Assessing chemical communication in elephants

摘要: The study of chemical communication in elephants has resulted startling and exciting new discoveries the past decade (Rasmussen Schulte, 1998; Rasmussen et al., 2003). To date, highlight this research been identification two compounds that serve as pheromones (as defined by Karlson Luscher, 1959). al. (1996, 1997) identified (Z)-7-dodecen-1-yl acetate (Z7-12:Ac) female Asian elephant urine collected during pre-ovulatory period. This estrous pheromone signals approaching ovulation to conspecific males but elicits little interest from conspecifics. compound is not unique elephants; Z7-12:Ac a component mating for numerous lepidopteran species. More recently, Greenwood (2003) isolated frontalin, known aggregation bark beetles (Kinzer 1969), male temporal gland secretion. Male exhibit range behaviors when exposed frontalin. responses depend on age, sex, status receiver. release secretion profusely only musth (Jainudeen 1972a,b), suggesting frontalin carries musth-alerting message. Thus, single compounds, likely acting conjunction with other components such proteins (Lazar 2002), mediate sexual social interactions among elephants.