TY - JOUR
T1 - Chemical composition of glandular secretions from a pair-living monogamous primate
T2 - Sex, age, and gland differences in captive and wild owl monkeys (Aotus spp.)
AU - Spence-Aizenberg, Andrea
AU - Kimball, Bruce A.
AU - Williams, Lawrence E.
AU - Fernandez-Duque, Eduardo
N1 - Funding Information:
Zoological Society of San Diego; National Geographic Society; University of Pennsylvania Research Foundation; Wenner-Gren Foundation; National Science Foundation, Grant numbers: BCS-1232349, BCS-640 0621020, BCS-837921, BCS-904867, BCS-924352; International Primatological Society Research Grant; Amercian Society of Primatologists Small Research Grant; Leakey Foundation General Research Grant; Sigma-Xi Grant-in-Aid of Research; Nacey Maggioncalda Foundation James F. Nacey Fellowship
Funding Information:
This research was funded by the Leakey Foundation, International Primatological Society, American Society of Primatology, Sigma-Xi, and Nacey Maggioncalda Foundation grants to ASA, and grants from the National Science Foundation (BCS-1232349, BCS-640 0621020, BCS-837921, BCS-904867, BCS-924352), Wenner-Gren Foundation, National Geographic Society, the University of Pennsylvania Research Foundation, and the Zoological Society of San Diego to EFD. We would like to thank the Keeling Center for Comparative Medicine and Research (MD Anderson Cancer Center), Director Dr. C. Abee, and veterinarian Dr. A. Brady for allowing us access to the owl monkey colony. We would also like to thank G. Tustin, the owl monkey staff at the Keeling Center, E. Yau, and A. Fogel for assistance with sample collection at the Keeling Center, and to all of the students, volunteers, and assistants of the Owl Monkey Project who helped collecting the data in Formosa, Argentina, with special thanks to M. Rotundo, V. Dávalos, and C. Juárez for their work with the project and for sample collection in Argentina. This research complied with all animal care regulations of the MD Anderson Cancer Center, and the Owl Monkey Project has had continued approval for all research presented here by the Formosa Province Council of Veterinarian Doctors, the Directorate of Wildlife, the Subsecretary of Ecology and Natural Resources and the Ministry of Production. At the national level, the procedures were approved by the National Wildlife Directorate in Argentina and by the IACUC committees of the Zoological Society of San Diego (2000– 2005), of the University of Pennsylvania (2006–2013), and of the MD Anderson Cancer Center (2013). Thanks to Mr F. Middleton and Ing. A. Casaretto of Bellamar Estancias S.A. and the Ministerio de la Producción y Ambiente of Formosa Province for the continued support of the Owl Monkey Project. The authors would also like to thank two anonymous reviewers for their helpful comments and suggestions.
Publisher Copyright:
© 2017 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
PY - 2018/2/1
Y1 - 2018/2/1
N2 - Broadening our knowledge of olfactory communication in strictly monogamous systems can inform our understanding of how chemosignals may facilitate social and reproductive behavior between the sexes. Compared to other social and mating systems, relatively little is known about olfactory communication in strictly monogamous non-human primates. Furthermore, platyrrhines are not well represented in chemical analyses of glandular secretions. We conducted semi-quantitative headspace gas chromatography with mass spectrometry to investigate the chemical components of glandular secretions from the subcaudal and pectoral glands of a strictly pair-living platyrrhine, the owl monkey (Aotus spp.). In this study, the first chemical analysis of a wild platyrrhine population, our goals were to (1) conduct a robust analysis of glandular secretions from both captive and wild owl monkey populations and (2) identify whether biologically relevant traits are present in glandular secretions. We also compared and contrasted the results between two Aotus species in different environmental contexts: wild Aotus azarae (N = 33) and captive A. nancymaae (N = 104). Our findings indicate that secretions from both populations encode sex, gland of origin, and possibly individual identity. These consistent patterns across species and contexts suggest that secretions may function as chemosignals. Our data also show that wild A. azarae individuals are chemically discriminated by age (adult or subadult). Among the captive A. nanycmaae, we found chemical differences associated with location, possibly caused by dietary differences. However, there was no noticeable effect of contraception on the chemical profiles of females, nor evidence that closely related individuals exhibit more similar chemical profiles in A. nancymaae. Overall, our data suggest that glandular secretions of both wild and captive Aotus convey specific information. Future studies should use behavioral bioassays to evaluate the ability of owl monkeys to detect signals, and consider whether odor may ultimately facilitate social and sexual relationships between male and female owl monkeys.
AB - Broadening our knowledge of olfactory communication in strictly monogamous systems can inform our understanding of how chemosignals may facilitate social and reproductive behavior between the sexes. Compared to other social and mating systems, relatively little is known about olfactory communication in strictly monogamous non-human primates. Furthermore, platyrrhines are not well represented in chemical analyses of glandular secretions. We conducted semi-quantitative headspace gas chromatography with mass spectrometry to investigate the chemical components of glandular secretions from the subcaudal and pectoral glands of a strictly pair-living platyrrhine, the owl monkey (Aotus spp.). In this study, the first chemical analysis of a wild platyrrhine population, our goals were to (1) conduct a robust analysis of glandular secretions from both captive and wild owl monkey populations and (2) identify whether biologically relevant traits are present in glandular secretions. We also compared and contrasted the results between two Aotus species in different environmental contexts: wild Aotus azarae (N = 33) and captive A. nancymaae (N = 104). Our findings indicate that secretions from both populations encode sex, gland of origin, and possibly individual identity. These consistent patterns across species and contexts suggest that secretions may function as chemosignals. Our data also show that wild A. azarae individuals are chemically discriminated by age (adult or subadult). Among the captive A. nanycmaae, we found chemical differences associated with location, possibly caused by dietary differences. However, there was no noticeable effect of contraception on the chemical profiles of females, nor evidence that closely related individuals exhibit more similar chemical profiles in A. nancymaae. Overall, our data suggest that glandular secretions of both wild and captive Aotus convey specific information. Future studies should use behavioral bioassays to evaluate the ability of owl monkeys to detect signals, and consider whether odor may ultimately facilitate social and sexual relationships between male and female owl monkeys.
KW - chemosignals
KW - dynamic headspace analysis
KW - monogamy
KW - pair bonds
KW - scent glands
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=85042351176&partnerID=8YFLogxK
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/citedby.url?scp=85042351176&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1002/ajp.22730
DO - 10.1002/ajp.22730
M3 - Article
C2 - 29473987
AN - SCOPUS:85042351176
SN - 0275-2565
VL - 80
JO - American journal of primatology
JF - American journal of primatology
IS - 2
M1 - e22730
ER -