Sex Differences in Olfactory Communication in Saguinus labiatus

Abstract

We assessed behaviors involved with depositing and receiving scent in three captive heterosexual pairs of red-bellied tamarins (Saguinus labiatus). The frequencies of scent deposition and scent investigatory behaviors differed between the sexes. Females scent marked exclusively by the anogenital gland. Males deposited 95.8% of scent marks via the anogenital gland and 4.2% via the sternal gland. Females scent marked at a significantly higher rate than that of males (0.9 ± 0.1 versus 0.3 ± 0.1 per 20 min, respectively). Males investigated the scent of their opposite-sex partners whereas females investigated no male scent. Mean ± SEM latency for males to investigate female scent was 208.7 ± 65.0 sec. Around 9% of all scent marks were overmarked within 8 min and there was a nonsignificant trend for males to overmark the scent of their female partners than vice versa. We discuss the sex differences in olfactory communication in red-bellied tamarins in terms of sexual selection theory.