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Alves Soares T, Caspers BA, Loos HM. Volatile organic compounds in preen oil and feathers - a review. Biol Rev Camb Philos Soc 2024; 99:1085-1099. [PMID: 38303487 DOI: 10.1111/brv.13059] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/19/2022] [Revised: 01/18/2024] [Accepted: 01/22/2024] [Indexed: 02/03/2024]
Abstract
For a long time birds were assumed to be anosmic or at best microsmatic, with olfaction a poorly understood and seldom investigated part of avian physiology. The full viability of avian olfaction was first discovered through its functions in navigation and foraging. Subsequently, researchers have investigated the role of olfaction in different social and non-social contexts, including reproduction, kin recognition, predator avoidance, navigation and foraging. In parallel to the recognition of the importance of olfaction for avian social behaviour, there have been advances in the techniques and methods available for the sampling and analysis of trace volatiles and odourants, leading to insights into the chemistry underlying chemical communication in birds. This review provides (i) an overview of the current state of knowledge regarding the volatile chemical composition of preen oil and feathers, its phylogenetic coverage, chemical signatures and their potential functions, and (ii) a discussion of current methods used for the isolation and detection of volatiles. Finally, lines for future research are proposed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tatjana Alves Soares
- Chair of Aroma and Smell Research, Department of Chemistry and Pharmacy, Friedrich-Alexander-Universität Erlangen-Nürnberg (FAU), Henkestraße 9, Erlangen, 91054, Germany
| | - Barbara A Caspers
- Department of Behavioural Ecology, Bielefeld University, Konsequenz 45, Bielefeld, 33615, Germany
- Joint Institute for Individualisation in a Changing Environment (JICE), University of Münster and Bielefeld University, Bielefeld, Germany
| | - Helene M Loos
- Chair of Aroma and Smell Research, Department of Chemistry and Pharmacy, Friedrich-Alexander-Universität Erlangen-Nürnberg (FAU), Henkestraße 9, Erlangen, 91054, Germany
- Fraunhofer Institute for Process Engineering and Packaging IVV, Giggenhauser Straße 35, Freising, 85354, Germany
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Gvoždíková Javůrková V, Doležal P, Fraňková A, Horák M, Chodová D, Langrová I, Tůmová E. Effects of genotype, sex, and feed restriction on the biochemical composition of chicken preen gland secretions and their implications for commercial poultry production. J Anim Sci 2022; 101:6956961. [PMID: 36547363 PMCID: PMC9923712 DOI: 10.1093/jas/skac411] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/14/2022] [Accepted: 12/17/2022] [Indexed: 12/24/2022] Open
Abstract
Preen gland secretions spread on the feathers contain various chemical compounds dominated by fatty acids (FAs) and volatile organic compounds (VOCs). These chemicals may significantly affect plumage condition, microbial and ectoparasitic load on feathers, and chemical communication of birds. However, how chemical composition of preen secretions varies in commercially produced chickens with respect to their genotype, sex, and feeding regime remain largely unknown, as well as the welfare implications for farmed poultry. We found that while polyunsaturated fatty acids in chicken preen secretions differed significantly with genotype (P << 0.001), saturated fatty acids and monounsaturated fatty acids varied with genotype-dependent preen gland volume (P < 0.01). Chickens of meat-type fast-growing Ross 308 genotype had reduced preen gland volume and lower proportions of all FA categories in their preen secretions compared with dual-purpose slow-growing ISA Dual chickens. A total of 34 FAs and 77 VOCs with tens of unique FAs were detected in preen secretions of both genotypes. While differences in the relative proportion of 6 of the 10 most dominant VOCs in chicken preen gland secretions were related to genotype (P < 0.001), only 1 of the 10 most dominant VOCs showed a sex effect (P < 0.01), and only 2 of the 10 most dominant VOCs showed a genotype-dependent effect of feed restriction (P < 0.05). Feed restriction had no effect on the relative proportion of any of the FAs in chicken preen gland secretions. Moreover, we found that meat-type Ross 308 preen secretions were dominated by VOCs, which are proven attractants for poultry red mite and may also increase infestation with other ectoparasites and negatively influence overall odor-mediated intraspecific communication and welfare. This study shows that no feeding management, but long-term genetic selection in commercial breeding may be the main cause of the differences in the biochemistry and function of chicken preen secretions. This might have negative consequences for chemosignaling, antiparasitic, and antimicrobial potential of preen secretions and can lead to increased susceptibility to ectoparasites, plumage care disorders, and can affect the overall condition, welfare, and productivity of commercially bred chickens. Selection-induced preen gland impairments must therefore be considered and compensated by proper management of the chicken farm and increased care about animal well-being.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Petr Doležal
- Department of Animal Science, Faculty of Agrobiology, Food and Natural Resources, Czech University of Life Sciences, Prague 6 - Suchdol, Czech Republic,Department of Agroenvironmental Chemistry and Plant Nutrition, Faculty of Agrobiology, Food and Natural Resources, Czech University of Life Sciences, Prague 6 - Suchdol, Czech Republic
| | - Adéla Fraňková
- Department of Food Science, Faculty of Agrobiology, Food and Natural Resources, Czech University of Life Sciences, Prague 6 - Suchdol, Czech Republic
| | - Monika Horák
- Department of Animal Science, Faculty of Agrobiology, Food and Natural Resources, Czech University of Life Sciences, Prague 6 - Suchdol, Czech Republic
| | - Darina Chodová
- Department of Animal Science, Faculty of Agrobiology, Food and Natural Resources, Czech University of Life Sciences, Prague 6 - Suchdol, Czech Republic
| | - Iva Langrová
- Department of Zoology and Fisheries, Faculty of Agrobiology, Food and Natural Resources, Czech University of Life Sciences, Prague 6 - Suchdol, Czech Republic
| | - Eva Tůmová
- Department of Animal Science, Faculty of Agrobiology, Food and Natural Resources, Czech University of Life Sciences, Prague 6 - Suchdol, Czech Republic
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Douglas HD, Ermakov IV, Gellermann W. Brighter is better: bill fluorescence increases social attraction in a colonial seabird and reveals a potential link with foraging. Behav Ecol Sociobiol 2021; 75. [PMID: 34840402 DOI: 10.1007/s00265-021-03087-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/20/2022]
Abstract
Crested auklets (Aethia cristatella) are colonial seabirds with brilliant orange bills during the breeding season. We characterized the bill pigment with spectroscopy methods (resonance Raman, fluorescence, absorbance). We excluded carotenoids as a possible chromophore and showed that the pigment most closely resembles pterins. Like pterins the bill pigment fluoresces, and it occurred in two phenotypes that may differ geographically, perhaps due to environmental heterogeneity. The pigment is unique in the Genus Aethia, and its spectra did not match any known molecule. The UV-Vis absorbance spectrum of the bill pigment overlaps with the extracted pigment of euphausiids, a favored food of crested auklets. A color preference associated with prey may have favored characteristics of the crested auklet's accessory bill plates. Crest size, a signal of dominance, tended to correlate positively with highest fluorescence in the single-band phenotype. Brighter bills may function in self-advertisement and verify the status signal of the crest ornament. We tested for a behavioral preference using identical decoys that differed only in bill fluorescence. Crested auklets approached models with fluorescent bills at a higher frequency. In cases where sex of crested auklets was known, males responded at a higher frequency to fluorescent bills, but females did not. In an evolutionary context, bill fluorescence could have conferred an advantage in social interactions, e.g., in dimly lit rock crevices. Bill brightness and color may communicate success in foraging and may function as an honest signal of mate quality.
