Zhang Jian-Xu, Sun Lixing, Novotny Milos
State Key Laboratory of Integrated Management of Pest Insects and Rodents in Agriculture, Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Xibeisihuan Rd 25, Beijing 100080, China.
J Chem Ecol. 2007 Mar;33(3):603-12. doi: 10.1007/s10886-006-9220-y.
Our previous chemical investigation showed that the concentrations of urinary volatiles from males were much higher than those from females in the ferret (Mustela furo). The current study was designed to examine the behavioral significance and ecological relevance of this difference for one of the main prey of the ferret, the house mouse (Mus musculus). Our data showed that male mice displayed no difference in their response to raw male and female ferret urine. However, they showed significantly less response to female mouse urine mixed with ferret urine than to pure female mouse urine, and to female mouse urine mixed with male ferret urine than to female mouse urine mixed with female ferret urine. Furthermore, high levels of the three major volatiles (quinoline, 2,5-dimethylpyrazine, and 4-hepatanone) in male ferret urine were as effective as raw male ferret urine was in inhibiting the response of male mice. We discuss the ecological and behavioral significance of these findings in terms of chemical mimicry and cognitive feature extraction of predator odors in mice.
我们之前的化学研究表明，在雪貂（Mustela furo）中，雄性尿液挥发物的浓度远高于雌性。本研究旨在探讨这种差异对于雪貂的主要猎物之一家鼠（Mus musculus）的行为意义和生态相关性。我们的数据显示，雄性小鼠对雄性和雌性雪貂的原始尿液的反应没有差异。然而，与纯雌性小鼠尿液相比，它们对与雪貂尿液混合的雌性小鼠尿液的反应明显更少，并且与雌性雪貂尿液混合的雌性小鼠尿液相比，它们对与雄性雪貂尿液混合的雌性小鼠尿液的反应更少。此外，雄性雪貂尿液中的三种主要挥发物（喹啉、2,5 - 二甲基吡嗪和4 - 庚酮）的高浓度与原始雄性雪貂尿液在抑制雄性小鼠反应方面的效果相同。我们从化学拟态和小鼠对捕食者气味的认知特征提取方面讨论了这些发现的生态和行为意义。
