A Hypothetico-Deductive Approach to Assessing the Social Function of Chemical Signalling in a Non- Territorial Solitary Carnivore
The function of chemical signalling in non-territorial solitary carnivores is still relatively unclear. Studies on territorial solitary and social carnivores have highlighted odour capability and utility, however the social function of chemical signalling in wild carnivore populations operating domi...
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ftciteseerx:oai:CiteSeerX.psu:10.1.1.270.7818 2023-05-15T18:42:09+02:00 A Hypothetico-Deductive Approach to Assessing the Social Function of Chemical Signalling in a Non- Territorial Solitary Carnivore Melanie Clapham Owen T. Nevin Andrew D. Ramsey Frank Rosell The Pennsylvania State University CiteSeerX Archives 2012 application/zip http://citeseerx.ist.psu.edu/viewdoc/summary?doi=10.1.1.270.7818 en eng http://citeseerx.ist.psu.edu/viewdoc/summary?doi=10.1.1.270.7818 Metadata may be used without restrictions as long as the oai identifier remains attached to it. ftp://ftp.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pub/pmc/78/61/PLoS_One_2012_Apr_18_7(4)_e35404.tar.gz text 2012 ftciteseerx 2016-01-07T20:38:08Z The function of chemical signalling in non-territorial solitary carnivores is still relatively unclear. Studies on territorial solitary and social carnivores have highlighted odour capability and utility, however the social function of chemical signalling in wild carnivore populations operating dominance hierarchy social systems has received little attention. We monitored scent marking and investigatory behaviour of wild brown bears Ursus arctos, to test multiple hypotheses relating to the social function of chemical signalling. Camera traps were stationed facing bear ‘marking trees ’ to document behaviour by different age sex classes in different seasons. We found evidence to support the hypothesis that adult males utilise chemical signalling to communicate dominance to other males throughout the non-denning period. Adult females did not appear to utilise marking trees to advertise oestrous state during the breeding season. The function of marking by subadult bears is somewhat unclear, but may be related to the behaviour of adult males. Subadults investigated trees more often than they scent marked during the breeding season, which could be a result of an increased risk from adult males. Females with young showed an increase in marking and investigation of trees outside of the breeding season. We propose the hypothesis that females engage their dependent young with marking trees from a young age, at a relatively ‘safe ’ time of year. Text Ursus arctos Unknown |
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ftciteseerx |
language |
English |
description |
The function of chemical signalling in non-territorial solitary carnivores is still relatively unclear. Studies on territorial solitary and social carnivores have highlighted odour capability and utility, however the social function of chemical signalling in wild carnivore populations operating dominance hierarchy social systems has received little attention. We monitored scent marking and investigatory behaviour of wild brown bears Ursus arctos, to test multiple hypotheses relating to the social function of chemical signalling. Camera traps were stationed facing bear ‘marking trees ’ to document behaviour by different age sex classes in different seasons. We found evidence to support the hypothesis that adult males utilise chemical signalling to communicate dominance to other males throughout the non-denning period. Adult females did not appear to utilise marking trees to advertise oestrous state during the breeding season. The function of marking by subadult bears is somewhat unclear, but may be related to the behaviour of adult males. Subadults investigated trees more often than they scent marked during the breeding season, which could be a result of an increased risk from adult males. Females with young showed an increase in marking and investigation of trees outside of the breeding season. We propose the hypothesis that females engage their dependent young with marking trees from a young age, at a relatively ‘safe ’ time of year. |
author2 |
The Pennsylvania State University CiteSeerX Archives |
format |
Text |
author |
Melanie Clapham Owen T. Nevin Andrew D. Ramsey Frank Rosell |
spellingShingle |
Melanie Clapham Owen T. Nevin Andrew D. Ramsey Frank Rosell A Hypothetico-Deductive Approach to Assessing the Social Function of Chemical Signalling in a Non- Territorial Solitary Carnivore |
author_facet |
Melanie Clapham Owen T. Nevin Andrew D. Ramsey Frank Rosell |
author_sort |
Melanie Clapham |
title |
A Hypothetico-Deductive Approach to Assessing the Social Function of Chemical Signalling in a Non- Territorial Solitary Carnivore |
title_short |
A Hypothetico-Deductive Approach to Assessing the Social Function of Chemical Signalling in a Non- Territorial Solitary Carnivore |
title_full |
A Hypothetico-Deductive Approach to Assessing the Social Function of Chemical Signalling in a Non- Territorial Solitary Carnivore |
title_fullStr |
A Hypothetico-Deductive Approach to Assessing the Social Function of Chemical Signalling in a Non- Territorial Solitary Carnivore |
title_full_unstemmed |
A Hypothetico-Deductive Approach to Assessing the Social Function of Chemical Signalling in a Non- Territorial Solitary Carnivore |
title_sort |
hypothetico-deductive approach to assessing the social function of chemical signalling in a non- territorial solitary carnivore |
publishDate |
2012 |
url |
http://citeseerx.ist.psu.edu/viewdoc/summary?doi=10.1.1.270.7818 |
genre |
Ursus arctos |
genre_facet |
Ursus arctos |
op_source |
ftp://ftp.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pub/pmc/78/61/PLoS_One_2012_Apr_18_7(4)_e35404.tar.gz |
op_relation |
http://citeseerx.ist.psu.edu/viewdoc/summary?doi=10.1.1.270.7818 |
op_rights |
Metadata may be used without restrictions as long as the oai identifier remains attached to it. |
_version_ |
1766231760973070336 |