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Affiliation(s)
- H D Douglas
- Science Department, College of Community and Rural Development, University of Alaska Fairbanks, Fairbanks, AK 99775.,Current address: Dept. Biological Sciences, Grambling State University, Grambling, LA 71245
| | - I V Ermakov
- Department of Physics and Astronomy, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, UT 84112.,Current address: Longevity Link Corporation, Salt Lake City, UT 84108
| | - W Gellermann
- Department of Physics and Astronomy, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, UT 84112.,Current address: Longevity Link Corporation, Salt Lake City, UT 84108
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Mazorra-Alonso M, Tomás G, Soler JJ. Microbially Mediated Chemical Ecology of Animals: A Review of Its Role in Conspecific Communication, Parasitism and Predation. BIOLOGY 2021; 10:274. [PMID: 33801728 PMCID: PMC8065758 DOI: 10.3390/biology10040274] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/21/2021] [Revised: 03/20/2021] [Accepted: 03/24/2021] [Indexed: 02/07/2023]
Abstract
Microbial symbionts are nowadays considered of pivotal importance for animal life. Among the many processes where microorganisms are involved, an emerging research avenue focuses on their major role in driving the evolution of chemical communication in their hosts. Volatiles of bacterial origin may underlie chemical communication and the transfer of social information through signals, as well as inadvertent social information. We reviewed the role of microorganisms in animal communication between conspecifics, and, because the microbiome may cause beneficial as well as deleterious effects on their animal hosts, we also reviewed its role in determining the outcome of the interactions with parasites and predators. Finally, we paid special attention to the hypothetical role of predation and parasitism in driving the evolution of the animal microbiome. We highlighted the novelty of the theoretical framework derived from considering the microbiota of animals in scenarios of communication, parasitism, and predation. We aimed to encourage research in these areas, suggesting key predictions that need to be tested to better understand what is one of the main roles of bacteria in animal biology.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mónica Mazorra-Alonso
- Departamento de Ecología Funcional y Evolutiva, Estación Experimental de Zonas Áridas, Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas, 04120 Almería, Spain
| | - Gustavo Tomás
- Departamento de Ecología Funcional y Evolutiva, Estación Experimental de Zonas Áridas, Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas, 04120 Almería, Spain
- Unidad Asociada (Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas): Coevolución: Cucos, Hospedadores y Bacterias Simbiontes, Universidad de Granada, 18071 Granada, Spain
| | - Juan José Soler
- Departamento de Ecología Funcional y Evolutiva, Estación Experimental de Zonas Áridas, Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas, 04120 Almería, Spain
- Unidad Asociada (Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas): Coevolución: Cucos, Hospedadores y Bacterias Simbiontes, Universidad de Granada, 18071 Granada, Spain
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Olfactory Choice for Decomposition Stage in the Burying Beetle Nicrophorus vespilloides: Preference or Aversion? INSECTS 2020; 12:insects12010011. [PMID: 33375264 PMCID: PMC7824017 DOI: 10.3390/insects12010011] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/30/2020] [Revised: 12/19/2020] [Accepted: 12/24/2020] [Indexed: 11/17/2022]
Abstract
Simple Summary In the burying beetle Nicrophorus vespilloides, mating pairs raise their offspring together on a small carrion resource. We tested whether carcass age affected brood quantity and quality and found that pairs had significantly more offspring on fresher carcasses. To determine whether this reproductive benefit translates to an olfactory preference or aversion for carcass age, we conducted a series of olfactory trials testing adult mated female preferences for carcasses differing in age. Mated females spent more time associating with fresh carcass odors relative to those of an aged one, but also spent more time in empty chambers than those with an aged carcass, suggesting that mated females have a general aversion to those odors. Lastly, we characterized the odor profiles of fresh and aged carcasses to determine which compounds might be driving this olfactory aversion in mated female burying beetles. Abstract Sensory cues predicting resource quality are drivers of key animal behaviors such as preference or aversion. Despite the abundance of behavioral choice studies across the animal kingdom, relatively few studies have tested whether these decisions are driven by preference for one choice or aversion to another. In the burying beetle Nicrophorus vespilloides, adult pairs exhibit parental care to raise their offspring on a small carrion resource. We tested whether carrion decomposition stage affected brood quantity and quality and found that mating pairs had significantly more offspring on fresher carcasses. To determine whether this observed reproductive benefit correlates with maternal preference behavior, we conducted a series of olfactory trials testing mated female preferences for mouse carcasses of differing decomposition stages. When given the option between fresh and older carcasses, females associated significantly more with fresher, 1-day old carcasses. However, this behavior may be driven by aversion, as females that were given a choice between the 7-day old carcass and a blank control spent significantly more time in the control chamber. We characterized volatile organic compound profiles of both carcass types, highlighting unique compounds that may serve as public information (sensu lato) conveying resource quality information to gravid beetles.
