Department of Anthropology and Archaeology, University of Calgary, Calgary, Canada.
School of Life Sciences, Anglia Ruskin University, Cambridge, UK.
Am J Primatol. 2021 Mar;83(3):e23236. doi: 10.1002/ajp.23236. Epub 2021 Feb 3.
Chemosignals are mediators of social interactions in mammals, providing con- and hetero-specifics with information on fixed (e.g., species, sex, group, and individual identity) and variable (e.g., social, reproductive, and health status) features of the signaler. Yet, methodological difficulties of recording and quantifying odor signals, especially in field conditions, have hampered studies of natural systems. We present the first use of the Torion® portable gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS) instrument for in situ chemical analysis of primate scents. We collected and analyzed swab samples from the scent glands and skin from 13 groups (57 individuals) of two sympatric species of wild emperor tamarins, Saguinus imperator, and Weddell's saddleback tamarins, Leontocebus weddelli (Callitrichidae). In total, 11 compounds of interest (i.e., probably derived from the animals) could be detected in the samples, with 31 of 215 samples containing at least one compound of interest. The composition of these 31 samples varied systematically with species, group, sex, and breeding status. Moreover, we tentatively identified seven of the compounds of interest as methyl hexanoate, benzaldehyde, ethyl hexanoate, acetophenone, a branched C15 alkane, 4-methoxybenzaldehyde, and hexadecan-1-ol. As the field of primate semiochemistry continues to grow, we believe that portable GC-MS instruments have the potential to help make progress in the study of primate chemosignaling in field conditions, despite limitations that we encountered. We further provide recommendations for future use of the Torion® portable GC-MS for in situ analyses.
化学信号是哺乳动物社会互动的中介，为同种和异种个体提供关于信号发送者固定（例如，物种、性别、群体和个体身份）和可变（例如，社会、生殖和健康状况）特征的信息。然而，记录和量化气味信号，特别是在野外条件下，方法上的困难阻碍了对自然系统的研究。我们首次使用 Torion®便携式气相色谱-质谱（GC-MS）仪器对灵长类动物气味进行原位化学分析。我们从 13 个群体（57 只个体）的两种共生的野生皇绢毛猴 Saguinus imperator 和韦德尔氏冕狐猴 Leontocebus weddelli（卷尾猴科）的气味腺和皮肤采集并分析了拭子样本。在这些样本中，共检测到 11 种有兴趣的化合物（即可能来源于动物），在 215 个样本中有 31 个样本至少含有一种有兴趣的化合物。这 31 个样本的组成系统地随物种、群体、性别和繁殖状态而变化。此外，我们初步鉴定出 7 种有兴趣的化合物为己酸甲酯、苯甲醛、己酸乙酯、苯乙酮、支链 C15 烷烃、4-甲氧基苯甲醛和十六烷-1-醇。随着灵长类动物化学信息学领域的不断发展，我们相信，尽管我们遇到了一些限制，但便携式 GC-MS 仪器有可能帮助在野外条件下研究灵长类动物的化学信号传递取得进展。我们进一步为未来使用 Torion®便携式 GC-MS 进行原位分析提供了建议。
