Scent signals individual identity and country of origin in otters

Kean, Eleanor; Chadwick, Elizabeth Anna; Müller, Carsten T.

doi:10.1016/j.mambio.2014.12.004

Cited by 20 publications

(15 citation statements)

References 45 publications

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“…Scent profiles of otter scats showed that otters do not defecate for metabolism reasons only, as their scent signals sex, age and reproductive status, and even individual identity (Kean et al 2011(Kean et al , 2015. Consequently, scent-marking serves as a communication tool in otters and other mustelids (Hutchings and White 2000;Kruuk 2006).…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Marking behaviour and census of Eurasian otters (Lutra lutra) in riverine habitats: what can scat abundances and non-invasive genetic sampling tell us about otter numbers?

et al. 2020

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Growing human-wildlife conflicts and legal conservation obligations increased the need for precise information on Eurasian otter (Lutra lutra) population parameters for species status assessment and wildlife management measures. Scat surveys have become the method of choice to monitor species distribution range, abundance and habitat use. Although methodological concerns exist, scat abundance is often used as main indicator for otter population estimates and trends. To evaluate whether scat counts serve as good proxy for otter densities in linear stream habitats, we modelled the relationship between old/fresh scat abundance and otter numbers on two spatial scales, including also seasonal effects. Actual otter densities and marking behaviour were ascertained by genotyping of otter faeces collected at 218 marking sites along 132.6 km of four salmonid streams. Otter densities in our study areas ranged from 0.16 to 0.28 otters per stream kilometre. The age of scats and the level of spatial scale were determining factors when evaluating the suitability of scat abundance as index for otter densities. Covering large parts of an otter's territory, fresh scat abundance increased with otter density, irrespectively of season. On the spatial scale of single marking sites, the relationship was not well supported, and no relationship could be found when using old scats in the models. Otter marking behaviour and differences in marking site use intensity, as well as seasonal differences in traceability and accumulation of old scats were discussed to bias the relationship between scat abundance and otter numbers.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Marking behaviour and census of Eurasian otters (Lutra lutra) in riverine habitats: what can scat abundances and non-invasive genetic sampling tell us about otter numbers?

et al. 2020

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“…The latest progress in machine learning and image analysis suggests that it should be possible to conduct individual discrimination tasks in a similar way to that used for acoustic signals (Allen & Higham, 2015; Van Belleghem et al, 2018). Finally, repeated sampling of individual signatures in olfactory secretions is becoming more common (Kean et al, 2015; Deshpande, Furton, & Mills, 2018). Thus, researchers may try to quantify potential individual identity information in visual and chemical signals in future studies.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…), and then calculate the individual identity either directly through comparing between and within individual variation, or indirectly through discrimination between individuals. In studies of chemical or visual signals, robust assessment of within-individual variation by having many replicates from a single individual remains uncommon (Kondo & Izawa, 2014; but see, e.g., Kean, Chadwick, & Müller, 2015) although quantification of individual identity might be expected in future studies.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Measuring individual identity information in animal signals: Overview and performance of available identity metrics

Linhart

Osiejuk

Budka

et al. 2019

Preprint

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Identity signals have been studied for over 50 years but there is no consensus as to how to quantify individuality. While there are a variety of different metrics to quantify individual identity, or individuality, these methods remain un-validated and the relationships between them unclear. We contrasted three univariate and four multivariate metrics (and their different computational variants) and evaluated their performance on simulated and empirical datasets. Of the metrics examined, Beecher's information statistic (HS) was the best one and could easily and reliably be converted into the commonly used discrimination score (and vice versa) after accounting for the number of individuals and calls per individual in a given dataset. Although Beecher's information statistic is not entirely independent of sampling parameters, this problem can be removed by reducing the number of parameters or by increasing the number of individuals. Because it is easily calculated, has superior performance, can be used to describe single variables or signal as a whole, and because it tells us the maximum number of individuals that can be discriminated given a set of measurements, we recommend that individuality should be quantified using Beecher's information statistic.

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“…The resulting “chemical fingerprints”, otherwise commonly referred to as “chemical profiles”, “scent profiles” or “odour profiles” (Hurst & Beynon, 2010), comprise multiple peaks that are separated according to their retention times or mass spectrograms and which represent different substances. Studies of both captive and wild animal populations have shown that these chemical fingerprints can convey information about species identity (Caspers et al, 2009; Fratini et al, 2012; Krause et al, 2014), population membership (Schneeberger et al, 2016; Wierucka et al, 2019), sex, age and reproductive state (Caspers et al, 2011; Kean, Müller & Chadwick, 2011; Vogt et al, 2016), family membership (Sun & Müller-Schwarze, 1998; Müller & Müller, 2016), individual identity (Kean, Chadwick & Mueller, 2015; Kohlwey et al, 2016), social status (Burgener et al, 2009) and genotype (Yamazaki et al, 1990; Charpentier, Boulet & Drea, 2008; Setchell et al, 2011). However, concerns have been raised over the small sample sizes of many studies, which afford little statistical power and may ultimately lead to effect sizes being overestimated of effect sizes (Wyatt, 2015).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Chemical patterns of colony membership and mother-offspring similarity in Antarctic fur seals are reproducible over time

Tebbe

Humble

Stoffel

et al. 2020

Preprint

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20 21 45 indicating not only that patterns of colony membership persist over time, but also that 46 chemical signatures are colony-specific in general. Our study systematically confirms 47 and extends our previous findings, while also implying that temporal and spatial 48 heterogeneity need not necessarily negate the reproduction and generalization of 49 ecological research findings. 50 51 52 53Replication studies are fundamental to the scientific process as they are essential for evaluating 54

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Scent signals individual identity and country of origin in otters

Cited by 20 publications

References 45 publications

Marking behaviour and census of Eurasian otters (Lutra lutra) in riverine habitats: what can scat abundances and non-invasive genetic sampling tell us about otter numbers?

Marking behaviour and census of Eurasian otters (Lutra lutra) in riverine habitats: what can scat abundances and non-invasive genetic sampling tell us about otter numbers?

Measuring individual identity information in animal signals: Overview and performance of available identity metrics

Chemical patterns of colony membership and mother-offspring similarity in Antarctic fur seals are reproducible over time

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