Odours and sexual attraction - or hybridising potential in cryptic species
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| Year of publication | 2007 |
| Type | Conference abstract |
| MU Faculty or unit | |
| Citation | |
| Description | The aim of this experimental study was 1) to compare the level of attraction in scent secretions and urine in cryptic bat species and 2) to analyse probability of mate selection in the same species with regard to pre-mating potential in inter-species hybridisation. Common Pipistrelle (Pipistrellus pipistrellus) and Soprano Pipistrelle (Pipistrellus pygmaeus) were used as model species. Odour attraction was tested using glass Y-shaped tubes in laboratory conditions. Secretions of scent glands and urine samples were collected from both sexes. Activity in tubes was recorded by an infrared video system and the obtained material was analysed in software Noldus Observer. The testing of the urine revealed that both sexes performed lower searching activity than in case of secretions of scent glands. In case of secretions of scent glands, so called auto-grooming was observed. This behaviour, especially in males, is related to odours spreading over the body. The males of both species were able to select odour of a female of the same species. However, wrong selection was also found in small amounts, providing some hybridising potential among the studied cryptic species. It is noticeable, in particular, in connection with the fact that the females did not show any selection in species preferences. The selection on the base of the bat's odours provides a background for existence of inter-species hybrids. It should be confirmed for example at level of micro-satellite loci in nuclear DNA. Experiments were financially supported by the GAČR (206/06/0954) and the Ministry of Education, Youth and Sport of the Czech Republic (MSM0021622416). |
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