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Trnka A, Fenďa P, Požgayová M, Procházka P. Common generalist mites do not transmit from foster parents to brood parasitic chicks. J Zool (1987) 2020. [DOI: 10.1111/jzo.12847] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- A. Trnka
- Department of Biology University of Trnava Trnava Slovakia
| | - P. Fenďa
- Department of Zoology Comenius University Bratislava Slovakia
| | - M. Požgayová
- Institute of Vertebrate Biology Czech Academy of Sciences Brno Czech Republic
| | - P. Procházka
- Institute of Vertebrate Biology Czech Academy of Sciences Brno Czech Republic
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Poldy J. Volatile Cues Influence Host-Choice in Arthropod Pests. Animals (Basel) 2020; 10:E1984. [PMID: 33126768 PMCID: PMC7692281 DOI: 10.3390/ani10111984] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/01/2020] [Revised: 10/22/2020] [Accepted: 10/22/2020] [Indexed: 01/05/2023] Open
Abstract
Many arthropod pests of humans and other animals select their preferred hosts by recognising volatile odour compounds contained in the hosts' 'volatilome'. Although there is prolific literature on chemical emissions from humans, published data on volatiles and vector attraction in other species are more sporadic. Despite several decades since the identification of a small number of critical volatiles underpinning specific host-vector relationships, synthetic chemicals or mixtures still largely fail to reproduce the attractiveness of natural hosts to their disease vectors. This review documents allelochemicals from non-human terrestrial animals and considers where challenges in collection and analysis have left shortfalls in animal volatilome research. A total of 1287 volatile organic compounds were identified from 141 species. Despite comparable diversity of entities in each compound class, no specific chemical is ubiquitous in all species reviewed, and over half are reported as unique to a single species. This review provides a rationale for future enquiries by highlighting research gaps, such as disregard for the contribution of breath volatiles to the whole animal volatilome and evaluating the role of allomones as vector deterrents. New opportunities to improve vector surveillance and disrupt disease transmission may be unveiled by understanding the host-associated stimuli that drive vector-host interactions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jacqueline Poldy
- Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation, Health & Biosecurity, Black Mountain Laboratory, Canberra, ACT 2601, Australia
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Tomás G, Zamora-Muñoz C, Martín-Vivaldi M, Barón MD, Ruiz-Castellano C, Soler JJ. Effects of Chemical and Auditory Cues of Hoopoes (Upupa epops) in Repellence and Attraction of Blood-Feeding Flies. Front Ecol Evol 2020. [DOI: 10.3389/fevo.2020.579667] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/11/2022] Open
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Kharitonov SP. Manipulation and Investigation Activity in Seabirds: Behavioral Response to Artificial Objects Exposed to a Colony. BIOL BULL+ 2019. [DOI: 10.1134/s1062359018090091] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/23/2022]
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Ferreira LL, Sarria ALF, de Oliveira Filho JG, de Silva FDO, Powers SJ, Caulfield JC, Pickett JA, Birkett MA, Borges LMF. Identification of a non-host semiochemical from tick-resistant donkeys (Equus asinus) against Amblyomma sculptum ticks. Ticks Tick Borne Dis 2019; 10:621-627. [PMID: 30799282 PMCID: PMC6446183 DOI: 10.1016/j.ttbdis.2019.02.006] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/07/2018] [Revised: 01/28/2019] [Accepted: 02/10/2019] [Indexed: 11/09/2022]
Abstract
Amblyomma sculptum is a tick affecting animal and human health across Argentina, Bolivia, Paraguay and Brazil. Donkeys, Equus asinus, are known to be resistant to A. sculptum, suggesting that they can produce non-host tick semiochemicals (allomones), as already demonstrated for some other vertebrate host/pest interactions, whereas horses, Equus caballus, are considered as susceptible hosts. In this study, we tested the hypothesis that donkeys produce natural repellents against A. sculptum, by collecting sebum from donkeys and horses, collecting the odour from sebum extracts, and identifying donkey-specific volatile compounds by gas chromatography (GC) and coupled GC-mass spectrometry (GC–MS). From the complex collected blends, five main compounds were identified in both species. Hexanal, heptanal and (E)-2-decenal were found predominantly in donkey extracts, whilst ethyl octanoate and ethyl decanoate were found predominantly in horse extracts. One compound, (E)-2-octenal, was detected exclusively in donkey extracts. In Y-tube olfactometer bioassays 36 different A. sculptum nymphs were tested for each extract, compound and concentration. The dry sebum extracts and the compounds identified in both species induced neither attraction nor repellency. Only (E)-2-octenal, the donkey-specific compound, displayed repellency, with more nymphs preferring the arm containing the solvent control when the compound was presented in the test arm across four concentrations tested (p < 0.05, Chi-square test). A combination of a tick attractant (ammonia) and (E)-2-octenal at 0.25 M also resulted in preference for the control arm (p < 0.05, Chi-square test). The use of semiochemicals (allomones) identified from less-preferred hosts in tick management has been successful for repelling brown dog ticks, Rhipicephalus sanguineus sensu lato from dog hosts. These results indicate that (E)-2-octenal could be used similarly to interfere in tick host location and be developed for use in reducing A. sculptum numbers on animal and human hosts.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lorena Lopes Ferreira
- Escola de Veterinária e Zootecnia, Universidade Federal de Goiás, Campus Samambaia, Avenida Esperança, s/n, Campus Universitário, CEP: 74690-900, Goiânia, Goiás, Brazil.
| | | | - Jaires Gomes de Oliveira Filho
- Escola de Veterinária e Zootecnia, Universidade Federal de Goiás, Campus Samambaia, Avenida Esperança, s/n, Campus Universitário, CEP: 74690-900, Goiânia, Goiás, Brazil.
| | - Fernanda de Oliveira de Silva
- Escola de Veterinária e Zootecnia, Universidade Federal de Goiás, Campus Samambaia, Avenida Esperança, s/n, Campus Universitário, CEP: 74690-900, Goiânia, Goiás, Brazil.
| | - Stephen J Powers
- Rothamsted Research, West Common, Harpenden, Hertfordshire AL5 2JQ, United Kingdom.
| | - John C Caulfield
- Rothamsted Research, West Common, Harpenden, Hertfordshire AL5 2JQ, United Kingdom.
| | - John A Pickett
- Rothamsted Research, West Common, Harpenden, Hertfordshire AL5 2JQ, United Kingdom.
| | - Michael A Birkett
- Rothamsted Research, West Common, Harpenden, Hertfordshire AL5 2JQ, United Kingdom.
| | - Lígia Miranda Ferreira Borges
- Instituto de Patologia Tropical e Saúde Pública, Universidade Federal de Goiás, Rua 235 s/n, Setor Universitário, CEP: 74605050, Goiânia, Goiás, Brazil.
