Special Issue "Animal Behavior: Insights into Chemical Communication"

A special issue of Animals (ISSN 2076-2615). This special issue belongs to the section "Human-Animal Interactions, Animal Behaviour and Emotion".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 31 December 2021.

Special Issue Editors

Dr. Alessandro Cozzi
E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Institut de Recherche En Sémiochimie Et Éthologie Appliquée (IRSEA), Quartier Salignan, 84400 Apt, France
Interests: animal behavior; animal physiology; semiochemistry; pheromonotherapy in animals (companion, farm and wild species); animal welfare;behavioral medicine; chemical communication
Dr. Pietro Asproni
E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Institut de Recherche En Sémiochimie Et Éthologie Appliquée (IRSEA), Quartier Salignan, 84400 Apt, France
Interests: animal pathology; animal physiology; semiochemistry; histology; immunohistochemistry; chemical ecology; molecular pathology; chemical communication.

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Chemical communication is a common and crucial way to communicate for every creature, both vertebrates and invertebrates, of the animal kingdom. Chemical communication is in a strong relationship with several behavioral and physiological mechanisms in every living being. In recent decades, the attention of researchers has been focused on investigating the mechanisms of action of chemical signals in the animal kingdom; disciplines like molecular biology and bioinformatics are helping toward new discoveries regarding the chemical communication world. Further, new studies on the pathology of organs involved in chemical communication have increased our knowledge around fundamental concepts in this topic. Studies on the applications of synthetic pheromones and their effects on the welfare of different species are also more and more developed. Pheromonotherapy is now a worldwide topic in veterinary behavioral medicine and different applications exist for companion, farm animals, and wild species to manage or prevent efficiently stressful situations and behavioral disorders.

Chemical messages are present and studied in different aspects of animal and human life (reproduction, territory, alarm, appeasement, social behavior, etc.), in order to better understand the role that these compounds play for different species. Measuring the effects of these messages helps us to understand better the potential applications of chemical communication in animals’ lives: to facilitate the adaptation process during different daily life situation or phases of life, to favor the cohabitation between individuals of the same or different species, to facilitate the management of animal welfare issues, and to help control in case of behavioral disorders in pets and farm animals.

Different effects are described on the behavior and physiology of different species. For all these reasons, greater attention should be focused on the study of the mechanisms of action, the role in the natural condition of chemical messages and on the development of chemical messages that can be applied in different situations. In this context, the promotion of appropriate knowledge about fundamental concepts around chemical communication and the application of semiochemicals in the animal kingdom could be very interesting in order to facilitate the natural emission of different behaviors of animals and to guarantee an appropriate level of welfare.

For these reasons, interdisciplinary studies and reviews will be taken into account for this Special Issue, especially ones regarding (but not limited to):

(1) Mechanisms of action of semiochemicals in animals;

(2) Pathology of organs involved in the secretion and in the perception of semiochemicals;

(3) The influence of chemical communication in the life of animals: reproduction, territorial behavior, social behavior, appeasement behavior, maternal behavior;

(4) Physiological and behavioral changes/effects linked to the use of synthetic analogues of semiochemicals in companion, farm, and wild species;

(5) Chemical communication to fight against animals’ external parasites;

(6) Welfare implications of the use of semiochemicals in animal kingdom. 

Dr. Alessandro Cozzi
Dr. Pietro Asproni
Guest Editors

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All papers will be peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Animals is an international peer-reviewed open access monthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 1800 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

  • adaptation
  • animal behavior
  • animal pathology
  • animal physiology
  • behavioral medicine
  • chemical communication
  • chemical ecology
  • companion animals
  • farm animals
  • parasitology
  • pheromones
  • pheromonotherapy
  • semiochemicals
  • welfare
  • wild animals

Published Papers (4 papers)

