Abstract

Most animal signals across sensory modalities are multicomponent traits that can be broken down into discrete elements. If different elements are perceived as unique, independent units (elemental perception), instead of as integrated percepts (configural perception), single changes in the presence/absence or the abundance of specific elements of a multicomponent signal may be enough to impact communication. Here, we found that male Yarrow’s spiny lizards (Sceloporus jarrovii) can discriminate single compounds of a multicomponent chemical signal (femoral gland secretions), different concentrations of a signaling compound, and a single compound from a mixture of compounds. In addition, one chemical compound elicited a response similar to that evoked by the complete natural scent. We conclude that perception of chemical signals in S. jarrovii lizards is elemental but also configural. The elemental perception of signaling compounds seems to occur with high sensitivity and narrow resolution, so that minor changes in single key elements may affect chemical communication. Given the multicomponent nature of most animal signals, hypotheses regarding signal function and evolution would be enhanced if researchers could determine whether these results apply to signals in other sensory modalities and identify the key elements of complex signals, from a receiver’s perspective.

Significance statement

Most signals in animal communication are quite complex. For example, odors are mixtures of multiple volatile chemical compounds, and the way in which receivers perceive and process these mixtures to extract relevant information influences the structure and evolution of chemical signals. In a series of behavioral trials, we investigated how male Sceloporus jarrovii lizards may perceive conspecific odors by testing their response to individual and combined mixtures of two compounds present in femoral gland secretions at two different concentrations. We demonstrate that lizards can discriminate structurally similar compounds and that the response to a compound changes when said compound is part of a larger mixture. Compound concentration affected the perception of individual compounds but not complex mixtures. Deciphering what elements and/or configurations are perceived in an odor mixture is the only way to understand the role of mixture composition and its impact on communication.

中文翻译：

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成分和化合物的比例影响多刺蜥蜴对复杂化学信号的响应

摘要

跨越感觉形态的大多数动物信号都是多成分性状，可以分解为离散的元素。如果将不同元素感知为唯一，独立的单元（基本感知），而不是综合感知（配置感知），则多分量信号中特定元素存在/不存在或数量的单个变化可能足以影响通信。在这里，我们发现了雄性亚罗arrow的多刺蜥蜴（Scoloporus jarrovii）可以区分多组分化学信号的单个化合物（股腺分泌物），不同浓度的信号传导化合物和化合物混合物中的单个化合物。另外，一种化合物引起的响应与完全自然气味所引起的响应相似。我们得出的结论是，对S. jarrovii中化学信号的感知蜥蜴是基本元素，也是结构元素。信号化合物的元素感知似乎具有很高的灵敏度和较窄的分辨率，因此单个关键元素的微小变化可能会影响化学交流。考虑到大多数动物信号的多成分性质，如果研究人员能够确定这些结果是否适用于其他感官形式的信号并从接收者的角度识别复杂信号的关键要素，那么有关信号功能和进化的假设将得到加强。

重要性声明

动物交流中的大多数信号都非常复杂。例如，气味是多种挥发性化学化合物的混合物，而接收者感知和处理这些混合物以提取相关信息的方式会影响化学信号的结构和演变。在一系列的行为试验中，我们研究了雄性Seloporus jarrovii蜥蜴可以通过测试它们对两种不同浓度的股腺分泌物中存在的两种化合物的单独和混合混合物的反应来感知同种异味。我们证明，蜥蜴可以区分结构上相似的化合物，并且当所述化合物是较大混合物的一部分时，对化合物的响应会发生变化。化合物浓度影响单个化合物的感知，但不影响复杂混合物。理解气味混合物中感知到的元素和/或构型是了解混合物成分的作用及其对交流的影响的唯一方法。