title: Evidence for scent marking in vervet monkeys?
abstract: We used data from two troops of free-ranging vervet monkeys (Chlorocebus aethiops) to assess the proposition that the conspicuous chest rubbing observed in this species constitutes scent-marking behavior. Our data indicate that chest-rubbing behavior is associated with higher-ranking males who are more likely to do so during the breeding season in areas where territorial encounters occur. We found no indication that chest rubbing was triggered directly by encounters between troops. We conclude that these data, in conjunction with reports of chest rubbing from other Old World monkeys, are sufficiently suggestive of scent marking to warrant further, directed research and support the suspicion that olfactory cues remain important to catarrhines in a number of domains.
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychology, University of Lethbridge, Lethbridge, AB, T1K 3M4, Canada. nataliejeanfreeman@gmail.com
authors.forename: N J
authors.initials: NJ
authors.lastname: Freeman
authors.forename: G M
authors.initials: GM
authors.lastname: Pasternak
authors.forename: T L
authors.initials: TL
authors.lastname: Rubi
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Barrett
authors.forename: S P
authors.initials: SP
authors.lastname: Henzi
mesh_terms: D000819:Animal Communication; D000818:Animals; D002522:Chlorocebus aethiops / Q000502:physiology*; D005260:Female; D008297:Male; D009812:Odorants; D012621:Seasons; D017678:Sex Distribution; D012903:Smell; D012930:Social Dominance; D013019:South Africa; D013731:Territoriality