significant left-hand preference, and one was ambidextrous. Only one of these three chimpanzees was consistent in preferring the same hand for manual and tool digging. The present findings are in line with the notion that chimpanzees display significant hand preferences at the individual level for haptic-guided behaviors, with a tendency for the right hand.
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| 18. |
- Nevo, Omer, et al.
(author)
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Chemical recognition of fruitripeness in spider monkeys (Atelesgeoffroyi)
- 2015
-
In: Scientific Reports. - : Springer Science and Business Media LLC. - 2045-2322. ; 5, s. 1-10
-
Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Primates are now known to possess well-developed olfactory sensitivity and discrimination capacitiesthat can play a substantial role in many aspects of their interaction with conspecifics and theenvironment. Several studies have demonstrated that olfactory cues may be useful in fruit selection.Here, using a conditioning paradigm, we show that captive spider monkeys (Ateles geoffroyi) displayhigh olfactory discrimination performance between synthetic odor mixtures mimicking ripe andunripe fruits of two wild, primate-consumed, Neotropical plant species. Further, we show that spidermonkeys are able to discriminate the odor of ripe fruits from odors that simulate unripe fruits thatbecome increasingly similar to that of ripe ones. These results suggest that the ability of spidermonkeys to identify ripe fruits may not depend on the presence of any individual compound thatmark fruit ripeness. Further, the results demonstrate that spider monkeys are able to identify ripefruits even when the odor signal is accompanied by a substantial degree of noise.
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| 19. |
- Nicklasson, Sandra, et al.
(author)
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Taste responsiveness to two steviol glycosides in three species of nonhuman primates
- 2018
-
In: Current Zoology. - : Oxford University Press. - 1674-5507 .- 2396-9814. ; 64:1, s. 63-68
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Primates have been found to differ widely in their taste perception and studies suggest that a co-evolution between plant species bearing a certain taste substance and primate species feeding on these plants may contribute to such between-species differences. Considering that only platyrrhine primates, but not catarrhine or prosimian primates, share an evolutionary history with the neotropical plant Stevia rebaudiana, we assessed whether members of these three primate taxa differ in their ability to perceive and/or in their sensitivity to its two quantitatively predominant sweet-tasting substances. We found that not only neotropical black-handed spider monkeys, but also paleotropical black-and-white ruffed lemurs and Western chimpanzees are clearly able to perceive stevioside and rebaudioside A. Using a two-bottle preference test of short duration, we found that Ateles geoffroyi preferred concentrations as low as 0.05 mM stevioside and 0.01 mM rebaudioside A over tap water. Taste preference thresholds of Pan troglodytes were similar to those of the spider monkeys, with 0.05 mM for stevioside and 0.03 mM for rebaudioside A, whereas Varecia variegata was slightly less sensitive with a threshold value of 0.1 mM for both substances. Thus, all three primate species are, similar to human subjects, clearly more sensitive to both steviol glycosides compared to sucrose. Only the spider monkeys displayed concentration-response curves with both stevioside and rebaudioside A which can best be described as an inverted U-shaped function suggesting that Ateles geoffroyi, similar to human subjects, may perceive a bitter side taste at higher concentrations of these substances. Taken together, the results of the present study do not support the notion that a co-evolution between plant and primate species may account for between-species differences in taste perception of steviol glycosides.
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| 20. |
- Norlen, Ellen, et al.
(author)
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Taste responsiveness of Western chimpanzees (Pan troglodytes verus) to five food-associated saccharides
- 2019
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In: Primates. - : SPRINGER JAPAN KK. - 0032-8332 .- 1610-7365. ; 60:1, s. 29-39
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Using a two-bottle choice test of short duration, we determined taste preference thresholds for sucrose, fructose, glucose, lactose, and maltose in three Western chimpanzees (Pan troglodytes verus). Further, we assessed relative preferences for these five saccharides when presented at equimolar concentrations and determined taste preference difference thresholds for sucrose, that is, the smallest concentration difference at which the chimpanzees display a preference for one of the two options. We found that the chimpanzees significantly preferred concentrations as low as 20mM sucrose, 40mM fructose, and 80mM glucose, lactose, and maltose over tap water. When given a choice between all binary combinations of these five saccharides presented at equimolar concentrations of 100, 200, and 400mM, respectively, the animals displayed significant preferences for individual saccharides in the following order: sucroseamp;gt;fructoseamp;gt;glucose=maltose=lactose. The taste difference threshold for sucrose, expressed as Weber ratio (I/I), was 0.3 and 0.4, respectively, at reference concentrations of 100 and 200mM. The taste sensitivity of the chimpanzees to the five saccharides falls into the same range found in other primate species. Remarkably, their taste preference thresholds are similar, and with two saccharides even identical, to human taste detection thresholds. The pattern of relative taste preferences displayed by the chimpanzees was similar to that found in platyrrhine primates and to the pattern of relative sweetness as reported by humans. Taken together, the results of the present study are in line with the notion that taste sensitivity for food-associated carbohydrates may correlate positively with phylogenetic relatedness. Further, they support the notion that relative preferences for food-associated carbohydrates, but not taste difference thresholds, may correlate with dietary specialization in primates.
