Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

Volatile and Nonvolatile Chemosignals of Female Rodents: Differences in Hormonal Regulation

  • Chapter
Chemical Signals in Vertebrates 3

Abstract

Among rodents, males and females produce certain chemosignals that are different. These sexually dimorphic odors serve both to attract conspecifics and to coordinate reproductive physiology and behavior. In fact, among some rodents such as housemice and golden hamsters, chemoreception may constitute the single most important sensory modality for gender recognition and stimulation of sexual arousal.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this chapter

Log in via an institution
eBook
USD 16.99
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Available as PDF
  • Read on any device
  • Instant download
  • Own it forever
Softcover Book
USD 109.99
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Compact, lightweight edition
  • Dispatched in 3 to 5 business days
  • Free shipping worldwide - see info
Hardcover Book
USD 109.99
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Durable hardcover edition
  • Dispatched in 3 to 5 business days
  • Free shipping worldwide - see info

Tax calculation will be finalised at checkout

Purchases are for personal use only

Institutional subscriptions

Preview

Unable to display preview. Download preview PDF.

Unable to display preview. Download preview PDF.

References

  • Beauchamp, G. K., 1973, Attraction of male guinea pigs to conspecific urine. Physiol. Behay., 10: 589.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Beauchamp, G. K., and Berüter, J., 1973, Source and stability of attractive components in guinea pig (Cavia porcellus) urine, Behay. Biol., 9: 43.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Breen, M. F., and Leshner, A. I., 1977, Maternal pheromone: a demonstration of its existence in the mouse. Physiol. Behay., 18: 527.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Brown, R. E., 1977, Odor preference and urine-marking scales in male and female rats: effects of gonadectomy and sexual experience on responses to conspecific odors. J. Comp. Physiol. Psychol., 91: 1190.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Carr, W. J., Loeb, L. S., and Dissinger, M. L., 1965, Responses of rats to sex odors. J. Comp. Physiol. Psychol., 59: 370.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Darby, E. M., Devor, M., and Chorover, S. L., 1975, A presumptive sex pheromone in the hamster: some behavioral effects, J. Comp. Physiol. Psychol., 88: 496.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Davies, V. J., and Bellamy, D., 1972, The olfactory response of mice to urine and effects of gonadectomy, J. Endocrinol., 55: 11.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Davies, V. J., and Bellamy, D., 1974, Effects of female urine on social investigations in male mice, Anim. Behay., 22: 239.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Dixon, A. K., and Mackintosh, J. H., 1971, Effects of female urine upon the social behavior of adult male mice, Anim. Behay., 19: 138.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Dixon, A. K., and Mackintosh, J. H., 1975, The relationship between the physiological condition of female mice and the effects of their urine on the social behavior of adult males, Anim. Behay., 23: 513.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Dixon, A. K., and Mackintosh, J. H., 1976, Olfactory mechanisms affording protection from attack to juvenile mice, (Mus musculus, L.) Z. Tierpsychol., 41: 225.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Drickamer, L. C., 1974, Sexual maturation of female house mice: social inhibition, Dev. Psychobiol., 7: 257.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Drickamer, L. C., 1977, Delay of sexual maturation in female house mice by exposure to grouped females or urine from grouped females, J. Reprod. Fert., 51: 77.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Drickamer, L. C., McIntosh, T. R., and Rose, E. A., 1978, Effects of ovariectomy on the presence of a maturation-delaying pheromone in the urine of female mice. Horm. Behay., 11: 131.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Drickamer, L. C. McIntosh, T. K., 1980, Effect of adrenalectomy on the presence of a maturation-delaying pheromone in the urine of female mice, Horm. Behay., 14: 146.

    Google Scholar 

  • Evans, C. M., Mackintosh, J. H., Kennedy, J. F., and Robertson, S. M., 1978, Attempts to characterize and isolate aggression reducing olfactory signals from the urine of female mice, Mus musculus, Physiol. Behay., 20: 129.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Gawienowski, A. M., Orsulak, P. J., Stacewicz-Sapuntzakis, M., and Pratt, J. J., 1976, Attractant effect of female preputial gland extracts on the male rat, Psychoneuroendocrinol., 1: 411.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Haag, Claudia, Jerhoff, B., Kirkpatrick, J. F., 1979, Ovarian hormones and their role of aggression inhibition among male mice, Physiol. Behay., 13: 175.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Hayashi, B., and Kimura, T., 1974, A sex attractant emited by female mice, Physiol. Behay., 13: 563.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Johnston, R. E., 1977, Sex pheronobes in golden hamsters, in: “Chemical Signals in Invertebrates,” D. Muller-Schwarze and M. M. Mozell, eds., Plenum Press, New York.

    Google Scholar 

  • Johnston, R. E., 1980, Responses of male hamsters to odors of females in different reproductive states, J. Comp. Physiol., 94: 894.

    Google Scholar 

  • Johnston, R., 1981, Hormonal control of odor-elicited LH responses and attraction in male mice, Paper presented at Conference on Reproductive Behavior, Nashville.

    Google Scholar 

  • Kwan, M., and Johnston, R. E., 1980, The role of vaginal secretion in hamster sexual behavior: males’ responses to normal and vaginectomized females and their odors, J. Comp. Physiol. Psychol., 94: 905.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Landauer, M. R., and Banks, E. M., 1973, Olfactory preferences of male and female golden hamsters, Bull. Ecolog. Soc. Amer., 54: 44.

