Scent Marks Signal Species, Sex, and Reproductive Status in Tamarins (Saguinus spp., Neotropical Primates).

ABSTRACT: Olfactory communication is an important mediator of social interactions in mammals, thought to provide information about an individual's identity and current social, reproductive, and health status. In comparison with other taxa such as carnivores and rodents, few studies have examined primate olfactory communication. Tamarins (Callitrichidae) conspicuously deposit odorous secretions, produced by specialized scent glands, in their environment. In this study, we combined behavioral and chemical data on captive cotton-top tamarins, Saguinus oedipus, and bearded emperor tamarins, S. imperator subgrisescens, to examine the role of olfactory communication in the advertisement of species, sex, and reproductive status. We observed no difference in scent-marking behavior between species; however,

SUBMITTER: Poirier AC 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC8130507 | biostudies-literature | 2021 Jan

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature