| Title: | "Histological, chemical and behavioural evidence of pedal communication in brown bears" |
| Author(s): | Sergiel A; Naves J; Kujawski P; Maslak R; Serwa E; Ramos D; Fernandez-Gil A; Revilla E; Zwijacz-Kozica T; Zieba F; Painer J; Selva N; |
| Address: | "Institute of Nature Conservation, Polish Academy of Sciences, Adama Mickiewicza Av. 33, 31120, Krakow, Poland. sergiel@iop.krakow.pl. Department of Conservation Biology, Estacion Biologica de Donana CSIC, Avd. Americo Vespucio s/n, 41092, Seville, Spain. Wroclaw Research Centre EIT+, Stablowicka 147, 54006, Wroclaw, Poland. Department of Evolutionary Biology and Conservation of Vertebrates, Institute of Environmental Biology, University of Wroclaw, Sienkiewicza Str. 21, 50335, Wroclaw, Poland. Consejeria de Desarrollo Rural y Recursos Naturales, Gobierno del Principado de Asturias, C/Coronel Aranda, 2 - Planta 3 feminine, 33005, Oviedo, Spain. Tatra National Park, Kuznice 1, 34500, Zakopane, Poland. Department of Integrative Biology and Evolution, University of Veterinary Medicine, Savoyenstrasse 1, 1160, Vienna, Austria. Institute of Nature Conservation, Polish Academy of Sciences, Adama Mickiewicza Av. 33, 31120, Krakow, Poland" |
| DOI: | 10.1038/s41598-017-01136-1 |
| ISSN/ISBN: | 2045-2322 (Electronic) 2045-2322 (Linking) |
| Abstract: | "Most mammals rely upon scent for intraspecific communication. As most bear species have large home ranges and are non-territorial, scent deposit while walking could be an effective way to communicate with conspecifics. Here, we investigate the existence of pedal glands in brown bears and their role in chemical communication from a histological, biochemical and behavioural perspective. We found eccrine glands in footpads, and prominent apocrine and sebaceous glands in the interdigital, metacarpal and metatarsal skin sections. Pedal scent contained 26 compounds including carboxylic acids, important constituents of mammalian secretions. Six of these compounds were exclusive for males. Finally, we describe a specific marking gait recorded in the field, mostly performed by males. Our study supports the existence of chemical communication through pedal marking in brown bears and suggests sex-coding potential of pedal scent" |
| Keywords: | "Animals Apocrine Glands/anatomy & histology/*metabolism *Behavior, Animal *Communication Eccrine Glands/anatomy & histology/*metabolism Foot/anatomy & histology/*physiology *Smell *Ursidae Volatile Organic Compounds/analysis;" |
| Notes: | "MedlineSergiel, Agnieszka Naves, Javier Kujawski, Piotr Maslak, Robert Serwa, Ewa Ramos, Damian Fernandez-Gil, Alberto Revilla, Eloy Zwijacz-Kozica, Tomasz Zieba, Filip Painer, Johanna Selva, Nuria eng Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't England 2017/04/23 Sci Rep. 2017 Apr 21; 7(1):1052. doi: 10.1038/s41598-017-01136-1" |