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| 21. |
- Peixoto, Luis, et al.
(author)
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Olfactory sensitivity for mold-associated odorants in CD-1 mice and spider monkeys
- 2018
-
In: Journal of Comparative Physiology A. Sensory, neural, and behavioral physiology. - : SPRINGER HEIDELBERG. - 0340-7594 .- 1432-1351. ; 204:9-10, s. 821-833
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Using operant conditioning procedures, we assessed the olfactory sensitivity of six CD-1 mice and three spider monkeys for mold-associated odorants. We found that with all eight stimuli, the mice detected concentrations as low as 0.1 ppm (parts per million), and with two of them individual animals even detected concentrations as low as 1 ppt (parts per trillion). The spider monkeys detected concentrations as low as 4 ppm with all eight stimuli, and with four of them individual animals even detected concentrations as low as 4 ppb (parts per billion). Between-species comparisons showed that with all eight odorants, the mice displayed significantly lower threshold values, that is, a higher sensitivity than the spider monkeys, but not than human subjects tested in previous studies. Analysis of odor structure-activity relationships showed that in both species, the type of oxygen-containing functional group and the presence versus absence of a double bond as well as the length of the carbon backbone of the odor stimuli had a systematic effect on detectability. We conclude that both mice and spider monkeys are clearly able to detect the presence of molds and thus to assess the palatability of potential food using the volatiles produced by molds during putrefaction.
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| 22. |
- Pettersson, Henrik, 1968-, et al.
(author)
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Attractant or repellent? : Behavioral responses to mammalian blood odor and to a blood odor component in a mesopredator, the meerkat (Suricata suricatta)
- 2018
-
In: Frontiers in Behavioral Neuroscience. - Lausanne, Switzerland : Frontiers Research Foundation. - 1662-5153. ; 12
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- It is well-established that the odor of mammalian blood is attractive to top predators such as tigers and wolves and aversive to prey species such as mice and rats. Recent studies have shown that the mammalian blood odor component trans-4,5-epoxy-(E)-2-decenal (TED) elicits corresponding behavioral responses in these two groups of mammals. Here we assess whether a mesopredator, that is, a small-bodied carnivorous mammal that is both predator and prey, is attracted to or repelled by the odor of mammalian blood and TED. To this end, we assessed the behavior of a group of 15 captive meerkats (Suricata suricatta) when presented with wooden logs that were impregnated either with horse blood or with TED, and compared it to their behavior toward a fruity odor (iso-pentyl acetate) and a near-odorless solvent (diethyl phthalate). We found that the meerkats displayed significantly more interactions with the odorized wooden logs such as sniffing and pawing when these were impregnated with the two prey-associated odors compared to the two non-prey-associated odors. Most importantly, no significant difference was found in the number of interactions with the wooden logs impregnated with horse blood and TED, respectively. These results demonstrate that meerkats, despite being small-bodied mesopredators, are clearly attracted to the odor of mammalian blood. Further, the results suggest that a single blood odor component can be as efficient as the odor of real blood in eliciting behavioral responses in this herpestid mammal, similar to previous findings in feline and canine top predators.
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| 23. |
- Rodrigo, Alba Motes, et al.
(author)
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Hand Preferences in Two Unimanual and Two Bimanual Coordinated Tasks in the Black-Handed Spider Monkey (Ateles geoffroyi)
- 2018
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In: Journal of comparative psychology (1983). - : AMER PSYCHOLOGICAL ASSOC. - 0735-7036 .- 1939-2087. ; 132:2, s. 220-229
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Spider monkeys are interesting to study with regard to hand preferences, as they are one of the few primate species that lack a thumb and, thus, are unable to perform a precision grip. Further, being platyrrhine primates, they also largely lack independent motor control of the digits and, thus, have only limited manual dexterity. It was therefore the aim of the present study to assess hand preferences in black-handed spider monkeys (Ateles geoffroyi) in 4 tasks differing in task demand: simple unimanual reaching for food and 3 versions of the widely used tube task, including 2 bimanual versions that differ from each other in the degree of fine motor control needed and a unimanual version that does not require coordinated action of the hands. We found that black-handed spider monkeys display significant hand preferences at the individual, but not at the population, level. This was true both in the 2 bimanual coordinated tasks and in the 2 unimanual tasks. Further, our results show that the majority of animals were consistent in the hand they preferred in these 4 tasks. Our findings only partially support the notion that task demand positively correlates with strength of hand preference. Finally, we found that the index finger was the most frequently used digit in all 3 tube tasks, although the animals also used other digits and 2- and 3-finger combinations to extract food from a tube. We conclude that limited manual dexterity does not prevent spider monkeys from displaying strong and consistent hand preferences at the individual level.
