SOCIAL BEHAVIOR, CHEMICAL COMMUNICATION, AND ADULT NEUROGENESIS: STUDIES OF SCENT MARK FUNCTION IN IBERIAN PODARCIS WALL LIZARDS

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Event Abstract Back to Event SOCIAL BEHAVIOR, CHEMICAL COMMUNICATION, AND ADULT NEUROGENESIS: STUDIES OF SCENT MARK FUNCTION IN IBERIAN PODARCIS WALL LIZARDS Enrique Font1* 1 Instituto Cavanilles, Universidad de Valencia, Spain Iberian lacertid lizards have been hailed as a model system for the study of reptilian chemical communication. However, results obtained with the genus Podarcis, a diverse group of wall lizards with complex systematics, challenge emerging paradigms and caution against hasty generalizations. Males of several species can discriminate between chemicals left on substrates by females of their own or a different species, suggesting that differences in female chemical cues may underlie species recognition in this group. Females, on the other hand, do not respond differentially to conspecific and congeneric male scent marks. This sex difference agrees with the finding that chemosensory brain areas in Podarcis are sexually dimorphic. The accessory olfactory bulbs are larger (both in absolute and relative terms) in males than in females, probably as a result of sex-specific rates of adult neurogenesis: males produce more new cells in telencephalic chemosensory brain areas (olfactory bulbs, lateral cortex, nucleus sphericus) than females. In both sexes, cell proliferation peaks in November-December (non-breeding season) and in April-May (breeding season). These seasonal cycles of adult neurogenesis may have evolved to satisfy increased chemosensory demands at particular times of the year. Male scent marks mediate important aspects of male-male competition and intraspecific territorial behavior. In P. liolepis (formerly P. hispanica), males use scent marks to recognize rivals individually, evaluate their competitive ability (i.e. body size), assess the threat posed by each individual rival neighbor, and probably even extract functional information about the quality of a rival’s territory. In contrast, females do not exhibit a preference for territories scent marked by larger (i.e. more competitive) males. These results suggest that male scent marks play a limited role in precopulatory mate choice and have been shaped instead by strong intrasexual selection. Keywords: chemical communication, Lizard, mate choice, mating system, pheromone, species recognition, visual communication Conference: ISAREN 2011: 7th International Symposium on Amphibian and Reptilian Endocrinology and Neurobiology, Ann Arbor, United States, 11 Jul - 13 Jul, 2011. Presentation Type: Invited Symposium Topic: Brain and behavior Citation: Font E (2011). SOCIAL BEHAVIOR, CHEMICAL COMMUNICATION, AND ADULT NEUROGENESIS: STUDIES OF SCENT MARK FUNCTION IN IBERIAN PODARCIS WALL LIZARDS. Front. Endocrinol. Conference Abstract: ISAREN 2011: 7th International Symposium on Amphibian and Reptilian Endocrinology and Neurobiology. doi: 10.3389/conf.fendo.2011.03.00011 Copyright: The abstracts in this collection have not been subject to any Frontiers peer review or checks, and are not endorsed by Frontiers. They are made available through the Frontiers publishing platform as a service to conference organizers and presenters. The copyright in the individual abstracts is owned by the author of each abstract or his/her employer unless otherwise stated. Each abstract, as well as the collection of abstracts, are published under a Creative Commons CC-BY 4.0 (attribution) licence (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/) and may thus be reproduced, translated, adapted and be the subject of derivative works provided the authors and Frontiers are attributed. For Frontiers’ terms and conditions please see https://www.frontiersin.org/legal/terms-and-conditions. Received: 26 Jul 2011; Published Online: 09 Aug 2011. * Correspondence: Dr. Enrique Font, Instituto Cavanilles, Universidad de Valencia, Paterna, Valencia, 46100, Spain, enrique.font@uv.es Login Required This action requires you to be registered with Frontiers and logged in. To register or login click here. Abstract Info Abstract The Authors in Frontiers Enrique Font Google Enrique Font Google Scholar Enrique Font PubMed Enrique Font Related Article in Frontiers Google Scholar PubMed Abstract Close Back to top Javascript is disabled. Please enable Javascript in your browser settings in order to see all the content on this page.