Scent Over-Marking

Johnston, Robert E.

doi:10.1007/978-1-4615-4733-4_18

Cited by 11 publications

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“…In order for animals to evaluate the relative vigor of two or more other animals by their scent over-marks, these animals need to be able to determine several things, such as which animals deposited their scents in a particular location, which animals' scents overlap those of which other animals, or which animals' marks are more recent. These abilities have been demonstrated in several species of rodents (for reviews, see Hurst & Rich, 1999; Johnston, 1999). For example, Johnston and colleagues (Johnston, Chiang, & Tung, 1994; Johnston, Munver, & Tung, 1995; Johnston et al, 1997a, 1997b; Wilcox & Johnston, 1995) have shown that after habituation to a scent over-mark consisting of two scents, golden hamsters and meadow voles respond differentially to the scents of the individuals that had the top and bottom positions in an over-mark.…”

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How golden hamsters (Mesocricetus auratus) discriminate top from bottom flank scents in over-marks.

Cohen

Johnston²,

Kwon³

2001

Journal of Comparative Psychology

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Using a habituation-discrimination paradigm, the authors investigated what cues male golden hamsters (Mesocricetus auratus) use to determine the top and bottom positions in flank gland over-marks. A difference in the ages of 2 hamsters' marks did not, by itself, produce differential memory or evaluation of the 2 scents. A spatial configuration of marks suggestive of an overlap was sufficient for the apparently overlapping scent to be remembered or valued more than the apparently underlying scent. Cues from the overlap of 2 hamsters' marks were also sufficient. These results, consistent with those previously found for responses to hamster vaginal scent over-marks, suggest that hamsters use similar cues to analyze scent over-marks that are different in chemical composition and in social functions.

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