Smell of Love; Lemur Couples Copy Scents

Lemurs in love tend to mimic scents of their mates, according to a new study.

"It's like singing a duet, but with smells instead of sounds," said Christine Drea, a Duke University professor who supervised the study.

For the study, researchers analyzed scent secretions released by Coquerel's sifakas- a species of lemurs. The team also assessed the lemurs' scent marking behavior during the breeding season.

Coquerel's sifakas (Propithecus coquereli) are native to Madagascar. These lemurs have white fur with chocolate-colored patches on chests, arms and legs. The animals' throat glands and genitals produce a sticky substance. They then smear this goo on branches or tree trunks to mark their territories.

In the present study, researchers used gas chromatography and mass spectrometry tests to learn about the chemical signature of the sticky goo. They found that secretions from the genital area had some 250 odor compounds, according to a news release. The study was conducted on Coquerel's sifakas living at the Duke Lemur Center in Durham, NC.

Their study also showed that lemur couple tend to mimic scent-marking behavior of their partners. "When one member of a pair started sniffing and scent-marking more often, their mate did too," said Lydia Greene, a research associate in the Department of Evolutionary Anthropology who conducted the study as a Duke undergraduate, according to a news release.

Also, couples with kids had similar scents.  According to researchers, couples might be syncing their scents to declare that they are a couple or to unite their territories. "[They could be saying] we're a thing. We've bonded. Don't mess with us," Greene added.

The study is published in the journal Animal Behaviour.