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Douglas HD, Kitaysky AS, Kitaiskaia EV. Odor is linked to adrenocortical function and male ornament size in a colonial seabird. Behav Ecol 2018. [DOI: 10.1093/beheco/ary032] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/12/2022] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Hector D Douglas
- Institute of Marine Science, University of Alaska Fairbanks, Koyukuk Drive, Fairbanks, AK, USA
- Fairbanks, AK, USA
| | - Alexander S Kitaysky
- Institute of Arctic Biology, University of Alaska Fairbanks, Koyukuk Drive, Fairbanks, AK, USA
| | - Evgenia V Kitaiskaia
- Institute of Arctic Biology, University of Alaska Fairbanks, Koyukuk Drive, Fairbanks, AK, USA
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de Oliveira Filho JG, Ferreira LL, Sarria ALF, Pickett JA, Birkett MA, Mascarin GM, de León AAP, Borges LMF. Brown dog tick, Rhipicephalus sanguineus sensu lato, infestation of susceptible dog hosts is reduced by slow release of semiochemicals from a less susceptible host. Ticks Tick Borne Dis 2017; 8:139-145. [DOI: 10.1016/j.ttbdis.2016.10.010] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/05/2016] [Revised: 10/19/2016] [Accepted: 10/23/2016] [Indexed: 11/27/2022]
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de Oliveira Filho JG, Sarria ALF, Ferreira LL, Caulfield JC, Powers SJ, Pickett JA, de León AAP, Birkett MA, Borges LMF. Quantification of brown dog tick repellents, 2-hexanone and benzaldehyde, and release from tick-resistant beagles, Canis lupus familiaris. J Chromatogr B Analyt Technol Biomed Life Sci 2016; 1022:64-69. [DOI: 10.1016/j.jchromb.2016.03.014] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/15/2015] [Revised: 03/11/2016] [Accepted: 03/15/2016] [Indexed: 10/22/2022]
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Douglas HD, Malenke JR. An Extraordinary Host-Specific Sex Ratio in an Avian Louse (Phthiraptera: Insecta)--Chemical Distortion? ENVIRONMENTAL ENTOMOLOGY 2015; 44:1149-1154. [PMID: 26314060 DOI: 10.1093/ee/nvv073] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/09/2014] [Accepted: 04/20/2015] [Indexed: 06/04/2023]
Abstract
Distortions of sex ratios and sexual traits from synthetic chemicals have been well documented; however, there is little evidence for such phenomena associated with naturally occurring chemical exposures. We reasoned that chemical secretions of vertebrates could contribute to skewed sex ratios in ectoparasitic insects due to differences in susceptibility among the sexes. For example, among ectoparasitic lice the female is generally the larger sex. Smaller males may be more susceptible to chemical effects. We studied sex ratios of lice on two sympatric species of colonial seabirds. Crested auklets (Aethia cristatella) secrete a strong smelling citrus-like odorant composed of aldehydes while a closely related congener the least auklet (Aethia pusilla) lacks these compounds. Each auklet hosts three species of lice, two of which are shared in common. We found that the sex ratio of one louse species, Quadraceps aethereus (Giebel), was highly skewed on crested auklets 1:69 (males: females), yet close to unity on least auklets (1:0.97). We suggest that a host-specific effect contributes to this difference, such as the crested auklet's chemical odorant.
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Affiliation(s)
- H D Douglas
- Institute of Marine Science, University of Alaska, Fairbanks, AK 99775. Current address: Science Department, College of Rural and Community Development, Kuskokwim Campus, University of Alaska, Bethel, AK 99559.
| | - J R Malenke
- Department of Biology, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, UT 84412
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Borges LMF, de Oliveira Filho JG, Ferreira LL, Louly CCB, Pickett JA, Birkett MA. Identification of non-host semiochemicals for the brown dog tick, Rhipicephalus sanguineus sensu lato (Acari: Ixodidae), from tick-resistant beagles, Canis lupus familiaris. Ticks Tick Borne Dis 2015; 6:676-82. [DOI: 10.1016/j.ttbdis.2015.05.014] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/09/2015] [Revised: 05/26/2015] [Accepted: 05/31/2015] [Indexed: 10/23/2022]
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Caro SP, Balthazart J, Bonadonna F. The perfume of reproduction in birds: chemosignaling in avian social life. Horm Behav 2015; 68:25-42. [PMID: 24928570 PMCID: PMC4263688 DOI: 10.1016/j.yhbeh.2014.06.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 83] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/05/2014] [Revised: 06/02/2014] [Accepted: 06/03/2014] [Indexed: 11/23/2022]
Abstract
This article is part of a Special Issue "Chemosignals and Reproduction". Chemical cues were probably the first cues ever used to communicate and are still ubiquitous among living organisms. Birds have long been considered an exception: it was believed that birds were anosmic and relied on their acute visual and acoustic capabilities. Birds are however excellent smellers and use odors in various contexts including food searching, orientation, and also breeding. Successful reproduction in most vertebrates involves the exchange of complex social signals between partners. The first evidence for a role of olfaction in reproductive contexts in birds only dates back to the seventies, when ducks were shown to require a functional sense of smell to express normal sexual behaviors. Nowadays, even if the interest for olfaction in birds has largely increased, the role that bodily odors play in reproduction still remains largely understudied. The few available studies suggest that olfaction is involved in many reproductive stages. Odors have been shown to influence the choice and synchronization of partners, the choice of nest-building material or the care for the eggs and offspring. How this chemical information is translated at the physiological level mostly remains to be described, although available evidence suggests that, as in mammals, key reproductive brain areas like the medial preoptic nucleus are activated by relevant olfactory signals. Olfaction in birds receives increasing attention and novel findings are continuously published, but many exciting discoveries are still ahead of us, and could make birds one of the animal classes with the largest panel of developed senses ever described.
