Pregnancy is detected via odour in a wild cooperative breeder
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Among mammals, scent has long been known to encode oestrus; however, in many species, detecting pregnancy may also be important in terms of both competition and mate-choice. Here, we show, through odour presentation experiments, that pregnancy is discernible via scent by both sexes in the cooperatively breeding banded mongoose, Mungos mungo . Males spent more time investigating and were more likely to scent mark the odours of non-pregnant females, compared to pregnant females. Females showed increased levels of scent marking when odours were of the same reproductive state as themselves. These results present the first direct demonstration that pregnancy is detectable via scent in wild cooperative breeders. Detecting pregnancy may be particularly important in cooperative breeders as, in addition to the competition between males for receptive mates, there is also intense competition between females for access to alloparental care. Consequently, dominant females benefit from targeting reproductive suppression towards subordinates that represent direct threats, such as pregnant females.
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Signaling sexual unavailability, as described in primates and non-primates, may also be important in humans.
“In view of this, signaling sexual unavailability (as described in primates and non-primates ( Crawford and Drea, 2015 ;Johnston, 1980 ;Mitchell et al., 2017 ) may also be important in humans.”
From Male brain processing of the body odor of ovulating women compared to that of pregnant women (2021) · cites this paper as Mitchell et al., 2017
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Male brain processing of the body odor of ovulating women compared to that of pregnant women
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- Authors
- Mitchell, J., Cant, M. A., & Nichols, H. J.
- Affiliations
- Liverpool John Moores University (GB)
- University of Exeter (GB)
- Corresponding author
- Nichols, H. J.
- Venue
- Biology Letters
- Publisher
- The Royal Society
- Published
- 2017-11
- Volume
- 13
- Issue
- 11
- Pages
- 20170441
- ISSN
- 1744-9561 (ISSN-L)
- 1744-957X
- PMC
- PMC5719375
- OpenAlex
- W2770814531
- Cited by
- 7
- References
- 22
- Citations by year
- 2026: 1 · 2025: 2 · 2024: 1 · 2021: 2 · 2019: 1
- FWCI
- 0.24
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- bronze
- doi.org
- Locations
- Biology Letters (publishedVersion)
- Europe PMC (PubMed Central) (publishedVersion)
- PubMed Central (publishedVersion)
- PubMed (publishedVersion)
- Open Research Exeter (University of Exeter) (acceptedVersion)
- Liverpool John Moores University (submittedVersion)
- Figshare (submittedVersion)
- Funders
- Liverpool John Moores University (NA)
- Topics
- Life Sciences › Agricultural and Biological Sciences › Ecology, Evolution, Behavior and Systematics › Animal Behavior and Reproduction
- Social Sciences › Psychology › Social Psychology › Primate Behavior and Ecology
- Life Sciences › Neuroscience › Sensory Systems › Olfactory and Sensory Function Studies
- Keywords
- pregnancy diagnosis, olfactory communication, scent marking, banded mongoose, Mungos mungo, cooperative breeding, reproductive status, estrus, alloparental care, female competition, reproductive suppression, wild primates
- MeSH terms
- Animals, Breeding, Dominance-Subordination, Female, Male, Herpestidae, Odorants, Peer Group, Pregnancy, Reproduction, Sexual Behavior, Animal, Uganda, Olfactory Perception
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