Life Sciences Commons^™

Chapter 7: The Chemical Senses In Birds, Larry Clark

Larry Clark

No abstract provided.

Development Of Chemosensory Attractants For White-Tailed Deer (Odocoileus Virginianus), J. Russell Mason, N. Jay Bean, Larry Clark

Larry Clark

White-tailed deer (Odocoileus spp.) overpopulate many areas of the United States. Browse damage to agricultural crops, forest regeneration and landscaping can be severe. Human and animal health also arc threatened by Lyme disease, which is spread by the deer tick (Ixodes dammini). Although sterilants to reduce and/or slow the growth of deer populations and vaccines against Lyme disease may soon become available, efficient and economical techniques to inoculate large numbers of deer have not been developed. Oral baits represent one promising possibility. In experiment 1, salt blocks and several olfactory lures were evaluated as potential lures for use in deer …

Odor Thresholds In Passerines, Larry Clark, K.V. Avilova, N.J. Bean

Larry Clark

Eight species of passerines were evaluated for their ability to form conditioned responses to odor stimuli. Only 5 species met training criteria and were tested for odor detection thresholds.

2. Detection thresholds were comparable to other passerines tested. Detection values were also similar to mammalian macrosmatic species, such as rats and rabbits. Thus, despite the poorly elaborated olfactory anatomy of passerines, these birds possess an adequate sense of smell.

3. Within the Passeriformes there is no correlation between olfactory acuity and relative size of the olfactory bulb. However, there is a correlation between acuity and olfactory bulb size across orders …

Information Content Of Prey Odor Plumes: What Do Foraging Leach's Storm Petrels Know?, Larry Clark, Pankaj Shah

Larry Clark

Electrophysiological responses to odor have been recorded for concen­ trations as low as 0.01 ppm for Manx shearwaters Puffinus puffinus and Black-footed Albatrosses Diomedea nigripes, indicating that relative to most birds, procellariiforms have a keen sense of smell (Wenzel and Sieck 1972, cf.clark 1991; Clark and Smeraski 1990; Clark and Mason 1989). Such acuity is not unexpected, given the extensive development of the olfactory anatomy of these species (Bang and Wenzel 1986). Field observations indi­ cate that Procellariiformes use their sense of smell to locate food (Grubb 1972; Hutchison and Wenzel 1980; Lequette, Verheyden and Jouventin 1989). -_ However, it …

Odor Detection Thresholds In Tree Swallows And Cedar Waxwings, Larry Clark

Larry Clark

No abstract provided.

Olfactory Discrimination Of Plant Volatiles By The European Starling, Larry Clark, J Russell Mason

Larry Clark

Passerine species that re-use nest sites often incorporate fresh green vegetation into their nests, a behaviour consistent with the possibility that some birds may use chemical properties of plants to counteract the selective potential of parasites and pathogens. We tested adult starlings (Sturnus vulgaris) for their physiological capacity and behavioural ability to detect and discriminate between volatiles emitted from plant material. Multi-unit electrophysiological recordings from olfactory nerves of adults indicated that strong responses were reliably elicited by volatiles from six plant species. After pairings of plant volatiles with gastro-intestinal malaise, birds exhibited conditioned avoidance in behavioural experiments, and made all …

Olfactory Responses Of Aquatic And Terrestrial Salamanders To Air And Waterborne Stimuli, Adam Artz, Wayne Silver, J Russell Mason, Larry Clark

Larry Clark

Electro-olfactograms (EOGs) were used to assess olfactory responding by aquatic larval and terrestrial adult tiger salamanders (Ambystoma tigrinum) to airborne volatile compounds, and volatile and non-volatile compounds in aqueous solution. Both forms of salamander showed saturation effects to presentations of airborne stimuli (Fig. 2). Saturation was not observed, however, to stimulus presentations in aqueous solution (Figs. 2, 3). When threshold values and concentration-response curve parameters were compared, non-volatile amino acids in solution were more potent stimuli for larvae while airborne volatiles were more potent stimuli for adults (Tables 1, 2). We infer that metamorphosis in the tiger salamander is accompanied …

Sective Deficits In The Sense Of Smell Caused By Chemical Modification Of Olfactory Epithelium, J Russell Mason, Larry Clark, Thomas Morton

Larry Clark

A chemically selective procedure for covalent modification of Schiff base-forming binding sites in proteins is demonstrated in vitro. In vivo studies show that the same procedure produces a selective anosmia ("odor blindness") when applied to the olfactory epithelia of experimental animals. Surgical experiments confirm that the sense of smell is specifically affected.