The potential role of ammonia as a signal molecule for procellarifform seabirds
Procellariiform seabirds (petrels, albatrosses and shearwaters) navigate vast distances over seemingly featureless ocean habitat by mechanisms that are not well understood. These birds have large olfactory bulbs, and the use of smell has been implicated in both foraging and homing behavior. While ma...
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ftcdlib:qt7v93v2vk 2023-05-15T13:54:07+02:00 The potential role of ammonia as a signal molecule for procellarifform seabirds Nevitt, G A Bergstrom, D M Bonadonna, F 271 - 277 2006-01-01 application/pdf http://www.escholarship.org/uc/item/7v93v2vk english eng eScholarship, University of California qt7v93v2vk http://www.escholarship.org/uc/item/7v93v2vk public Nevitt, G A; Bergstrom, D M; & Bonadonna, F. (2006). The potential role of ammonia as a signal molecule for procellarifform seabirds. Marine Ecology-Progress Series, 315, 271 - 277. UC Davis: Retrieved from: http://www.escholarship.org/uc/item/7v93v2vk petrel ammonia homing foraging Antarctic navigation article 2006 ftcdlib 2016-04-02T18:34:44Z Procellariiform seabirds (petrels, albatrosses and shearwaters) navigate vast distances over seemingly featureless ocean habitat by mechanisms that are not well understood. These birds have large olfactory bulbs, and the use of smell has been implicated in both foraging and homing behavior. While many olfactory cues relevant to these behaviors have been identified, ammonia is a potentially significant, biogenic, scented compound that has not been studied in this context. Ammonium (NH4+) constitutes a primary waste product produced by many of the prey species on which procellariiforms forage. Nitrogen waste products, including volatilized ammonia (NH3) also scent the terrestrial landscape of sub-Antarctic islands where newly breeding procellariiform seabirds recruit and raise their young. Since an ability to smell ammonia may be relevant to both prey detection and locating colonies or islands, we used a non-invasive, behavioral assay to examine whether this scented compound is detectable by a candidate test species, the blue petrel Halobaena caerulea Gmelin. Our results suggest that these birds can detect volatilized ammonia within a concentration range that they may naturally encounter (10(-11) to 10(-5) M), and point to ammonia as a potential signal molecule in the sub-Antarctic. Article in Journal/Newspaper Antarc* Antarctic University of California: eScholarship Antarctic |
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Open Polar |
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University of California: eScholarship |
op_collection_id |
ftcdlib |
language |
English |
topic |
petrel ammonia homing foraging Antarctic navigation |
spellingShingle |
petrel ammonia homing foraging Antarctic navigation Nevitt, G A Bergstrom, D M Bonadonna, F The potential role of ammonia as a signal molecule for procellarifform seabirds |
topic_facet |
petrel ammonia homing foraging Antarctic navigation |
description |
Procellariiform seabirds (petrels, albatrosses and shearwaters) navigate vast distances over seemingly featureless ocean habitat by mechanisms that are not well understood. These birds have large olfactory bulbs, and the use of smell has been implicated in both foraging and homing behavior. While many olfactory cues relevant to these behaviors have been identified, ammonia is a potentially significant, biogenic, scented compound that has not been studied in this context. Ammonium (NH4+) constitutes a primary waste product produced by many of the prey species on which procellariiforms forage. Nitrogen waste products, including volatilized ammonia (NH3) also scent the terrestrial landscape of sub-Antarctic islands where newly breeding procellariiform seabirds recruit and raise their young. Since an ability to smell ammonia may be relevant to both prey detection and locating colonies or islands, we used a non-invasive, behavioral assay to examine whether this scented compound is detectable by a candidate test species, the blue petrel Halobaena caerulea Gmelin. Our results suggest that these birds can detect volatilized ammonia within a concentration range that they may naturally encounter (10(-11) to 10(-5) M), and point to ammonia as a potential signal molecule in the sub-Antarctic. |
format |
Article in Journal/Newspaper |
author |
Nevitt, G A Bergstrom, D M Bonadonna, F |
author_facet |
Nevitt, G A Bergstrom, D M Bonadonna, F |
author_sort |
Nevitt, G A |
title |
The potential role of ammonia as a signal molecule for procellarifform seabirds |
title_short |
The potential role of ammonia as a signal molecule for procellarifform seabirds |
title_full |
The potential role of ammonia as a signal molecule for procellarifform seabirds |
title_fullStr |
The potential role of ammonia as a signal molecule for procellarifform seabirds |
title_full_unstemmed |
The potential role of ammonia as a signal molecule for procellarifform seabirds |
title_sort |
potential role of ammonia as a signal molecule for procellarifform seabirds |
publisher |
eScholarship, University of California |
publishDate |
2006 |
url |
http://www.escholarship.org/uc/item/7v93v2vk |
op_coverage |
271 - 277 |
geographic |
Antarctic |
geographic_facet |
Antarctic |
genre |
Antarc* Antarctic |
genre_facet |
Antarc* Antarctic |
op_source |
Nevitt, G A; Bergstrom, D M; & Bonadonna, F. (2006). The potential role of ammonia as a signal molecule for procellarifform seabirds. Marine Ecology-Progress Series, 315, 271 - 277. UC Davis: Retrieved from: http://www.escholarship.org/uc/item/7v93v2vk |
op_relation |
qt7v93v2vk http://www.escholarship.org/uc/item/7v93v2vk |
op_rights |
public |
_version_ |
1766259771424374784 |