Geckos know their own odor
Date:
February 20, 2023
Source:
University of Bern
Summary:
Geckos can use their tongue to differentiate their own odor from
that of other members of their species, as researchers have shown
in a new experimental study. The findings show that geckos are able
to communicate socially, meaning that they are more intelligent
than was previously assumed.
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FULL STORY ========================================================================== Geckos can use their tongue to differentiate their own odor from that
of other members of their species, as researchers from the University
of Bern have shown in a new experimental study. The findings show that
geckos are able to communicate socially, meaning that they are more
intelligent than was previously assumed.
========================================================================== Self-recognition is the ability to detect stimuli which come from
oneself. We as people, and also some animals, can identify ourselves
visually when we look in the mirror. However, not all animals rely
on their sense of sight, first and foremost. Geckos, and also other
lizards and snakes, use their tongues to perceive chemicals, so-called pheromones, from other individuals. For instance, when climbing a wall,
geckos pause every so often to dart their tongues around.
This enables them to detect potential partners or rivals. But can geckos
also detect their own odor and recognize themselves by smell? In a study recently published in the journal Animal Cognition, researchers at the Institute of Ecology and Evolution of the University of Bern focused
on whether Tokay geckos can detect skin chemicals that they themselves
produce, and whether they can discriminate between these chemicals and
those of other geckos of the same sex. The experiments confirmed that
geckos are capable of this. During the tests, the animals were more
interested in the skin chemicals of other geckos than in their own. This
shows that geckos use pheromones for social communication.
Gecko and peppermint odor on cotton swabs During the experiment,
the researchers presented the geckos with various odors on cotton
swabs. As well as their own odor, these were odors from other geckos,
or control odors such as water and peppermint. When they reacted, the
geckos showed two types of behavior: on one hand, they stuck out their
tongues in the direction of the odor on the swab and, on the other hand, towards the surrounding area, their own home enclosure. The researchers interpreted this behavior as a sign that the geckos first perceive
the odor on the swab, and then compare it with their own odor on the
walls of the enclosure. "The geckos have to compare more frequently
when confronted with the odor of another gecko, compared to their own
odor. This indicates that they know their own odor," explains Birgit
Szabo, lead author of the study from the Division of Behavioural Ecology
at the University of Bern's Institute of Ecology and Evolution.
In an experiment, the team was also able to show that geckos detect and
use the odors of their feces to distinguish themselves from others. Geckos
also deposit pheromones on their excrement, for instance, to mark their territory. This is because, just like many mammals, geckos have preferred
areas for defecation so that they can communicate their presence.
More social and intelligent than we thought The findings of the study
show that geckos can communicate socially by using chemicals from their
skin and excrement, and that they use these chemicals to distinguish
themselves from other geckos. "Lizards and reptiles are generally seen
as unsocial primitive animals. We must recognize that reptiles are more
social and intelligent than we thought," says Birgit Szabo.
"Reptiles, and especially geckos, are ideally suitable for investigating fundamental questions about the evolution of sociality. Within geckos,
we can find a vast range of social structures and habitats. This allows
us to investigate the interrelationships of cognition, communication
and social living within a small taxonomic group -- and make comparisons between these and other, more distantly related groups of animals such as mammals and birds," says Eva Ringler, professor and head of the Division
of Behavioural Ecology at the University of Bern.
* RELATED_TOPICS
o Plants_&_Animals
# Nature # Evolutionary_Biology # Dogs #
Frogs_and_Reptiles # Biology # Ecology_Research #
Animal_Learning_and_Intelligence # Animals
* RELATED_TERMS
o Gecko o Leopard_gecko o Bird_intelligence o Tongue o Octopus
o Dolphin o Body_odor o Bonobo
========================================================================== Story Source: Materials provided by University_of_Bern. Note: Content
may be edited for style and length.
========================================================================== Journal Reference:
1. Birgit Szabo, Eva Ringler. Geckos differentiate self from other
using
both skin and faecal chemicals: evidence towards
self-recognition? Animal Cognition, 2023; DOI:
10.1007/s10071-023-01751-8 ==========================================================================
Link to news story:
https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2023/02/230220121857.htm
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