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Drea CM, Davies CS. Meerkat manners: Endocrine mediation of female dominance and reproductive control in a cooperative breeder. Horm Behav 2022; 145:105245. [PMID: 35988450 DOI: 10.1016/j.yhbeh.2022.105245] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/15/2022] [Revised: 07/18/2022] [Accepted: 08/08/2022] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Abstract
This article is part of a Special Issue (Hormones and Hierarchies). To gain more balanced understanding of sexual selection and mammalian sexual differentiation processes, this review addresses behavioral sex differences and hormonal mediators of intrasexual competition in the meerkat (Suricata suricatta) - a cooperative breeder unusual among vertebrates in its female aggression, degree of reproductive skew, and phenotypic divergence. Focused on the evolution, function, mechanism, and development of female dominance, the male remains a key reference point throughout. Integrated review of endocrine function does not support routine physiological suppression in subordinates of either sex, but instead a ramp up of weight, reproduction, aggression, and sex steroids, particularly androgens, in dominant females. Important and timely questions about female competition are thus addressed by shifting emphasis from mediators of reproductive suppression to mediators of reproductive control, and from organizational and activational roles of androgens in males to their roles in females. Unusually, we ask not only how inequity is maintained, but how dominance is acquired within a lifetime and across generations. Antiandrogens administered in the field to males and pregnant dominant females confirm the importance of androgen-mediated food competition. Moreover, effects of maternal endocrine milieu on offspring development reveal a heritable, androgenic route to female aggression, likely promoting reproductive priority along dominant matrilines. Integrating endocrine measures with long-term behavioral, ecological, morphological, and life-history data on normative and experimental individuals, across life stages and generations, provides better appreciation of the role of naturally circulating androgens in regulating the female phenotype, and sheds new light on the evolution of female dominance, reproductive inequity, and cooperative breeding.
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Affiliation(s)
- Christine M Drea
- Department of Evolutionary Anthropology, Duke University, Durham, NC 27708-0383, USA; Kalahari Research Trust, Kuruman River Reserve, Northern Cape, South Africa.
| | - Charli S Davies
- Department of Evolutionary Anthropology, Duke University, Durham, NC 27708-0383, USA; Kalahari Research Trust, Kuruman River Reserve, Northern Cape, South Africa
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2
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Zaremska V, Fischer IM, Renzone G, Arena S, Scaloni A, Knoll W, Pelosi P. Reverse Chemical Ecology Suggests Putative Primate Pheromones. Mol Biol Evol 2022; 39:msab338. [PMID: 34897488 PMCID: PMC8789041 DOI: 10.1093/molbev/msab338] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/30/2022] Open
Abstract
Pheromonal communication is widespread among living organisms, but in apes and particularly in humans there is currently no strong evidence for such phenomenon. Among primates, lemurs use pheromones to communicate within members of the same species, whereas in some monkeys such capabilities seem to be lost. Chemical communication in humans appears to be impaired by the lack or malfunctioning of biochemical tools and anatomical structures mediating detection of pheromones. Here, we report on a pheromone-carrier protein (SAL) adopting a "reverse chemical ecology" approach to get insights on the structures of potential pheromones in a representative species of lemurs (Microcebus murinus) known to use pheromones, Old-World monkeys (Cercocebus atys) for which chemical communication has been observed, and humans (Homo sapiens), where pheromones and chemical communication are still questioned. We have expressed the SAL orthologous proteins of these primate species, after reconstructing the gene encoding the human SAL, which is disrupted due to a single base mutation preventing its translation into RNA. Ligand-binding experiments with the recombinant SALs revealed macrocyclic ketones and lactones as the best ligands for all three proteins, suggesting cyclopentadecanone, pentadecanolide, and closely related compounds as the best candidates for potential pheromones. Such hypothesis agrees with the presence of a chemical very similar to hexadecanolide in the gland secretions of Mandrillus sphinx, a species closely related to C. atys. Our results indicate that the function of this carrier protein has not changed much during evolution from lemurs to humans, although its physiological role has been certainly impaired in humans.
