Chemical signals of age, sex and identity in black rhinoceros
Olfactory communication may be particularly important to black rhinoceros, Diceros bicornis, because they are solitary living and have comparatively poor eyesight but their populations are structured by inter- and intrasexual relationships. Understanding olfactory functions and processes might achieve better conservation management but their study in rhinoceros remains anecdotal or descriptive. Experimental approaches are required but […]
Spontaneous discrimination of urine odours in wild African lions, Panthera leo
Olfactory communication is the primary mode of communication for many mammals, yet research on this form of signalling is still largely descriptive in most species. Thus, despite the apparent importance of scent marking in the social lives of wild felids, experimental studies directly investigating the function of olfactory communication are lacking. We conducted scent presentation […]
Opportunity for female mate choice improves reproductive outcomes in the conservation breeding program of the eastern barred bandicoot (Perameles gunnii)
Captive breeding is fundamental to recovery programs for many endangered species. Most programs seek to maximise retention of genetic variation and minimise inbreeding risk by assigning individuals to pre-determined pairings, but the reproductive outcomes of such pairings are often poor. There is evidence that pairing individuals in captivity that are instead genetically and behaviourally compatible […]