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Behav Processes

Title:		Dung as a potential medium for inter-sexual chemical signaling in Asian elephants (Elephas maximus)
Author(s):		Ghosal R; Seshagiri PB; Sukumar R;
Address:		"Centre for Ecological Sciences, Indian Institute of Science, Bangalore 560012, India"
Journal Title:		Behav Processes
Year:		2012
Volume:		20120509
Issue:		1
Page Number:		15 - 21
DOI:		10.1016/j.beproc.2012.04.010
ISSN/ISBN:		1872-8308 (Electronic) 0376-6357 (Linking)
Abstract:		"Chemical signaling is a prominent mode of male-female communication among elephants, especially during their sexually active periods. Studies on the Asian elephant in zoos have shown the significance of a urinary pheromone (Z7-12:Ac) in conveying the reproductive status of a female toward the opposite sex. We investigated the additional possibility of an inter-sexual chemical signal being conveyed through dung. Sixteen semi-captive adult male elephants were presented with dung samples of three female elephants in different reproductive phases. Each male was tested in 3 separate trials, within an interval of 1-3 days. The trials followed a double-blind pattern as the male and female elephants used in the trials were strangers, and the observer was not aware of the reproductive status of females during the period of bioassays. Males responded preferentially (P<0.005), in terms of higher frequency of sniff, check and place behavior toward the dung of females close to pre-ovulatory period (follicular-phase) as compared to those in post-ovulatory period (luteal-phase). The response toward the follicular phase samples declined over repeated trials though was still significantly higher than the corresponding response toward the non-ovulatory phase in each of the trials performed. This is the first study to show that male Asian elephants were able to distinguish the reproductive phase of the female by possibly detecting a pre-ovulatory pheromone released in dung"
Keywords:		"Animals Biomarkers/analysis Double-Blind Method Elephants/*physiology/*psychology Estrous Cycle/*physiology Feces/chemistry Female Male Progesterone/*analysis Sex Attractants/*physiology Sexual Behavior, Animal/*physiology;"
Notes:		"MedlineGhosal, Ratna Seshagiri, P B Sukumar, R eng Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't Netherlands 2012/05/15 Behav Processes. 2012 Sep; 91(1):15-21. doi: 10.1016/j.beproc.2012.04.010. Epub 2012 May 9"