Sex, age, and family differences in the chemical composition of owl monkey (Aotus nancymaae) subcaudal scent secretions

Abstract

Numerous behavioral studies have shown that animals use olfactory cues as inbreeding avoidance or kin avoidance mechanisms, implying that scent is unique to families. However, few studies have analyzed the chemical profile of a scent and ascertained the messages that are conveyed in scent secretions. Owl monkeys (Aotus nancymaae) are socially monogamous primates that utilize scent when interacting with foreign conspecifics. This suggests there is a difference in the chemical composition of scent marks. We chemically analyzed sub-caudal gland samples from three families of captive owl monkeys (Aotus nancymaae). Samples were analyzed by capillary GC-MS and relative retention time and fragment pattern was compared with known standards. Gland samples were high in large plant-based shikikate metabolites and fatty ketones; alcohols, acids, and acetates were virtually absent. Gender, age, and family could be reliably classified using discriminant analysis (92.9, 100, and 100%, respectively). Female scent profiles were greater in concentration of aromatic plant metabolites, possibly the result of a different diet or physiological differences in female metabolism as compared to male. Offspring of adult age still living in their natal group showed a less complex chemical profile than their parents. Finally, each family had its own unique and complex chemical profile. The presence of family scent may play a role in mediating social interactions.

Spider monkeys (Ateles geoffroyi) are less sensitive to the odor of aliphatic ketones than to the odor of other classes of aliphatic compounds

“…This finding is in contrast to the idea that the widespread occurrence of aliphatic ketones both in body-borne odors of primates (e.g. Curran et al, 2005;Knott, 1998;Macdonald et al, 2008) and in the odors of their food (Rodriguez et al, 2013) should positively affect their detectability. This idea, in turn, is supported by studies that reported a marked odorant-specific increase in olfactory sensitivity in both human subjects (Wysocki et al, 1989) and mice (Yee and Wysocki, 2001) as a result of prolonged or repeated exposure to a given odorant.…”

“…The concentration of aliphatic ketones in primate urine has been shown to vary systematically with the carbohydrate content of food and is thus an indicator of an animal's access to high quality fruits (Knott, 1998;Seibold, 1969). Aliphatic ketones have also been found in the secretions of specialized scent glands of primates including the saddle-back tamarin (Belcher et al, 1986), the owl monkey (Macdonald et al, 2008), and the mandrill (Setchell et al, 2010), and in the odor of tropical fruits, although usually at low concentrations (Rodriguez et al, 2013). The widespread occurrence of aliphatic ketones in body-borne odors of nonhuman primates and in the odors of their food suggests that this class of odorants may be behaviorally relevant for them, both in the social context and in food selection.…”

Costs and Benefits of Radio-collaring on the Behavior, Demography, and Conservation of Owl Monkeys (Aotus azarai) in Formosa, Argentina

“…Adults were the largest individuals in the group, and also had visually conspicuous subcaudal secretions on the ventral side of their tail (Dixson et al 1980;Macdonald et al 2008). We also classified an individual as adult if we observed it nursing or transporting an infant because infant carrying by nonadults is extremely infrequent (Fernandez-Duque et al 2008a, b).…”

The Smell of Age: Perception and Discrimination of Body Odors of Different Ages

“…It has long been known that the chemical composition of body odors changes in an age-dependent manner in a variety of non-human animals, such as mouse [19], [20], [21], black-tailed deer [22], rabbit [23], otter [24], and owl monkey [25].…”