    Google Scholar 

  • Landauer, M. R., Wiese, R. E., Jr., and Carr, W. J., 1977, Responses of sexually experienced and naive male rats to cues from receptive and nonreceptive females, Anim. Learn. Behay., 5: 398.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Landauer, M. R., Banks, E. M., and Carter, C. S., 1978, Sexual and olfactory preferences of naive and experienced male hamsters, Anim. Behay., 26: 611.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • LeMagnen, J., 1952, Les phéromones olfacto-sexuals chez le rat blanc, Archives des Sciences Physiologiques, 6: 295.

    Google Scholar 

  • Lydell, K., and Doty, R. L., 1972, Male rat odor preferences for female urine as a function of sexual experience, urine age, and urine source, Horm. Behay., 3: 205.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Macrides, F., Bartke, A., Fernandez, F., and D’Angelo, W., 1974, Effects of exposure to vaginal odor and receptive females on plasma testosterone in the male hamster. Neuroendocrinol., 15: 355.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Macrides, F., Bartke, A., and Dalterio, S., 1975, Strange females increase plasma testosterone levels in male mice, Science, 189: 1104.

    Article  ADS  Google Scholar 

  • Macrides, F., Johnson, P. A., Schneider, S. P., 1977, Responses of the male golden hamster to vaginal secretion and dimethyl disulfide: attraction versus sexual behavior, Behav. Biol., 20: 377.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Maruniak, J. A., and Bronson, F. H., 1976, Gonadotropic responses of male mice to female urine, Endocrinol., 99: 963.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Mugford, R. A., and Nowell, N. W., 1971a, Endocrine control over production and activity of the anti-aggression pheromone from female mice, J. Endocrinol., 49: 225.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Mugford, R. A., and Nowell, N. W., 1971b, The relationship between endocrine status of female opponents and aggressive behaviour of male mice, Anim. Behay., 19: 153.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Nyby, J., Wysocki, C. J., Whitney, G., and Dizinno, G., 1977, Pheromonal regulation of male mouse ultrasonic courtship (Mus musculus), Anim. Behay., 25: 333.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Nyby, J., and Whitney, G., 1980, Experience affects behavioral responses to sex odors, in “Chemical Signals in Vertebrates and Aquatic Animals”, D. Müller-Schwarze and R. M. Silverstein, ed., Plenum Press, New York.

    Google Scholar 

  • Nyby, J., Wysocki, C. J., Whitney, G., Dizinno, G., Schneider, J. and Nunez, A. A., 1981, Stimuli for male mouse (Mus musculus) ultrasonic courtship vocalizations: presence of female chemosignals and/or absence of male chemosignals, J. Comp. Physiol. Psychol., 95: 623.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • O’Connell, R. J., Singer, A. G., Stern, F. Lee, Jesmajian, S., and Agosta, W. C., 1981, Cyclic variations in the concentration of sex attractant pheromone in hamster vaginal discharge, Behay. Neur. Biol., 31: 457.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • O’Connell, R. J., Singer, A. G., Macrides, F., Pfaffmann, C., and Agosta, W. C., 1978, Response of the male golden hamster to mixture of odorants identified from vaginal discharge, Behay. Biol., 24: 244.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Pfaff, D. W., and Pfaffman, C., 1969, Behavioral and electrophysiological responses of male rats to female urine odors, in Olfaction and Taste, Vol. III, C. Pfaffman, ed., Rockefeller Univ. Press, New York.

    Google Scholar 

  • Ruddy, L. L., 1980, Discrimination among colony mates’ anogenital odors by guinea pigs (Cavia porcellus), J. Comp. Physiol. Psychol. 94: 767.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Stern, J. J., 1970, Responses of male rats to sex odors, Physiol. Behay., 5: 519.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Singer, A. G., Macrides, F., and Agosta, W. C., 1980, Chemical studies of hamster reproductive pheromones, in D. Müller-Schwarze, and Silverstein R. M., (eds.), Chemical Signals, Plenum Press, New York.

    Google Scholar 

  • Singer, A. G., Agosta, W. C., O’Connell, R. J., Pfaffman, C.

    Google Scholar 

  • Bowen, D. V., and Field, F. H., 1976, Dimethyl disulfide: an attractant pheromone in hamster vaginal secretion, Science, 191: 948.

    Article  ADS  Google Scholar 

  • Taylor, G. T., 1975, Male aggression in the presence of an estrous female, J. Comp. Physiol. Psychol., 89: 246.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Taylor, G. T., 1980, Sex pheromones and aggressive behavior in male rats, Anim. Learn. Behay., 8: 485.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Wysocki, C. J., 1979, Neurobehavioral evidence for the involvement of the vomeronasal system in mammalian reproduction, Neurosci. Biobehay. Rev., 3: 301.

    Article  Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Psychology, Lehigh University, Bethlehem, Pa., USA

    John Nyby

Authors
  1. John Nyby
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

  1. State University of New York, Syracuse, New York, USA

    Dietland Müller-Schwarze  & Robert M. Silverstein  & 

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

Copyright information

© 1983 Springer Science+Business Media New York

About this chapter

Cite this chapter

Nyby, J. (1983). Volatile and Nonvolatile Chemosignals of Female Rodents: Differences in Hormonal Regulation. In: Müller-Schwarze, D., Silverstein, R.M. (eds) Chemical Signals in Vertebrates 3. Springer, Boston, MA. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4757-9652-0_11

Download citation

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4757-9652-0_11

  • Publisher Name: Springer, Boston, MA

  • Print ISBN: 978-1-4757-9654-4

  • Online ISBN: 978-1-4757-9652-0

  • eBook Packages: Springer Book Archive

Publish with us

Policies and ethics

Search

Navigation