Publicação
The role of olfaction in sexual interactions of barbary macaques (Macaca sylvanus) at Affenberg Salem (Germany)
| Resumo: | ABSTRACT- Sensorial perception has a vital role in animal survival. Olfaction plays an important role in vital activities of primates, such as finding food, recognizing territories and predators, and in social interactions, like mating. Various macaque species, such as the Barbary macaque, live in multimale-multifemale societies and enroll in promiscuous sexual activity. Male mate choice involves a series of sensorial frameworks to detect the female fertility stage. Females exhibit prominent tumescence of the anogenital swelling, linked to the approach of the moment of ovulation, and which serves as a visual cue of fertility to males. The aim of the present study was to enhance understanding of the use of olfactory cues by Barbary macaques, particularly in sexual interactions. Affenberg Salem, an outdoor open enclosure home to almost two hundred Barbary macaques, uses contraceptive Implanon NXT implants on females to manage the population. The investigation was conducted during the onset period of the mating season, between September and November 2022. Observations were made of fourteen focal females, of which 7 were contracepted. The main goal of the investigation was to verify if Barbary macaque males use olfactory cues in the inspections of fertility cues prior to copulations to select and focus their mating efforts only on the fertile females (and non-contracepted ones). During observations, data were collected on all actions seen during sexual interactions. Notes and photos were taken of the swellings to assess their influence on the interactions, and their size changes in an attempt to determine the reproductive phase of each female. Irrespective of whether females were contracepted or not, all females showed patterns of tumescence and detumescence of the anogenital swelling. Additionally, in the results, their contraception status did not influence the different parameters of inspections investigated. The data collected did not reveal mating activity after olfactory inspections, in either contracepted or non-contracepted females. Study limitations can be identified and used as a tool to improve further research on this subject. Among all, it is important to highlight the period of observation, which would be beneficial to expand into the peak of the mating season. Additionally, resources for detailed analysis of the hormonal profiles would be helpful to comprehend and match the individual’s behavior and inspection cues according to the precise reproductive stage of the females |
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| Autores principais: | Machado, Maria Jorge Almeida |
| Assunto: | Barbary macaque Conservation breeding Mating season Olfactory behavior Contraception Macaco-de-Gibraltar Reprodução para conservação Época de acasalamento Comportamento olfativo Contraceção |
| Ano: | 2024 |
| País: | Portugal |
| Tipo de documento: | dissertação de mestrado |
| Tipo de acesso: | acesso aberto |
| Instituição associada: | Universidade de Lisboa |
| Idioma: | inglês |
| Origem: | Repositório da Universidade de Lisboa |
| Resumo: | ABSTRACT- Sensorial perception has a vital role in animal survival. Olfaction plays an important role in vital activities of primates, such as finding food, recognizing territories and predators, and in social interactions, like mating. Various macaque species, such as the Barbary macaque, live in multimale-multifemale societies and enroll in promiscuous sexual activity. Male mate choice involves a series of sensorial frameworks to detect the female fertility stage. Females exhibit prominent tumescence of the anogenital swelling, linked to the approach of the moment of ovulation, and which serves as a visual cue of fertility to males. The aim of the present study was to enhance understanding of the use of olfactory cues by Barbary macaques, particularly in sexual interactions. Affenberg Salem, an outdoor open enclosure home to almost two hundred Barbary macaques, uses contraceptive Implanon NXT implants on females to manage the population. The investigation was conducted during the onset period of the mating season, between September and November 2022. Observations were made of fourteen focal females, of which 7 were contracepted. The main goal of the investigation was to verify if Barbary macaque males use olfactory cues in the inspections of fertility cues prior to copulations to select and focus their mating efforts only on the fertile females (and non-contracepted ones). During observations, data were collected on all actions seen during sexual interactions. Notes and photos were taken of the swellings to assess their influence on the interactions, and their size changes in an attempt to determine the reproductive phase of each female. Irrespective of whether females were contracepted or not, all females showed patterns of tumescence and detumescence of the anogenital swelling. Additionally, in the results, their contraception status did not influence the different parameters of inspections investigated. The data collected did not reveal mating activity after olfactory inspections, in either contracepted or non-contracepted females. Study limitations can be identified and used as a tool to improve further research on this subject. Among all, it is important to highlight the period of observation, which would be beneficial to expand into the peak of the mating season. Additionally, resources for detailed analysis of the hormonal profiles would be helpful to comprehend and match the individual’s behavior and inspection cues according to the precise reproductive stage of the females |
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