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Affiliation(s)
- Valeriia Zaremska
- Austrian Institute of Technology GmbH, Biosensor Technologies, Tulln, Austria
| | | | - Giovanni Renzone
- Proteomics & Mass Spectrometry Laboratory, ISPAAM, National Research Council, Napoli, Italy
| | - Simona Arena
- Proteomics & Mass Spectrometry Laboratory, ISPAAM, National Research Council, Napoli, Italy
| | - Andrea Scaloni
- Proteomics & Mass Spectrometry Laboratory, ISPAAM, National Research Council, Napoli, Italy
| | - Wolfgang Knoll
- Austrian Institute of Technology GmbH, Biosensor Technologies, Tulln, Austria
- Department of Physics and Chemistry of Materials, Faculty of Medicine/Dental Medicine, Danube Private University, Krems, Austria
| | - Paolo Pelosi
- Austrian Institute of Technology GmbH, Biosensor Technologies, Tulln, Austria
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Drea CM. Design, delivery and perception of condition-dependent chemical signals in strepsirrhine primates: implications for human olfactory communication. Philos Trans R Soc Lond B Biol Sci 2020; 375:20190264. [PMID: 32306880 DOI: 10.1098/rstb.2019.0264] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/20/2023] Open
Abstract
The study of human chemical communication benefits from comparative perspectives that relate humans, conceptually and empirically, to other primates. All major primate groups rely on intraspecific chemosignals, but strepsirrhines present the greatest diversity and specialization, providing a rich framework for examining design, delivery and perception. Strepsirrhines actively scent mark, possess a functional vomeronasal organ, investigate scents via olfactory and gustatory means, and are exquisitely sensitive to chemically encoded messages. Variation in delivery, scent mixing and multimodality alters signal detection, longevity and intended audience. Based on an integrative, 19-species review, the main scent source used (excretory versus glandular) differentiates nocturnal from diurnal or cathemeral species, reflecting differing socioecological demands and evolutionary trajectories. Condition-dependent signals reflect immutable (species, sex, identity, genetic diversity, immunity and kinship) and transient (health, social status, reproductive state and breeding history) traits, consistent with socio-reproductive functions. Sex reversals in glandular elaboration, marking rates or chemical richness in female-dominant species implicate sexual selection of olfactory ornaments in both sexes. Whereas some compounds may be endogenously produced and modified (e.g. via hormones), microbial analyses of different odorants support the fermentation hypothesis of bacterial contribution. The intimate contexts of information transfer and varied functions provide important parallels applicable to olfactory communication in humans. This article is part of the Theo Murphy meeting issue 'Olfactory communication in humans'.
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Affiliation(s)
- Christine M Drea
- Department of Evolutionary Anthropology, Duke University, Durham, NC 27708-0383, USA.,Department of Biology, Duke University, Durham, NC 27708-0383, USA
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Kollikowski A, Zimmermann E, Radespiel U. First experimental evidence for olfactory species discrimination in two nocturnal primate species (Microcebus lehilahytsara and M. murinus). Sci Rep 2019; 9:20386. [PMID: 31892739 PMCID: PMC6938479 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-019-56893-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/22/2019] [Accepted: 12/17/2019] [Indexed: 12/26/2022] Open
Abstract
Olfactory communication is highly important for nocturnal mammals, especially for solitary foragers, but knowledge is still limited for nocturnal primates. Mouse lemurs (Microcebus spp.) are nocturnal solitary foragers with a dispersed lifestyle and frequently use chemo-sensory signalling behaviour for governing social interactions. Different mouse lemur species can co-occur in a given forest but it is unknown whether olfaction is involved in species recognition. We first screened 24 captive mouse lemurs (9 M. murinus, 15 M. lehilahytsara) for their olfactory learning potential in an experimental arena and then tested the species discrimination ability with urine odour in an operant conditioning paradigm in four individuals. The majority of the screened animals (75%) did not pass the screening criteria within a 2-week test period. However, all four final test animals, two M. murinus and two M. lehilahytsara, were successfully trained in a 5-step-conditioning process to reliably discriminate conspecific from heterospecific urine odour (requiring an overall median of 293 trials). Findings complement previous studies on the role of acoustic signalling and suggest that olfaction may be an important additional mechanism for species discrimination.
