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Scent over-marking: mechanisms and functions
Scent over-marking is a ubiquitous behavior pattern in terrestrial mammals and many other vertebrates, yet we understand little about its functions.
We have found that hamsters and voles have the ability to determine which individual's scent is on top in an over-mark. They appear to remember the scent of the top individual better, and they prefer this individual as a mate. This may be because it is energetically costly for individuals to keep their scents on top of those of their neighbors, and thus "being on top" is an indicator of a highly competitive, high quality individual.
We are continuing to investigate the functions of over-marking, the mechanisms that are involved in producing over-marks, and the mechanisms for determining which individual's scent is on top and which is on the bottom.
Publications
Johnston, R.E., Chiang, G. & Tung, C. 1994. The information in scent over-marks of golden hamsters. Animal Behaviour, 48, 323-330.
Johnston, R.E., Sorokin, E.S., & Ferkin, M.H. 1997b. Scent counter-marking: female meadow voles discriminate individual's marks and prefer top-scent males. Animal Behaviour, 54, 679-690.
Johnston, R.E. & Bhorade, A. 1998. Perception of scent over-marks: novel mechanisms for determining which individual's mark is on top. Journal of Comparative Psychology, 112, 230-243.
Johnston, R.E. 1999. Scent over-marking: how do hamsters know whose scent is on top and why should it matter? In: Advances in Chemical Signals in Vertebrates, Ed. by R.E. Johnston, D. Muller-Schwarze & P.W. Sorensen. (Plenum Press, New York), pp 227-238.
Ferkin, M.H., Dunsavage, J., & Johnston, R.E. 1999. What kind of informations do meadow voles, Microtus pennsylvanicus, use to distinguish between the top and bottom sccent of an over-mark? Journal of Comparative Psychology, 113, 43-51.
