Title: | "Male Scent Gland Signals Mating Status in Greater Spear-Nosed Bats, Phyllostomus hastatus" |
Author(s): | Adams DM; Li Y; Wilkinson GS; |
Address: | "Department of Biology, University of Maryland, College Park, College Park, MD, USA. dadams37@umd.edu. Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, University of Maryland, College Park, College Park, MD, USA. Department of Biology, University of Maryland, College Park, College Park, MD, USA" |
DOI: | 10.1007/s10886-018-1003-8 |
ISSN/ISBN: | 1573-1561 (Electronic) 0098-0331 (Linking) |
Abstract: | "Chemical signals are ubiquitous, but often overlooked as potentially important for conveying information relevant for sexual selection. The male greater spear-nosed bat, Phyllostomus hastatus, possesses a sexually dimorphic gland on the chest that produces an odoriferous secretion. Here, we investigate the potential for this glandular secretion to act as a sexually selected olfactory signal by examining gland activity in and out of the mating season and determining if variation in its chemical composition reflects variation in male mating status or attributes of the individual. Based on gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS) measurements of samples collected from wild bats roosting in caves in Trinidad, West Indies, we find that males that defend and roost with groups of females (harem holders) have significantly different chemical profiles from males found roosting in all male groups (bachelors). Additionally, profiles differed significantly among individuals. Taken together, these results suggest that this chemical signal has the potential to communicate both mating status and individual identity and thus could be used to mediate interactions among individuals within this harem-based social mating system" |
Keywords: | "Aging Animals Chiroptera/*physiology Discriminant Analysis Female Gas Chromatography-Mass Spectrometry Male Principal Component Analysis Scent Glands/*chemistry/metabolism Sex Attractants/analysis Sexual Behavior, Animal/*physiology Bats Chemical communic;" |
Notes: | "MedlineAdams, Danielle M Li, Yue Wilkinson, Gerald S eng 2018/08/06 J Chem Ecol. 2018 Nov; 44(11):975-986. doi: 10.1007/s10886-018-1003-8. Epub 2018 Aug 4" |