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Ability of Female Squirrel Monkeys ( Saimiri sciureus) to Discriminate between Conspecific Urine Odours
Author(s) -
Laska Matthias,
Hudson Robyn
Publication year - 1995
Publication title -
ethology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.739
H-Index - 74
eISSN - 1439-0310
pISSN - 0179-1613
DOI - 10.1111/j.1439-0310.1995.tb01087.x
Subject(s) - saimiri sciureus , squirrel monkey , primate , urine , biology , zoology , animal communication , cebidae , psychology , ecology , endocrinology
In this study, an odour‐conditioning paradigm was used to investigate the ability of captive squirrel monkeys, Saimiri sciureus , to discriminate between urine odours of conspecifics. It was found that the three test females could: 1. Readily discriminate between urine from conspecifics and other primate species; 2. Discriminate between urine from individual conspecifics, whether unfamiliar animals or members of the test animals' social group, and whether or not they were of the same sex; and 3. Not discriminate so easily between urine from genetically related conspecifics as between urine from unrelated individuals, particularly where both donors were female. The findings suggest that an individually distinct and stable factor is present in squirrel‐monkey urine, that this is more similar in genetically related than unrelated individuals, and that, in males, some additional source of individual variability exists enabling the discrimination of even close relatives. While the biological significance of these findings remains to be investigated, this study demonstrates that squirrel‐monkey urine contains a considerable amount of information of potential signal value.