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Affiliation(s)
- Samuel P Caro
- Research Group in Behavioural Ecology, Department of Evolutionary Ecology, CEFE-CNRS (UMR 5175), Montpellier, France; Department of Animal Ecology, Netherlands Institute of Ecology (NIOO-KNAW), Wageningen, The Netherlands.
| | - Jacques Balthazart
- Research Group in Behavioral Neuroendocrinology, Center for Cellular and Molecular Neurobiology, University of Liège, Belgium
| | - Francesco Bonadonna
- Research Group in Behavioural Ecology, Department of Evolutionary Ecology, CEFE-CNRS (UMR 5175), Montpellier, France
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Mihailova M, Berg ML, Buchanan KL, Bennett AT. Odour-based discrimination of subspecies, species and sexes in an avian species complex, the crimson rosella. Anim Behav 2014. [DOI: 10.1016/j.anbehav.2014.07.012] [Citation(s) in RCA: 26] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/15/2022]
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Dietrich M, Lobato E, Boulinier T, McCoy KD. An experimental test of host specialization in a ubiquitous polar ectoparasite: a role for adaptation? J Anim Ecol 2014; 83:576-87. [PMID: 24467400 DOI: 10.1111/1365-2656.12170] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/16/2013] [Accepted: 10/21/2013] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Abstract
The evolution of host specificity is considered to be an essential mechanism driving parasite diversity. It may be governed by adaptive constraints that lead to host-dependent fitness trade-offs. Alternatively, specificity may arise via transmission constraints that isolate parasite populations, without necessarily involving adaptation per se. Here, we ask whether the repeated observation of host-associated genetic races across the worldwide distribution of the seabird ectoparasite Ixodes uriae is associated with host adaptation. We conducted a field-based experiment to test for adaptive specialisation in host races of I. uriae. We transferred unengorged ticks of two life stages (nymphs and adults) originating from three host species (black-legged kittiwake, common guillemot and Atlantic puffin) onto young kittiwake nestlings and followed attraction and attachment rates, engorgement times and feeding success of the transplanted ticks. All ticks were also typed genetically to match exploitation patterns with genetic differences among races. Ticks from atypical hosts were significantly less attracted to nestlings than ticks from the typical host, and showed lower feeding success and higher mortality. The degree of host specificity matched patterns of neutral genetic variation among races, with puffin ticks being more specific than guillemot ticks. Differences in specificity were also apparent among tick life stages, suggesting that nymphal ticks may be less discriminating of host type than adult ticks. Our results indicate that the genetic divergence previously observed among sympatric I. uriae host races is at least partially linked to adaptive specialisation to the host species and not simply to host-mediated transmission. They also suggest that the adaptation process may evolve differently in different life stages based on trade-offs with physiological constraints. The identification of the selective forces acting in host specialization will now be necessary to better characterize these patterns and to understand how transmission interacts with the adaptation process to generate parasite biodiversity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Muriel Dietrich
- Maladies Infectieuses et Vecteurs : Ecologie, Génétique, Evolution et Contrôle, UMR UM1 UM2 CNRS 5290 - UR IRD 224, Centre IRD, 911 Avenue Agropolis, BP 64501, 34394, Montpellier, France
| | - Elisa Lobato
- Centre d'Ecologie Fonctionnelle et Evolutive, UMR CNRS 5175, 1919 Route de Mende, 34293, Montpellier, France
| | - Thierry Boulinier
- Centre d'Ecologie Fonctionnelle et Evolutive, UMR CNRS 5175, 1919 Route de Mende, 34293, Montpellier, France
| | - Karen D McCoy
- Maladies Infectieuses et Vecteurs : Ecologie, Génétique, Evolution et Contrôle, UMR UM1 UM2 CNRS 5290 - UR IRD 224, Centre IRD, 911 Avenue Agropolis, BP 64501, 34394, Montpellier, France
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McCann S, Moeri O, Jones T, Scott C, Khaskin G, Gries R, O'Donnell S, Gries G. Strike fast, strike hard: the red-throated caracara exploits absconding behavior of social wasps during nest predation. PLoS One 2014; 8:e84114. [PMID: 24386338 PMCID: PMC3873407 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0084114] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/08/2013] [Accepted: 11/12/2013] [Indexed: 11/19/2022] Open
Abstract
Red-throated Caracaras Ibycter americanus (Falconidae) are specialist predators of social wasps in the Neotropics. It had been proposed that these caracaras possess chemical repellents that allow them to take the brood of wasp nests without being attacked by worker wasps. To determine how caracaras exploit nests of social wasps and whether chemical repellents facilitate predation, we: (1) video recorded the birds attacking wasp nests; (2) analyzed surface extracts of the birds' faces, feet, and feathers for potential chemical repellents; and (3) inflicted mechanical damage on wasp nests to determine the defensive behavior of wasps in response to varying levels of disturbance. During caracara predation events, two species of large-bodied wasps mounted stinging attacks on caracaras, whereas three smaller-bodied wasp species did not. The “hit-and-run” predation tactic of caracaras when they attacked nests of large and aggressive wasps reduced the risk of getting stung. Our data reveal that the predation strategy of caracaras is based on mechanical disturbance of, and damage to, target wasp nests. Caracara attacks and severe experimental disturbance of nests invariably caused wasps to abscond (abandon their nests). Two compounds in caracara foot extracts [sulcatone and iridodial] elicited electrophysiological responses from wasp antennae, and were also present in defensive secretions of sympatric arboreal-nesting Azteca ants. These compounds appear not to be wasp repellents but to be acquired coincidentally by caracaras when they perch on trees inhabited with Azteca ants. We conclude that caracara predation success does not depend on wasp repellents but relies on the absconding response that is typical of swarm-founding polistine wasps. Our study highlights the potential importance of vertebrate predators in the ecology and evolution of social wasps.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sean McCann
- Department of Biological Sciences, Simon Fraser University, Burnaby, British Columbia, Canada
- * E-mail:
| | - Onour Moeri
- Department of Biological Sciences, Simon Fraser University, Burnaby, British Columbia, Canada
| | - Tanya Jones
- Department of Biological Sciences, Simon Fraser University, Burnaby, British Columbia, Canada
| | - Catherine Scott
- Department of Biological Sciences, Simon Fraser University, Burnaby, British Columbia, Canada
| | - Grigori Khaskin
- Department of Biological Sciences, Simon Fraser University, Burnaby, British Columbia, Canada
| | - Regine Gries
- Department of Biological Sciences, Simon Fraser University, Burnaby, British Columbia, Canada
