DOI: 10.5061/dryad.gf1vhhn37
title: Data from: Group recognition in a subsocial extreme omnivore is based on fecal odor preference that is modulated by coprophagy, diet, and learning

description: Fecal odors attract cockroaches to aggregations, where conspecific feces
 provide nutrients and seed the gut microbiota. Because these odors arise
 from the gut and fecal microbial communities, which are shaped by
 coprophagy and diet, discrete aggregations within a heterogeneous
 landscape can produce distinct fecal odor profiles. How such odor
 diversity influences recognition, group-affiliation, and ultimately
 aggregation remains unclear. We manipulated coprophagy and then diet in
 gnotobiotic nymphs to generate groups with distinct fecal odor signatures,
 then raised them to the adult stage and collected their feces for
 behavioral assays. Naïve nymphs lacking coprophagy experience were equally
 attracted to fecal odors from all treatment groups, suggesting an innate
 attraction to conspecific feces. In contrast, experienced nymphs preferred
 the fecal odor of their natal group over foreign groups, suggesting
 learned group-specific recognition. In associative learning assays,
 pairing a fecal odor with a glucose reward, nymphs preferentially
 aggregated with the conditioned odor over novel odors. These results show
 that aggregation in neonate cockroaches is mediated by both an innate
 attraction to conspecific fecal odor and learned preferences for specific
 odorants encountered during early coprophagy. We propose that these
 mechanisms guide neonates toward natal aggregations, facilitating
 acquisition of a locally adapted gut microbial community.
description: # Data from: Group recognition in a subsocial extreme omnivore is based on
 fecal odor preference that is modulated by coprophagy, diet, and learning
 Dataset DOI:
 [10.5061/dryad.gf1vhhn37](https://doi.org/10.5061/dryad.gf1vhhn37) ##
 Description of the data and file structure **Data of "Group
 recognition in a subsocial extreme omnivore is based on fecal odor
 preference that is modulated by coprophagy, diet and learning"** ###
 Files and descriptions *
 "README_DRYAD_Group_recognition_in_a_subsocial_extreme_omnivore_is_based_on_fecal_odor_preference_that_is_modulated_by_coprophagy_diet_and_learning.csv" includes the description of each table of each Figure file * "Figure1_DRYAD_Group_recognition_in_a_subsocial_extreme_omnivore_is_based_on_fecal_odor_preference_that_is_modulated_by_coprophagy_diet_and_learning.csv" includes raw data for Figure1 * "Figure2_DRYAD_Group_recognition_in_a_subsocial_extreme_omnivore_is_based_on_fecal_odor_preference_that_is_modulated_by_coprophagy_diet_and_learning.csv" includes raw data for Figure2 * "Figure3_DRYAD_Group_recognition_in_a_subsocial_extreme_omnivore_is_based_on_fecal_odor_preference_that_is_modulated_by_coprophagy_diet_and_learning.csv" includes raw data for Figure3 * "Figure4_DRYAD_Group_recognition_in_a_subsocial_extreme_omnivore_is_based_on_fecal_odor_preference_that_is_modulated_by_coprophagy_diet_and_learning.csv" includes raw data for Figure4 * "FigureS3_DRYAD_Group_recognition_in_a_subsocial_extreme_omnivore_is_based_on_fecal_odor_preference_that_is_modulated_by_coprophagy_diet_and_learning.csv" includes raw data for FigureS3