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Chemoreception and mating behaviour of a tropical Australian skink

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dc.contributor.authorScott, Mitchell L.
dc.contributor.authorLlewelyn, John
dc.contributor.authorHiggie, Megan
dc.contributor.authorHoskin, Conrad
dc.contributor.authorPike, Kyana
dc.contributor.authorPhillips, Ben L.
dc.date.accessioned2015-05-21T02:57:28Z
dc.date.available2015-05-21T02:57:28Z
dc.date.issued2015-01
dc.date.updated2015-12-10T11:04:01Z
dc.description.abstractIn many reptile groups, molecular systematics is currently revealing high levels of cryptic diversity (i.e. genetically distinct lineages that are difficult to distinguish morphologically). One obvious mode for mate discrimination in these cryptic species is chemoreception. We hypothesise that diversity in these groups is not cryptic for pheromones, and mate recognition via chemoreception may be the primary reproductive isolating mechanism. Here, we present a preliminary study of chemoreception in Lampropholis coggeri, a rainforest skink of north-eastern Australia. We first describe the mating behaviour of captive pairs, showing that tongueflicking is an important component for both males and females, and find that L. coggeri mate more readily when paired with a conspecific from their own population vs. from a nearby population. Based on the assumption that tongue-flicking represents the lizard’s interest, we then experimentally tested scent discrimination using lizard-swabbed cotton buds presented to captive individuals. We found both sexes tongueflicked more to conspecific scent than to unscented controls. Males tongue-flicked more to female scent than to male scent but did not discriminate between mated and unmated females. While females showed greater interest in conspecific scent, they showed no greater interest in scent from males than females. This lack of discrimination was true for both mated and unmated females. Unexpectedly, however, mated females tongue-flicked substantially more than unmated females. Finally, males tended to tongue flick more often to female scents from their own population than to a nearby population that is moderately genetically divergent. Our results suggest that chemoreception plays a role in mate recognition in this species. Further work should extend to establishing mate recognition between the highly divergent cryptic lineages within this species and the pheromones underlying mate recognition.
dc.description.sponsorshipThis work was possible through the support of the Australian Research Council funding to MH and BLP (DE130100218; DP1094646; DP130100318), Australian Biological Resources Study funding to CJH, Tropical Landscapes Joint Venture funding to JL, and support from C. Moritz.en_AU
dc.format11 pages
dc.identifier.issn0873-9749en_AU
dc.identifier.urihttp://hdl.handle.net/1885/13545
dc.publisherSpringer Verlag (Germany)
dc.relationhttp://purl.org/au-research/grants/arc/DE130100218
dc.relationhttp://purl.org/au-research/grants/arc/DP1094646
dc.relationhttp://purl.org/au-research/grants/arc/DP130100318
dc.rights© Springer-Verlag Berlin Heidelberg and ISPA 2015
dc.sourceacta ethologica
dc.subjectChemoreception
dc.subjectMate recognition
dc.subjectCryptic species
dc.subjectMate choice
dc.subjectConspecific
dc.subjectTongue flick
dc.subjectScent
dc.subjectPheromones
dc.subjectMating behaviour
dc.titleChemoreception and mating behaviour of a tropical Australian skink
dc.typeJournal article
dcterms.dateAccepted2015-01-11
local.contributor.affiliationScott, Mitchell L.., Division of Evolution, Ecology & Genetics, CMBE Research School of Biology, The Australian National Universityen_AU
local.contributor.authoremailmitchell.ll.scott@gmail.comen_AU
local.contributor.authoruidU5463284en_AU
local.identifier.absfor060200 - ECOLOGY
local.identifier.absfor060800 - ZOOLOGY
local.identifier.absfor060300 - EVOLUTIONARY BIOLOGY
local.identifier.absseo970106 - Expanding Knowledge in the Biological Sciences
local.identifier.ariespublicationa383154xPUB1606
local.identifier.citationvolumePublished online: 24 Jan 15
local.identifier.doi10.1007/s10211-015-0213-0en_AU
local.identifier.essn1437-9546en_AU
local.identifier.scopusID2-s2.0-84922383045
local.identifier.uidSubmittedByu4579722en_AU
local.publisher.urlhttp://link.springer.com/en_AU
local.type.statusPublished Versionen_AU

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