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Affiliation(s)
- Annika Kollikowski
- Institute of Zoology, University of Veterinary Medicine Hannover, Hannover, Germany.
| | - Elke Zimmermann
- Institute of Zoology, University of Veterinary Medicine Hannover, Hannover, Germany
| | - Ute Radespiel
- Institute of Zoology, University of Veterinary Medicine Hannover, Hannover, Germany
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5
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Affiliation(s)
- Thomas E Tomasi
- Department of Biology, Missouri State University, Springfield, MO, USA
| | - Briana N Anderson
- Department of Biology, Missouri State University, Springfield, MO, USA
| | - Theodore Garland
- Department of Evolution, Ecology, and Organismal Biology, University of California – Riverside, Riverside, CA, USA
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Weiß BM, Kücklich M, Thomsen R, Henkel S, Jänig S, Kulik L, Birkemeyer C, Widdig A. Chemical composition of axillary odorants reflects social and individual attributes in rhesus macaques. Behav Ecol Sociobiol 2018; 72:65. [PMID: 29606788 PMCID: PMC5871651 DOI: 10.1007/s00265-018-2479-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/31/2017] [Revised: 03/07/2018] [Accepted: 03/12/2018] [Indexed: 02/03/2023]
Abstract
Abstract Scents play an important role in the life of most terrestrial mammals and may transmit valuable information about conspecifics. Olfaction was long considered of low importance in Old World monkeys due to their relative reduction of olfactory structures and low incidence of scent-marking behavior but has been increasingly recognized for mediating social relationships in recent years. Yet, studies investigating the composition of their chemical cues remain scarce. In the present study, we analyzed the potential information content of chemicals present on the skin of rhesus macaques (Macaca mulatta). We collected axillary secretions from 60 animals of the semifree-ranging population on Cayo Santiago (Puerto Rico, USA) with precleaned cotton swabs from which the secretions were subsequently extracted and analyzed by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry. Rhesus macaque axillary odorants varied in their overall similarity and composition. This variation was attributable to differences in sex, group membership, and kinship and further appeared to reflect age and rank in parts of our sample. The compounds most strongly associated with this variation primarily comprised larger molecular weight aldehydes and steroids. Such compounds are considered to be perceivable by the primate olfactory system through close-range interactions or through breakdown into smaller molecules by bacterial fermentation. Overall, our results provide additional evidence that odors of Old World monkeys reflect a wealth of potential information about their carrier, which provides the basis for chemical communication via body odors; however, its use by conspecifics needs to be confirmed in bioassays. Significance statement One prerequisite for olfactory communication is the presence of systematic variation in animal odors that is related to attributes such as age, sex, or kinship. The composition of odors has been examined in numerous mammals but, with the exception of humans, remains poorly understood in Old World monkeys and apes, taxonomic groups in which most species do not show scent-marking behavior. In the present study, we show that the composition of axillary secretions of an Old World monkey, the rhesus macaque, reflects sex, group membership, relatedness, and possibly also age and rank. This variation thus provides a basis for olfactory communication in Old World monkeys.
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Affiliation(s)
- Brigitte M. Weiß
- Junior Research Group of Primate Kin Selection, Department of Primatology, Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology, Deutscher Platz 6, 04103 Leipzig, Germany
- Research Group of Behavioural Ecology, Institute of Biology, Faculty of Life Sciences, University of Leipzig, Talstraße 33, 04103 Leipzig, Germany
| | - Marlen Kücklich
- Junior Research Group of Primate Kin Selection, Department of Primatology, Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology, Deutscher Platz 6, 04103 Leipzig, Germany
