Genetically based social communication in an inbred group-living wild mammal

气味信号对哺乳动物的社会交流至关重要，并可能影响社会进化，但基于遗传的社会信号机制尚未解决。实验室研究已经证明了理论预测，高度多态性基因（如主要组织相容性复合体，MHC）可以用于准确区分个体。然而，这些机制从自然种群的经验证据是缺乏的，但需要证明其生态相关性。此外，目前还不清楚基因是如何影响气味信号的，无论是直接来自等位基因分子的挥发性副产物，还是间接通过调节微生物产生气味的群落。我们建议利用数十年的行为和遗传数据收集的带状猫鼬领域项目解开社会气味的遗传基础。据我们所知，这将是第一项结合联合收割机基因组学、化学气味谱、微生物分泌谱和多个MHC位点的研究，以全面研究自然人群中基于遗传的社会信号传导机制。

Odor signals are vitally important for social communication in mammals and can impact on social evolution yet the mechanisms of genetic-based social signaling are unresolved. Lab studies have demonstrated theoretical predictions that highly polymorphic genes (such as those at the Major Histocompatibility Complex, MHC) can be used for accurate discrimination of individuals. However, empirical evidence for these mechanisms from natural populations is lacking but required to prove their ecological relevance. Additionally, it is unclear how genes influence odor signals, whether directly from volatile by-products of allele molecules, or indirectly by regulating microbial odor-producing communities. We propose to leverage decades of behavioral and genetic data collected from the banded mongoose field project to disentangle the genetic basis of social odors. To our knowledge, this will be the first study to combine genomics, chemical odor profiles, microbial secretion profiles, and multiple MHC loci to comprehensively investigate the mechanisms of genetic-based social signaling in a natural population.