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| 24. |
- Sarrafchi, Amir, et al.
(author)
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Olfactory Sensitivity for the Mammalian Blood Odor Component Trans-4,5-epoxy-(E)-2-decenal in CD-1 Mice.
- 2017
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In: Perception. - : Sage Publications. - 0301-0066 .- 1468-4233. ; 46:3-4, s. 333-342
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Using a conditioning paradigm and an automated olfactometer, we investigated the olfactory sensitivity of CD-1 mice for the mammalian blood odor component trans-4,5-epoxy-(E)-2-decenal. We found that two of the animals significantly discriminated concentrations down to 3.0 ppt (parts per trillion) from the solvent, and three animals even successfully detected dilutions as low as 0.3 ppt. Intraspecific comparisons between the olfactory detection thresholds obtained here with those obtained in earlier studies with other odorants show that mice are extraordinarily sensitive to this blood odor component. Interspecific comparisons of olfactory detection thresholds show that human subjects are even more sensitive to trans-4,5-epoxy-(E)-2-decenal than the mice tested here. Both intra- and inter-specific comparisons suggest that neither neuroanatomical properties such as the size of the olfactory epithelium, the total number of olfactory receptor neurons, or the size of olfactory brain structures, nor genetic properties such as the number of functional olfactory receptor genes or the proportion of functional relative to the total number of olfactory receptor genes allow us to reliably predict a species' olfactory sensitivity. In contrast, the results support the notion that the behavioral relevance of an odorant rather than neuroanatomical or genetic properties may determine a species' olfactory sensitivity.
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| 25. |
- Scharis, Inger, et al.
(author)
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Using morphometrics to quantitatively differentiateAfrican wild dog footprints from domestic dogfootprints – a pilot study
- 2016
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In: African Journal of Ecology. - : John Wiley & Sons. - 0141-6707 .- 1365-2028. ; 54:1
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Reliable population estimation and species inventories areimportant for wildlife conservation, but such estimationsare often difficult due to unreliable identification of thespecies in question. Furthermore, for predator conflictresolution, it is essential to be able to reliably identify thepredator. This study presents a new method to quantitativelydistinguish African wild dog (Lycaon pictus) footprintsfrom feral domestic dog (Canis lupus familiaris)footprints. Footprint photographs were digitally processedusing Photoshop and the NIH image processing softwareImageJ, and total pad area and angles between thecentroids of the backpad and the digits of the paw weremeasured. Pad angles showed statistically significantdifferences between the two species and, with the exceptionthat there was no significant difference in pad areabetween African wild dog females and domestic dog males,total pad areas were also diagnostic. Consequently, thecombination of total pad area and the angle betweenbackpad and digits are useful discriminators to reliablyidentify the species from an unknown footprint.
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| 26. |
- Sievert, Thorbjörn, et al.
(author)
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Behavioral Responses of CD-1 Mice to SixPredator Odor Components
- 2016
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In: Chemical Senses. - : Oxford University Press. - 0379-864X .- 1464-3553. ; 41:5, s. 399-406
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Mammalian prey species are able to detect predator odors and to display appropriate defensivebehavior. However, there is only limited knowledge about whether single compounds of predatorodors are sufficient to elicit such behavior. Therefore, we assessed if predator-naïve CD-1 mice(n = 60) avoid sulfur-containing compounds that are characteristic components of natural predatorodors and/or display other indicators of anxiety. A 2-compartment test arena was used to assessapproach/avoidance behavior, general motor activity, and the number of fecal pellets excretedwhen the animals were presented with 1 of 6 predator odor components in one compartment anda blank control in the other compartment. We found that 2 of the 6 predator odor components(2-propylthietane and 3-methyl-1-butanethiol) were significantly avoided by the mice. The remaining4 predator odor components (2,2-dimethylthietane, 3-mercapto-3-methylbutan-1-ol, 3-mercapto-3-methylbutyl-1-formate, and methyl-2-phenylethyl sulphide) as well as a nonpredator-associatedfruity odor (n-pentyl acetate) were not avoided. Neither the general motor activity nor the numberof excreted fecal pellets, both widely used measures of stress- or anxiety-related behavior, weresystematically affected by any of the odorants tested. Further, we found that small changes in themolecular structure of a predator odor component can have a marked effect on its behavioralsignificance as 2-propylthietane was significantly avoided by the mice whereas the structurallyrelated 2,2-dimethylthietane was not. We conclude that sulfur-containing volatiles identified ascharacteristic components of the urine, feces, and anal gland secretions of mammalian predatorscan be, but are not necessarily sufficient to elicit defensive behaviors in a mammalian prey species.