- Research Group of Behavioural Ecology, Institute of Biology, Faculty of Life Sciences, University of Leipzig, Talstraße 33, 04103 Leipzig, Germany
| | - Ruth Thomsen
- Research Group of Behavioural Ecology, Institute of Biology, Faculty of Life Sciences, University of Leipzig, Talstraße 33, 04103 Leipzig, Germany
- Department of Anthropology, University College London, Gower Street, London, WC1E 6BT UK
| | - Stefanie Henkel
- Research Group of Behavioural Ecology, Institute of Biology, Faculty of Life Sciences, University of Leipzig, Talstraße 33, 04103 Leipzig, Germany
- Department of Developmental and Comparative Psychology, Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology, Deutscher Platz 6, 04103 Leipzig, Germany
| | - Susann Jänig
- Junior Research Group of Primate Kin Selection, Department of Primatology, Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology, Deutscher Platz 6, 04103 Leipzig, Germany
- Research Group of Behavioural Ecology, Institute of Biology, Faculty of Life Sciences, University of Leipzig, Talstraße 33, 04103 Leipzig, Germany
| | - Lars Kulik
- Junior Research Group of Primate Kin Selection, Department of Primatology, Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology, Deutscher Platz 6, 04103 Leipzig, Germany
- Research Group of Behavioural Ecology, Institute of Biology, Faculty of Life Sciences, University of Leipzig, Talstraße 33, 04103 Leipzig, Germany
| | - Claudia Birkemeyer
- Institute of Analytical Chemistry, Mass Spectrometry Research Group, University of Leipzig, Linnéstrasse 3, 04103 Leipzig, Germany
| | - Anja Widdig
- Junior Research Group of Primate Kin Selection, Department of Primatology, Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology, Deutscher Platz 6, 04103 Leipzig, Germany
- Research Group of Behavioural Ecology, Institute of Biology, Faculty of Life Sciences, University of Leipzig, Talstraße 33, 04103 Leipzig, Germany
- German Center for Integrative Biodiversity Research (iDiv), Deutscher Platz 5E, 04103 Leipzig, Germany
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7
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Testing for Links Between Female Urine Odor and Male Sexual Behaviors in Japanese Macaques (Macaca fuscata). INT J PRIMATOL 2017. [DOI: 10.1007/s10764-017-9980-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/03/2023]
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Poirotte C, Massol F, Herbert A, Willaume E, Bomo PM, Kappeler PM, Charpentier MJE. Mandrills use olfaction to socially avoid parasitized conspecifics. SCIENCE ADVANCES 2017; 3:e1601721. [PMID: 28435875 PMCID: PMC5384805 DOI: 10.1126/sciadv.1601721] [Citation(s) in RCA: 101] [Impact Index Per Article: 14.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/25/2016] [Accepted: 02/10/2017] [Indexed: 05/30/2023]
Abstract
The evolutionary transition from a solitary to a social lifestyle entails an elevated parasite cost because the social proximity associated with group living favors parasite transmission. Despite this cost, sociality is widespread in a large range of taxonomic groups. In this context, hosts would be expected to have evolved behavioral mechanisms to reduce the risk of parasite infection. Few empirical studies have focused on the influence of pathogen-mediated selection on the evolution of antiparasitic behavior in wild vertebrates. We report an adaptive functional relationship between parasitism and social behavior in mandrills, associated with evidence that they are able to gauge parasite status of their group members. Using long-term observations, controlled experiments, and chemical analyses, we show that (i) wild mandrills avoid grooming conspecifics infected with orofecally transmitted parasites; (ii) mandrills receive significantly more grooming after treatment that targets these parasites; (iii) parasitism influences the host's fecal odors; and (iv) mandrills selectively avoid fecal material from parasitized conspecifics. These behavioral adaptations reveal that selecting safe social partners may help primates to cope with parasite-mediated costs of sociality and that "behavioral immunity" plays a crucial role in the coevolutionary dynamics between hosts and their parasites.