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Research

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Article
Sexual Dimorphism in Crowned Lemur Scent-Marking
Animals 2021, 11(7), 2091; https://doi.org/10.3390/ani11072091 - 14 Jul 2021
Viewed by 962
Abstract
Primates are traditionally considered to have a poor sense of smell. However, olfaction is important for non-human primates as demonstrated by conspicuous scent-marking behaviours in lemurs. We studied two pairs (n = 4) of crowned lemurs (Eulemur coronatus) housed at [...] Read more.
Primates are traditionally considered to have a poor sense of smell. However, olfaction is important for non-human primates as demonstrated by conspicuous scent-marking behaviours in lemurs. We studied two pairs (n = 4) of crowned lemurs (Eulemur coronatus) housed at Colchester and Twycross zoos (UK) by combining behavioural observations and chemical analyses of scent-marks and glandular swabs. We recorded observations of olfactory behaviours for 201 h using instantaneous scan sampling. We investigated the volatile compounds of ano-genital odour secretions (n = 16) using solid-phase microextraction and gas chromatography-mass spectrometry. Males scent-marked most frequently, displaying ano-genital marking for allomarking, head marking for countermarking and wrist marking in specific areas of the enclosure. Females displayed ano-genital marking, predominantly on feeding devices. We detected a total of 38 volatile components in all male ano-genital scent-marks and 26 in all female samples of ano-genital odour secretions, including a series of esters, aldehydes, ketones, alcohols, terpenes, volatile fatty acids and hydrocarbons that have been identified in odour profiles of other primates. In conclusion, we found sexual dimorphism in crowned lemur scent-marking. Male head and wrist marking behaviours might play defensive territorial functions, while ano-genital marking would be related to socio-sexual communication as chemical mate-guarding. Female ano-genital marking might be involved in resource defense. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Animal Behavior: Insights into Chemical Communication)
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Communication
Administering an Appeasing Substance to Gir × Holstein Female Dairy Calves on Pre-Weaning Performance and Disease Incidence
Animals 2020, 10(11), 1961; https://doi.org/10.3390/ani10111961 - 24 Oct 2020
Cited by 1 | Viewed by 670
Abstract
(1) Background: Ruminants often face stressful situations throughout their productive lives. More specifically, pre-weaning dairy calves are exposed to novel environments, feedstuffs, and pathogens that affect their health and performance. Hence, alternatives that reduce stress and promote growth of pre-weaning dairy calves are [...] Read more.
(1) Background: Ruminants often face stressful situations throughout their productive lives. More specifically, pre-weaning dairy calves are exposed to novel environments, feedstuffs, and pathogens that affect their health and performance. Hence, alternatives that reduce stress and promote growth of pre-weaning dairy calves are warranted. Therefore, this study evaluated the effects of biweekly bovine appeasing substance (BAS) administration on performance and disease incidence in dairy Gir × Holstein female calves prior to weaning. (2) Methods: At birth, 140 female Gir × Holstein calves were randomly assigned to receive BAS (SecureCattle; (IRSEA Group, Quartier Salignan, France; n = 70) or placebo (BAS carrier, diethylene glycol monoethyl ether; CON; n = 70) biweekly until weaning (70 days of age). Calves were allocated into individual housing at random, with no physical contact between treatments to avoid cross-contamination. Experimental treatments (5 mL) were applied topically to the nuchal skin area of each calf. Throughout the experimental period, all animals were observed daily for medical conditions (diarrhea, pneumonia, and others), medical/pharmacological interventions were recorded, and the costs related to these procedures were analyzed. Concurrently with treatment application, calves were individually weighed, and data were analyzed using animal as the experimental unit. (3) Results: Treatment × day and treatment × period (14-day interval) interactions were observed for body weight (BW) and average daily gain (ADG; p ≤ 0.05), respectively. Calves receiving BAS had greater BW at weaning (p = 0.02) and tended to have a greater BW on day 56 (p = 0.06). Similarly, ADG was greater for BAS from days 42 to 56 (p = 0.04) and tended to be greater from days 56 to weaning (p = 0.10). No differences were observed on the overall occurrence of diseases (p = 0.92), whereas the most common observed diseases were diarrhea and pneumonia. The incidence and mean age at which animals were detected with these diseases did not differ (p ≥ 0.46). Nonetheless, CON calves detected with disease had a reduced ADG vs. BAS-administered counterparts (p < 0.01). No differences were observed between disease-diagnosed BAS vs. healthy CON, but healthy BAS had a greater ADG vs. healthy CON (p = 0.03). A treatment effect was observed for the cost per head of each pharmacological intervention (p = 0.05). (4) Conclusions: In summary, BAS administration at a 14-day interval improved performance and reduced the costs of pharmacological interventions of pre-weaning Gir × Holstein dairy calves. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Animal Behavior: Insights into Chemical Communication)
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Review