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| 27. |
- Sörensen, Ida, et al.
(author)
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Meerkats (Suricata suricatta) are able to detect hidden food using olfactory cues alone
- 2019
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In: Physiology and Behavior. - : Elsevier. - 0031-9384 .- 1873-507X. ; 202, s. 69-76
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Meerkats (Suricata suricatta) are known to strongly rely on chemical signals for social communication. However, little is known about their use of the sense of smell in foraging and food detection. The aim of the present study was therefore to assess whether captive meerkats are able to (1) detect hidden food using olfactory cues alone, (2) discriminate between the odor of real food and a single food odor component, and (3) build an association between the odor of real food and a novel odor. We employed the buried food test, widely used with rodents to assess basic olfactory abilities and designed to take advantage of the propensity of certain species to dig. We found that the meerkats were clearly able to find all four food types tested (mouse, thicken, mealworm, banana) using olfactory cues alone and that they successfully discriminated between the odor of real food (banana) and a food odor component (iso-pentyl acetate). In both tasks, the animals dug in the food-bearing corner of the test arena as the first one significantly more often than in the other three corners. No significant association-building between a food odor and a novel odor was found within the 60 trials performed per animal. We conclude that meerkats are able to use olfactory cues when foraging for hidden food. Further, we conclude that the buried food test, employed for the first time with a non-rodent species, is a useful means of assessing basic olfactory capabilities in meerkats.
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| 28. |
- Wegner, Carolyn, et al.
(author)
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Variability in transport of terrigenous material on the shelves and the deep Arctic Ocean during the Holocene
- 2015
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In: Polar Research. - : Norwegian Polar Institute. - 0800-0395 .- 1751-8369. ; 34
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Arctic coastal zones serve as a sensitive filter for terrigenous matter input onto the shelves via river discharge and coastal erosion. This material is further distributed across the Arctic by ocean currents and sea ice. The coastal regions are particularly vulnerable to changes related to recent climate change. We compiled a pan-Arctic review that looks into the changing Holocene sources, transport processes and sinks of terrigenous sediment in the Arctic Ocean. Existing palaeoceanographic studies demonstrate how climate warming and the disappearance of ice sheets during the early Holocene initiated eustatic sea-level rise that greatly modified the physiography of the Arctic Ocean. Sedimentation rates over the shelves and slopes were much greater during periods of rapid sea-level rise in the early and middle Holocene, as a result of the relative distance to the terrestrial sediment sources. However, estimates of suspended sediment delivery through major Arctic rivers do not indicate enhanced delivery during this time, which suggests enhanced rates of coastal erosion. The increased supply of terrigenous material to the outer shelves and deep Arctic Ocean in the early and middle Holocene might serve as analogous to forecast changes in the future Arctic.
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| 29. |
- Wielbass, Alexander, et al.
(author)
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Gustatory Responsiveness of Black-and-White Ruffed Lemurs (Varecia variegata variegata) to Food-Associated Sugars
- 2015
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In: International journal of primatology. - : SPRINGER. - 0164-0291 .- 1573-8604. ; 36:3, s. 460-472
-
Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Nonhuman primates differ widely in various aspects of their ecology and are thus particularly suitable for studying the mechanisms underlying interspecies differences in taste perception. Therefore, we assessed taste preference thresholds as well as relative preferences for five food-associated sugars in three adult black-and-white ruffed lemurs (Varecia variegata variegata) using two-bottle choice tests of brief duration (1 min). We found that the subjects significantly preferred concentrations as low as 25 mM sucrose and fructose, and 50 mM glucose, maltose, and lactose over tap water. When given a choice between all binary combinations of the same five saccharides presented at equimolar concentrations of 50, 100, and 200 mM, respectively, the subjects displayed marked preferences for individual sugars in the following order: sucrose greater than fructose greater than glucose greater than= maltose greater than= lactose. The sensitivity of the black-and-white ruffed lemurs to the five saccharides falls into the same range as that reported in other primates. The pattern of relative preferences for food-associated sugars was found to be largely similar to that reported in platyrrhine primates and in human subjects, but differed from that reported in a catarrhine primate. Taken together, the results of the present study support the notions that the taste sensitivity in primates for food-associated sugars may correlate with phylogenetic relatedness, with body mass, and with lactose content in milk. Further, the results support the notion that relative preferences for food-associated sugars in primates, but not necessarily their sweettaste sensitivity, may correlate with dietary specialization.
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