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Affiliation(s)
- Clémence Poirotte
- Centre d’Ecologie Fonctionnelle et Evolutive (CEFE)–CNRS, UMR 5175, 1919 Route de Mende, 34293 Montpellier Cedex 5, France
- Institut des Sciences de l’Evolution de Montpellier (ISEM), UMR 5554, Place Eugène Bataillon, 34095 Montpellier Cedex 5, France
| | - François Massol
- CNRS, Université de Lille–Sciences et Technologies, UMR 8198, Evo-Eco-Paléo, F-59655 Villeneuve d’Ascq, France
| | - Anaïs Herbert
- Centre de Primatologie, Centre International de Recherches Médicales de Franceville (CIRMF), BP 769, Franceville, Gabon
| | - Eric Willaume
- Projet Mandrillus, Société d’exploitation du Parc de Lékédi (SODEPAL), BP 52, Bakoumba, Gabon
| | - Pacelle M. Bomo
- Projet Mandrillus, Société d’exploitation du Parc de Lékédi (SODEPAL), BP 52, Bakoumba, Gabon
| | - Peter M. Kappeler
- Behavioral Ecology and Sociobiology Unit, German Primate Center, Kellnerweg 4, 37077 Göttingen, Germany
| | - Marie J. E. Charpentier
- Centre d’Ecologie Fonctionnelle et Evolutive (CEFE)–CNRS, UMR 5175, 1919 Route de Mende, 34293 Montpellier Cedex 5, France
- Institut des Sciences de l’Evolution de Montpellier (ISEM), UMR 5554, Place Eugène Bataillon, 34095 Montpellier Cedex 5, France
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9
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Island HD, Wengeler J, Claussenius-Kalman H. The flehmen response and pseudosuckling in a captive, juvenile Southern sea otter (Enhydra lutris nereis). Zoo Biol 2017; 36:30-39. [PMID: 28111787 DOI: 10.1002/zoo.21346] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/06/2016] [Revised: 11/28/2016] [Accepted: 12/13/2016] [Indexed: 11/08/2022]
Abstract
A juvenile, female sea otter (Enhydra lutris nereis) was observed in 43 instances of the flehmen response over 19 days from May through July of 2015 at the Oregon Zoo. In all flehmen grimace observations, the juvenile sea otter engaged in nibbling, nosing, or licking the peri-mammary or anogenital areas of a non-lactating, geriatric female sea otter. The flehmen behavior observed was consisted with the sequences of behavior documented in other mammals, lifting the head, elevating the nose to the air, retracting the upper lip slightly, and manipulating her mystacial vibrissae back and forth while rapidly inspiring air through her mouth in quick succession, tongue extruded. The occurrence of this behavior was not specific to visitor density, visitor impact rating, day of the month, time of day, or exhibit zone. However, it did occur more frequently in one area of the enclosure. Among the three sea otters (two females, one male) currently housed at the Oregon Zoo, the juvenile female's flehmen response only occurred following interactions with the older female and was always preceded by the pseudosuckling or anogenital nosing, licking or nibbling behavior. Zoo Biol. 36:30-39, 2017. © 2017 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
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Affiliation(s)
- Heide D Island
- Department of Psychology, Pacific University, Forest Grove, Oregon
| | - Julia Wengeler
- Department of Psychology, Pacific University, Forest Grove, Oregon
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10
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Rhesus macaques (Macaca mulatta) recognize group membership via olfactory cues alone. Behav Ecol Sociobiol 2015. [DOI: 10.1007/s00265-015-2013-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/22/2022]
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11
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Gonzales LA, Benefit BR, McCrossin ML, Spoor F. Cerebral complexity preceded enlarged brain size and reduced olfactory bulbs in Old World monkeys. Nat Commun 2015; 6:7580. [PMID: 26138795 PMCID: PMC4506532 DOI: 10.1038/ncomms8580] [Citation(s) in RCA: 32] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/22/2015] [Accepted: 05/21/2015] [Indexed: 11/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Analysis of the only complete early cercopithecoid (Old World monkey) endocast currently known, that of 15-million-year (Myr)-old Victoriapithecus, reveals an unexpectedly small endocranial volume (ECV) relative to body size and a large olfactory bulb volume relative to ECV, similar to extant lemurs and Oligocene anthropoids. However, the Victoriapithecus brain has principal and arcuate sulci of the frontal lobe not seen in the stem catarrhine Aegyptopithecus, as well as a distinctive cercopithecoid pattern of gyrification, indicating that cerebral complexity preceded encephalization in cercopithecoids. Since larger ECVs, expanded frontal lobes, and reduced olfactory bulbs are already present in the 17- to 18-Myr-old ape Proconsul these features evolved independently in hominoids (apes) and cercopithecoids and much earlier in the former. Moreover, the order of encephalization and brain reorganization was apparently different in hominoids and cercopithecoids, showing that brain size and cerebral organization evolve independently. The evolution of the brain in Old World monkeys (cercopithecoids) is poorly understood. Here the authors describe a complete endocast of Victoriapithecus, a 15 Myr old cercopithecoid, which shows that the brain size was much smaller and the olfactory bulbs much larger than in any extant catarrhine primate.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lauren A Gonzales
