Olfactory communicatiaon : chemical characterization of the interdigital secretion of the black wildebeest, Connochaetes gnou

Description

Thesis (PhD)--Stellenbosch University, 2000. / ENGLISH ABSTRACT: The black wildebeest, Connochaetes gnou, is a terriorial animal and although it is not
generally accepted, it is believed that it defines its territory by scent marking, using
interdigital and preorbital secretions, faeces, and urine. The aim of this study was to
characterize the chemical constituents of the interdigital secretion. Due to the
complexity of the secretion, only one hundred and ten of the approximately 350
compounds could be determined with known techniques. Gas chromatography, low
resolution GC-MS and retention-time comparison were the main analytical
techniques used. Classes of compounds identified in the interdigital secretion include
the following:
• Hydrocarbons - Aliphatic (saturated and unsaturated) and aromatic
• Alcohols - Aliphatic (saturated, unsaturated, cyclic and diols)
• Phenols and Phenylalkanols
• Aldehydes - Aliphatic (saturated and unsaturated) and aromatic
• Ketones - Aliphatic (saturated, unsaturated, cyclic and diketones) and
aromatic
• Hydroxy ketones - Aliphatic and cyclic
• Carboxylic acids - Aliphatic (saturated, unsaturated and cyclic) and
aromatic
• An anhydride
• Esters - Methyl esters, ethyl and higher esters, unsaturated esters and
aromatic esters
• Lactams
• A steroid
Only small qualitative and quantitative differences were found between the male and
female interdigital secretions. / AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Die swartwildebees, Connochaetes gnou, is 'n territoriale dier en alhoewel dit nie
algemeen aanvaar word nie, word vermoed dat hierdie bokke hul gebied afbaken
met behulp van interdigitale en preorbitale afskeidings, en deur faeces en urine. Die
doel van hierdie studie was om die chemiese samestelling van die interdigitale
afskeiding te karakteriseer. As gevolg van die kompleksiteit van die afskeiding, kon
slegs eenhonderd-en-tien van die ongeveer 350 verbindings met bekende bestaande
tegnieke geïdentifiseer word. Gaschromatografie, lae resolusie GC-MS en
retensietyd-vergelyking was die belangrikste analitiese tegnieke wat gebruik is.
Klasse van verbindings wat bepaal is, sluit die volgende in:
• Koolwaterstowwe - Alifaties (versadig en onversadig) en aromaties
• Alkohole - Alifaties (versadig, onversadig, siklies en diole)
• Fenole en Fenielalkanole
• Aldehiede - Alifaties (versadig en onversadig) en aromaties
• Ketone - Alifaties (versadig, onversadig, siklies en diketone) en aromaties
• Hidroksiketone - Alifaties en siklies
• Karboksielsure - Alifaties (versadig, onversadig en siklies) en aromaties
• 'n Anhidried
• Esters - Metiel esters, etiel en hoër esters, onversadigde esters en
aromatiese esters
• Laktame
• 'n Steroïed
Slegs klein kwalitatiewe en kwantitatiewe verskille is gevind tussen die bul en koei
interdigitale afskeidings.

Links & Downloads

1. http://hdl.handle.net/10019.1/51859

Tags

Animal communication

Secretion -- Analysis

Chemical senses

Smell -- Research

Dissertations -- Chemistry

Theses -- Chemistry

Additional Fields

Identifer	oai:union.ndltd.org:netd.ac.za/oai:union.ndltd.org:sun/oai:scholar.sun.ac.za:10019.1/51859
Date	12 1900
Creators	Slade, Desmond
Contributors	Burger, B. V., Le Roux, M., Stellenbosch University. Faculty of Science . Dept. of Chemistry & Polymer Science.
Publisher	Stellenbosch : Stellenbosch University
Source Sets	South African National ETD Portal
Language	en_ZA
Detected Language	English
Type	Thesis
Format	252 p.
Rights	Stellenbosch University