| | - Sean O'Donnell
- Department of Biodiversity, Earth & Environmental Science, Drexel University, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States of America
| | - Gerhard Gries
- Department of Biological Sciences, Simon Fraser University, Burnaby, British Columbia, Canada
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Douglas HD. Colonial seabird's paralytic perfume slows lice down: an opportunity for parasite-mediated selection? Int J Parasitol 2013; 43:399-407. [PMID: 23399419 DOI: 10.1016/j.ijpara.2013.01.004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/27/2012] [Revised: 12/31/2012] [Accepted: 01/03/2013] [Indexed: 11/25/2022]
Abstract
Selection for chemical signals in birds could be influenced by parasitism as has been previously suggested for visual and acoustic displays. Crested auklets (Aethia cristatella), colonial seabirds from Alaska and Siberia, offer an example of how this might occur. Crested auklets secrete lipids in plumage, possibly as an indicator of status and attractiveness. Prominent among these secretions are aldehydes, which are noticeable as a pungent citrus-like odour. Octanal and hexanal, the most abundant aldehydes in the plumage of crested auklets, are potent invertebrate repellents, reported from the chemical defenses of heteropteran insects. These aldehydes occur at high concentrations within specialized secretory structures. Experiments presented here show that these compounds can paralyse lice. Lice obtained from auklets were paralysed or killed within seconds after exposure to volatiles from nicks in the integument of a crested auklet. Chemical analysis demonstrated the presence of aldehydes in the area of integument used for this experiment. Lice exposed to control tissues in the same manner were not affected. A synthetic blend of crested auklet odourant constituents caused a sequence of impaired behaviours in auklet lice comparable to the effects of neuroactive insecticides. The time until onset of effects was dependent on dose, suggesting that the rate of molecular diffusion into louse spiracles was the explanatory factor. Impairment was evident even at very low concentrations that can occur in crested auklet plumage during winter. The same aqueous emulsions were present in both experimental and control treatments but lice in controls experiments were not affected. Crested auklets inhabit crowded social neighbourhoods with larger social groups, closer interindividual spacing and higher rates of contact than sympatric least auklets (Aethia pusilla). This could help to explain why crested auklets can have higher louse abundances. Lice are spread through direct contact between hosts and louse-infected mates could transmit lice to offspring. Large differences in the louse loads on crested auklet fledglings suggest differences in the parental transmission of lice to offspring.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hector D Douglas
- Institute of Marine Science, University of Alaska, Fairbanks, AK 99775, USA.
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Using Lone Star Ticks, Amblyomma americanum (Acari: Ixodidae), in in Vitro Laboratory Bioassays of Repellents: Dimensions, Duration, and Variability. ACTA ACUST UNITED AC 2011. [DOI: 10.1021/bk-2011-1090.ch007] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register]
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22
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Kempf F, De Meeûs T, Vaumourin E, Noel V, Taragel’ová V, Plantard O, Heylen DJ, Eraud C, Chevillon C, McCoy KD. Host races in Ixodes ricinus, the European vector of Lyme borreliosis. INFECTION GENETICS AND EVOLUTION 2011; 11:2043-8. [DOI: 10.1016/j.meegid.2011.09.016] [Citation(s) in RCA: 36] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/06/2011] [Revised: 09/20/2011] [Accepted: 09/21/2011] [Indexed: 10/17/2022]
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Lobato E, Pearce-Duvet J, Staszewski V, Gómez-Díaz E, González-Solís J, Kitaysky A, McCoy KD, Boulinier T. Seabirds and the circulation of Lyme borreliosis bacteria in the North Pacific. Vector Borne Zoonotic Dis 2011; 11:1521-7. [PMID: 21919724 DOI: 10.1089/vbz.2010.0267] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Seabirds act as natural reservoirs to Lyme borreliosis spirochetes and may play a significant role in the global circulation of these pathogens. While Borrelia burgdorferi sensu lato (Bbsl) has been shown to occur in ticks collected from certain locations in the North Pacific, little is known about interspecific differences in exposure within the seabird communities of this region. We examined the prevalence of anti-Bbsl antibodies in 805 individuals of nine seabird species breeding across the North Pacific. Seroprevalence varied strongly among species and locations. Murres (Uria spp.) showed the highest antibody prevalence and may play a major role in facilitating Bbsl circulation at a worldwide scale. Other species showed little or no signs of exposure, despite being present in multispecific colonies with seropositive birds. Complex dynamics may be operating in this wide scale, natural host-parasite system, possibly mediated by the host immune system and host specialization of the tick vector.
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Affiliation(s)
- Elisa Lobato
- Centre d'Ecologie Fonctionnelle et Evolutive, CNRS UMR 5175, Montpellier, France.
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Campagna S, Mardon J, Celerier A, Bonadonna F. Potential semiochemical molecules from birds: a practical and comprehensive compilation of the last 20 years studies. Chem Senses 2011; 37:3-25. [PMID: 21798850 DOI: 10.1093/chemse/bjr067] [Citation(s) in RCA: 52] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
During the past 2 decades, considerable progress has been made in the study of bird semiochemistry, and our goal was to review and evaluate this literature with particular emphasis on the volatile organic constituents. Indeed, since the importance of social chemosignaling in birds is becoming more and more apparent, the search for molecules involved in chemical communication is of critical interest. These molecules can be found in different sources that include uropygial gland secretions, feather-surface compounds, and molecules from feces and skin. Although many studies have examined the chemical substances secreted by birds, research on bird chemical communication is still at the start, so new strategies for collecting samples and development of new methods of analysis are urgently required. As a first step, we built a database that brings together potential semiochemicals, using a unique chemical nomenclature for comparing different bird species and also for referencing the different classes of substances that can be found in order to adapt future parameters of analysis. The most important patterns of the wax fraction of preen secretions are highlighted and organized in an ordered table. We also draw up a list of various combinations of sampling and analytical techniques, so that each method can be compared at a glance.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sylvie Campagna
- Behavioral Ecology Group, Centre d'Ecologie Fonctionnelle et Evolutive-CNRS UMR 5175, Montpellier, France.