- Department of Evolutionary Anthropology, Duke University, 104 Biological Sciences Building, Box 90383, Durham, North Carolina 27708-9976, USA
| | - Brenda R Benefit
- Department of Anthropology, New Mexico State University, PO Box 30001, Las Cruces, New Mexico 88003-8001, USA
| | - Monte L McCrossin
- Department of Anthropology, New Mexico State University, PO Box 30001, Las Cruces, New Mexico 88003-8001, USA
| | - Fred Spoor
- 1] Department of Human Evolution, Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology, Leipzig 04103, Germany [2] Department of Cell and Developmental Biology, UCL, Gower Street, London WC1E 6BT, UK
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12
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Smith TD, Laitman JT, Bhatnagar KP. The shrinking anthropoid nose, the human vomeronasal organ, and the language of anatomical reduction. Anat Rec (Hoboken) 2015; 297:2196-204. [PMID: 25312373 DOI: 10.1002/ar.23035] [Citation(s) in RCA: 37] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/24/2014] [Accepted: 06/25/2014] [Indexed: 11/09/2022]
Abstract
Humans and most of our closest extant relatives, the anthropoids, are notable for their reduced "snout." The striking reduction in facial projection is only a superficial similarity. All anthropoids, including those with long faces (e.g., baboons), have lost numerous internal projections (turbinals) and spaces (recesses). In sum, this equates to the loss of certain regions of olfactory mucosa in anthropoids. In addition, an accessory olfactory organ, the vomeronasal organ, is non-functional or even absent in all catarrhine primates (humans, apes, monkeys). In this commentary, we revisit the concept of anatomical reductions as it pertains to the anthropoid nasal region. Certain nasal structures and spaces in anthropoids exhibit well-known attributes of other known vestiges, such as variability in form or number. The cupular recess (a vestige of the olfactory recess) and some rudimentary ethmoturbinals constitute reduced structures that presumably were fully functional in our ancestors. Humans and at least some apes retain a vestige that is bereft of chemosensory function (while in catarrhine monkeys it is completely absent). However, the function of the vomeronasal system also includes prenatal roles, which may be common to most or all mammals. Notably, neurons migrate to the brain along vomeronasal and terminal nerve axons during embryogenesis. The time-specific role of the VNO raises the possibility that our concept of functional reduction is too static. The vomeronasal system of humans and other catarrhine primates appears to qualify as a "chronological" vestige, one which fulfills part of its function during ontogeny, and then becomes lost or vestigial.
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Affiliation(s)
- Timothy D Smith
- School of Physical Therapy, Slippery Rock University, Slippery Rock, Pennsylvania; Department of Anthropology, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
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13
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Drea CM. D'scent of man: a comparative survey of primate chemosignaling in relation to sex. Horm Behav 2015; 68:117-33. [PMID: 25118943 DOI: 10.1016/j.yhbeh.2014.08.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 88] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/28/2014] [Revised: 07/29/2014] [Accepted: 08/01/2014] [Indexed: 11/24/2022]
Abstract
This article is part of a Special Issue (Chemosignals and Reproduction). As highly visual animals, primates, in general, and Old World species (including humans), in particular, are not immediately recognized for reliance in their daily interactions on olfactory communication. Nevertheless, views on primate olfactory acuity and the pervasiveness of their scent signaling are changing, with increased appreciation for the important role of body odors in primate social and sexual behavior. All major taxonomic groups, from lemurs to humans, are endowed with scent-producing organs, and either deposit or exude a wealth of volatile compounds, many of which are known semiochemicals. This review takes a comparative perspective to illustrate the reproductive context of primate signaling, the relevant information content of their signals, the sexually differentiated investigative responses generated, and the behavioral or physiological consequences of message transmission to both signaler and receiver. Throughout, humans are placed alongside their relatives to illustrate the evolutionary continuum in the sexual selection of primate chemosignals. This ever-growing body of evidence points to a critical role of scent in guiding the social behavior and reproductive function throughout the primate order.
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Affiliation(s)
- Christine M Drea
- Department of Evolutionary Anthropology, Duke University, Durham, NC 27708-0383, USA; Department of Biology, Duke University, Durham, NC 27708-0383, USA.