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Review
Canine Olfaction: Physiology, Behavior, and Possibilities for Practical Applications
Animals 2021, 11(8), 2463; https://doi.org/10.3390/ani11082463 - 21 Aug 2021
Viewed by 479
Abstract
Olfaction in dogs is crucial for gathering important information about the environment, recognizing individuals, making decisions, and learning. It is far more specialized and sensitive than humans’ sense of smell. Using the strength of dogs’ sense of smell, humans work with dogs for [...] Read more.
Olfaction in dogs is crucial for gathering important information about the environment, recognizing individuals, making decisions, and learning. It is far more specialized and sensitive than humans’ sense of smell. Using the strength of dogs’ sense of smell, humans work with dogs for the recognition of different odors, with a precision far exceeding the analytical capabilities of most modern instruments. Due to their extremely sensitive sense of smell, dogs could be used as modern, super-sensitive mobile area scanners, detecting specific chemical signals in real time in various environments outside the laboratory, and then tracking the odor of dynamic targets to their source, also in crowded places. Recent studies show that dogs can detect not only specific scents of drugs or explosives, but also changes in emotions as well as in human cell metabolism during various illnesses, including COVID-19 infection. Here, we provide an overview of canine olfaction, discussing aspects connected with anatomy, physiology, behavioral aspects of sniffing, and factors influencing the olfactory abilities of the domestic dog (Canis familiaris). Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Animal Behavior: Insights into Chemical Communication)
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Review
Appeasing Pheromones for the Management of Stress and Aggression during Conservation of Wild Canids: Could the Solution Be Right under Our Nose?
Animals 2021, 11(6), 1574; https://doi.org/10.3390/ani11061574 - 27 May 2021
Viewed by 1685
Abstract
Thirty-six species of canid exist globally, two are classified as critically endangered, three as endangered, and five as near threatened. Human expansion and the coinciding habitat fragmentation necessitate conservation interventions to mitigate concurrent population deterioration. The current conservation management of wild canids includes [...] Read more.
Thirty-six species of canid exist globally, two are classified as critically endangered, three as endangered, and five as near threatened. Human expansion and the coinciding habitat fragmentation necessitate conservation interventions to mitigate concurrent population deterioration. The current conservation management of wild canids includes animal translocation and artificial pack formation. These actions often cause chronic stress, leading to increased aggression and the suppression of the immune and reproductive systems. Castration and pharmaceutical treatments are currently used to reduce stress and aggression in domestic and captive canids. The undesirable side effects make such treatments inadvisable during conservation management of wild canids. Pheromones are naturally occurring chemical messages that modulate behaviour between conspecifics; as such, they offer a natural alternative for behaviour modification. Animals are able to distinguish between pheromones of closely related species through small compositional differences but are more likely to have greater responses to pheromones from individuals of the same species. Appeasing pheromones have been found to reduce stress- and aggression-related behaviours in domestic species, including dogs. Preliminary evidence suggests that dog appeasing pheromones (DAP) may be effective in wild canids. However, the identification and testing of species-specific derivatives could produce more pronounced and beneficial behavioural and physiological changes in target species. In turn, this could provide a valuable tool to improve the conservation management of many endangered wild canids. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Animal Behavior: Insights into Chemical Communication)
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