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Zubakin VA, Volodin IA, Klenova AV, Zubakina EV, Volodina EV, Lapshina EN. Behavior of crested auklets (Aethia cristatella, Charadriiformes, Alcidae) in the breeding season: Visual and acoustic displays. BIOL BULL+ 2010. [DOI: 10.1134/s1062359010080066] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/23/2022]
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Caro SP, Balthazart J. Pheromones in birds: myth or reality? J Comp Physiol A Neuroethol Sens Neural Behav Physiol 2010; 196:751-66. [PMID: 20490809 DOI: 10.1007/s00359-010-0534-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 54] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/15/2009] [Revised: 04/26/2010] [Accepted: 04/29/2010] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Abstract
Birds are anosmic or at best microsmatic… This misbelief persisted until very recently and has strongly influenced the outcome of communication studies in birds, with olfaction remaining neglected as compared to acoustic and visual channels. However, there is now clear empirical evidence showing that olfaction is perfectly functional in birds and birds use olfactory information in a variety of ethological contexts. Although the existence of pheromones has never been formally demonstrated in this vertebrate class, different groups of birds, such as petrels, auklets and ducks have been shown to produce specific scents that could play a significant role in within-species social interactions. Behavioral experiments have indeed demonstrated that these odors influence the behavior of conspecifics. Additionally, in quail, deprivation of olfactory inputs decreases neuronal activation induced by sexual interactions with a female. It seems therefore well established that birds enjoy a functional sense of smell and a fast growing body of experimental evidence suggests that they use this channel of olfactory communication to control their social life. The unequivocal identification of an avian pheromone is, however, still ahead of us but there are now many exciting opportunities to unravel the behavioral and physiological particularities of chemical communication in birds.
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Affiliation(s)
- Samuel P Caro
- Department of Biology, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, NC, USA
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Whittaker DJ, Soini HA, Atwell JW, Hollars C, Novotny MV, Ketterson ED. Songbird chemosignals: volatile compounds in preen gland secretions vary among individuals, sexes, and populations. ACTA ACUST UNITED AC 2010; 21:608-614. [PMID: 22475692 DOI: 10.1093/beheco/arq033] [Citation(s) in RCA: 82] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/05/2009] [Revised: 02/11/2010] [Accepted: 02/21/2010] [Indexed: 11/13/2022]
Abstract
Chemical signaling has been documented in many animals, but its potential importance in avian species, particularly songbirds, has received far less attention. We tested whether volatile compounds in the preen oil of a songbird (Junco hyemalis) contain reliable information about individual identity, sex, or population of origin by repeated sampling from captive male and female juncos originating from 2 recently diverged junco populations in southern California. One of the populations recently colonized an urban environment; the other resides in a species-typical montane environment. The birds were field-caught as juveniles, housed under identical conditions, and fed the same diet for 10 months prior to sampling. We used capillary gas chromatography-mass spectrometry to quantify the relative abundance of 19 volatile compounds previously shown to vary seasonally in this species. We found individual repeatability as well as significant sex and population differences in volatile profiles. The persistence of population differences in a common environment suggests that preen oil chemistry likely has a genetic basis and may thus evolve rapidly in response to environmental change. These finding suggest that songbird preen oil odors have the potential to function as chemosignals associated with mate recognition or reproductive isolation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Danielle J Whittaker
- Department of Biology, Indiana University, 1001 East Third Street, Bloomington, IN 47405, USA
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Balthazart J, Taziaux M. The underestimated role of olfaction in avian reproduction? Behav Brain Res 2009; 200:248-59. [PMID: 18804490 PMCID: PMC2692081 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbr.2008.08.036] [Citation(s) in RCA: 66] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/24/2008] [Revised: 08/25/2008] [Accepted: 08/26/2008] [Indexed: 01/21/2023]
Abstract
Until the second half of the 20th century, it was broadly accepted that most birds are microsmatic if not anosmic and unable to detect and use olfactory information. Exceptions were eventually conceded for species like procellariiforms, vultures or kiwis that detect their food at least in part based on olfactory signals. During the past 20-30 years, many publications have appeared indicating that this view is definitely erroneous. We briefly review here anatomical, electrophysiological and behavioral data demonstrating that birds in general possess a functional olfactory system and are able to use olfactory information in a variety of ethological contexts, including reproduction. Recent work also indicates that brain activation induced by sexual interactions with a female is significantly affected by olfactory deprivation in Japanese quail. Brain activation was measured via immunocytochemical detection of the protein product of the immediate early gene c-fos. Changes observed concerned two brain areas that play a key role in the control of male sexual behavior, the medial preoptic nucleus and the bed nucleus of the stria terminalis therefore suggesting a potential role of olfaction in the control of reproduction. The widespread idea that birds are anosmic or microsmatic is thus not supported by the available experimental data and presumably originates in our anthropomorphic view that leads us to think that birds do not smell because they have a rigid beak and nostrils and do not obviously sniff. Experimental analysis of this phenomenon is thus warranted and should lead to a significant change in our understanding of avian biology.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jacques Balthazart
- Center for Cellular and Molecular Neurobiology, Research Group in Behavioral Neuroendocrinology, University of Liège, Liège, Belgium.