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14
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Smith TD, Muchlinski MN, Bhatnagar KP, Durham EL, Bonar CJ, Burrows AM. The vomeronasal organ of Lemur catta. Am J Primatol 2014; 77:229-38. [PMID: 25220179 DOI: 10.1002/ajp.22326] [Citation(s) in RCA: 51] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/18/2014] [Revised: 07/21/2014] [Accepted: 08/05/2014] [Indexed: 11/09/2022]
Abstract
The vomeronasal organ (VNO), also known as the Jacobson's organ, is a bilateral chemosensory organ found at the base of the nasal cavity specialized for the detection of higher-molecular weight (non-volatile) chemostimuli. It has been linked to pheromone detection. The VNO has been well studied in nocturnal lemurs and lorises, but poorly studied in diurnal/cathemeral species despite the large repertoire of olfactory behaviors noted in species such as Lemur catta. Here, the VNO and associated structures were studied microanatomically in one adult female and one adult male L. catta. Traditional and immunohistochemical procedures demonstrate the VNO epithelium consists of multiple rows of sensory neurons. Immunoreactivity to Growth-associated protein 43 (GAP43) indicates the VNO is postnatally neurogenic. In volume, the VNO neuroepithelium scales similarly to palatal length compared to nocturnal strepsirrhines. Numerous taste buds present at the oral opening to the nasopalatine duct, with which the VNO communicates, provide an additional (or alternative) explanation for the flehmen behavior that has been observed in this species. The VNO of L. catta is shown to be microanatomically comparable to that of nocturnal strepsirrhines. Like nocturnal strepsirrhines, the VNO of L. catta may be functional in the reception of high-molecular weight secretions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Timothy D Smith
- School of Physical Therapy, Slippery Rock University, Slippery Rock, PA; Department of Anthropology, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA
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15
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SEMPLE STUART, HIGHAM JAMESP. Primate Signals: Current Issues and Perspectives. Am J Primatol 2013; 75:613-20. [DOI: 10.1002/ajp.22139] [Citation(s) in RCA: 37] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/21/2012] [Accepted: 01/07/2013] [Indexed: 01/03/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- STUART SEMPLE
- Centre for Research in Evolutionary and Environmental Anthropology; University of Roehampton; Holybourne Avenue, London; United Kingdom
| | - JAMES P. HIGHAM
- Center for the Study of Human Origins, Department of Anthropology; New York University; New York, New York
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Drea CM, Boulet M, Delbarco-Trillo J, Greene LK, Sacha CR, Goodwin TE, Dubay GR. The "secret" in secretions: methodological considerations in deciphering primate olfactory communication. Am J Primatol 2013; 75:621-42. [PMID: 23526595 DOI: 10.1002/ajp.22143] [Citation(s) in RCA: 53] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/24/2012] [Revised: 01/06/2013] [Accepted: 01/14/2013] [Indexed: 11/09/2022]
Abstract
Olfactory communication in primates is gaining recognition; however, studies on the production and perception of primate scent signals are still scant. In general, there are five tasks to be accomplished when deciphering the chemical signals contained in excretions and secretions: (1) obtaining the appropriate samples; (2) extracting the target organic compounds from the biological matrix; (3) separating the extracted compounds from one another (by gas chromatography, GC or liquid chromatography, LC); (4) identifying the compounds (by mass spectrometry, MS and associated procedures); and (5) revealing biologically meaningful patterns in the data. Ultimately, because some of the compounds identified in odorants may not be relevant, associated steps in understanding signal function involve verifying the perception or biological activity of putative semiochemicals via (6) behavioral bioassays or (7) receptor response studies. This review will focus on the chemical analyses and behavioral bioassays of volatile, primate scent signals. Throughout, we highlight the potential pitfalls of working with highly complex, chemical matrices and suggest ways for minimizing problems. A recurring theme in this review is that multiple approaches and instrumentation are required to characterize the full range of information contained in the complex mixtures that typify primate or, indeed, many vertebrate olfactory cues. Only by integrating studies of signal production with those verifying signal perception will we better understand the function of olfactory communication.
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Affiliation(s)
- Christine M Drea
- Department of Evolutionary Anthropology, Duke University, Durham, North Carolina 27708-0383, USA.
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