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Douglas HD, Kitaysky AS, Kitaiskaia EV. Seasonal covariation in progesterone and odorant emissions among breeding crested auklets (Aethia cristatella). Horm Behav 2008; 54:325-9. [PMID: 18445496 DOI: 10.1016/j.yhbeh.2008.03.003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/28/2007] [Revised: 02/04/2008] [Accepted: 03/03/2008] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Abstract
Crested auklets emit a citrus-like odorant that is seasonally modulated, suggesting that it is a secondary sexual trait. We hypothesized that expression of the chemical odorant is facilitated by steroid hormones, similar other secondary sexual traits in birds. Therefore we examined variation in concentrations of hormones in blood plasma and odor production during incubation and early chick rearing. A novel method was used to obtain and measure chemical emissions of crested auklets. Blood plasma samples were analyzed by radioimmunoassay. Progesterone was detected in all birds, and it varied during the breeding season. Octanal emissions covaried with progesterone levels in males but not in females. No seasonal patterns were detected in testosterone, estrogen or DHT, and these hormones were not detected in all breeding adults. Covariance of progesterone and octanal emissions in males suggests there could be at least an indirect relationship between odor emissions and steroid hormones in this species. Thus expression of the citrus-like odorant of crested auklets, like other secondary sexual traits in birds, could be regulated by steroid hormones.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hector D Douglas
- Biology Department, Kuskokwim Campus, University of Alaska Fairbanks, Bethel, Alaska 99559, USA.
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Volatile antimicrobial compounds in the pelage of the Mexican free-tailed bat, Tadarida brasiliensis mexicana. BIOCHEM SYST ECOL 2007. [DOI: 10.1016/j.bse.2007.04.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/19/2022]
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Douglas HD. Prenuptial perfume: alloanointing in the social rituals of the crested auklet (Aethia cristatella) and the transfer of arthropod deterrents. Naturwissenschaften 2007; 95:45-53. [PMID: 17703279 DOI: 10.1007/s00114-007-0294-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 34] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/30/2007] [Revised: 07/01/2007] [Accepted: 07/05/2007] [Indexed: 11/24/2022]
Abstract
Alloanointing, the transfer of chemicals between conspecifics, is known among mammals, but hitherto, the behavior has not been documented for birds. The crested auklet (Aethia cristatella), a colonial seabird of Alaskan and Siberian waters, alloanoints during courtship with fragrant aldehydes that are released from specialized wick-like feathers located in the interscapular region. Crested auklets solicit anointment at the colony, and prospective mates rub bill, breast, head, and neck over wick feathers of their partners. This distributes aldehydes over the head, neck, and face where the birds cannot self-preen. The resulting chemical concentrations are sufficient to deter ectoparasites. Auklets that emit more odorant can transfer more defensive chemicals to mates and are thus more sexually attractive. Behavioral studies showed that crested auklets are attracted to their scent. Wild birds searched for dispensers that emitted their scent and rubbed their bills on the dispensers and engaged in vigorous anointment behaviors. In captive experiments, naïve crested auklets responded more strongly to synthetic auklet scent than controls, and the greatest behavioral response occurred during early courtship. This study extends scientific knowledge regarding functions of alloanointing. Alloanointing had previously been attributed to scent marking and individual recognition in vertebrates. Alloanointing is described here in the context of an adaptive social cue--the transfer of arthropod deterrents between prospective mates.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hector D Douglas
- Institute of Marine Science, University of Alaska Fairbanks, Fairbanks, AK 99775, USA.
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Hagelin JC, Jones IL. Bird Odors and Other Chemical Substances: A Defense Mechanism or Overlooked Mode of Intraspecific Communication? ACTA ACUST UNITED AC 2007. [DOI: 10.1093/auk/124.3.741] [Citation(s) in RCA: 27] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/12/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Julie C. Hagelin
- Department of Biology, Swarthmore College, 500 College Avenue, Swarthmore, Pennsylvania 19081, USA
| | - Ian L. Jones
- Department of Biology, Memorial University of Newfoundland, St. John’s, Newfoundland, A1B 3X9, Canada
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Abstract
This report presents the first quantitative estimates of emission rates for chemical signals in a bird-the crested auklet (Aethia cristatella). Volatile emissions from live birds were captured in a purified airstream onto polymer traps. Traps were eluted with methanol and analyzed with gas chromatography-mass spectrometry. The volatile collection chamber was field-calibrated with an in-line bubbler and synthetic octanal, the dominant constituent of the crested auklet's citruslike odor. The result is an index of volatile chemical emissions within a small population of wild crested auklets at Big Koniuji Island, AK, USA. The average emission rate for octanal was 5.7 micro l/50 min. Males and females did not differ in their emission rates (t ((0.05)two-tailed) = 0.44, P = 0.66). There was a sevenfold difference between minimum and maximum emission rates. Prevalence of tick infection (2%) was low despite the high abundance of ticks in the colony. The crested auklet with the lowest chemical emission rate was heavily parasitized by ticks.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hector D Douglas
- Institute of Marine Science, University of Alaska Fairbanks, Fairbanks, AK 9970, USA.
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35
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Abstract
This review covers the recent marine chemical ecology literature for phytoplankton, macroalgae, sponges and other benthic invertebrates; 249 references are cited.
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Affiliation(s)
- Valerie J Paul
- Smithsonian Marine Station at Fort Pierce, Fort Pierce, FL 34949, USA
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36
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Douglas HD, Co JE, Jones TH, Conner WE, Day JF. Chemical odorant of colonial seabird repels mosquitoes. JOURNAL OF MEDICAL ENTOMOLOGY 2005; 42:647-51. [PMID: 16119555 DOI: 10.1093/jmedent/42.4.647] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/04/2023]
Abstract
The crested auklet, Aethia cristatella, emits a class of aldehydes shown to be potent invertebrate repellents when used by heteropterans against their predators. Our aim was to determine the efficacy of these aldehydes against mosquitoes in the laboratory. Synthetic analogues of the auklet odorant were strongly repellent to mosquitoes in controlled laboratory trials. Furthermore, the efficacy was similar to previous reports for commercial mosquito repellents. These results, in combination with a previously published study, show that constituents of the aldehyde odorant are broad spectrum in efficacy against ectoparasitic arthropods of birds. Our report is the first empirical evidence for an endogenous mosquito repellent in birds.
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Affiliation(s)
- H D Douglas
- Institute of Marine Science, University of Alaska Fairbanks, Fairbanks, AK 99775, USA.
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