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Horm Behav

Title:		Effects of sex hormones and gender on attraction thresholds for volatile anal scent gland odors in ferrets
Author(s):		Woodley SK; Baum MJ;
Address:		"Department of Biology, Boston University, Boston, MA 02215, USA. swoodley@bu.edu"
Journal Title:		Horm Behav
Year:		2003
Volume:		44
Issue:		2
Page Number:		110 - 118
DOI:		10.1016/s0018-506x(03)00126-0
ISSN/ISBN:		0018-506X (Print) 0018-506X (Linking)
Abstract:		"Body odors contribute to mate recognition and sexual partner preference in many mammals, including ferrets. We used a habituation/dishabituation procedure to test whether sex steroid hormones influence whether ferrets will approach and investigate different concentrations of volatile anal scent gland odors from male and female conspecifics. When tested with high concentrations of anal scent gland secretions in oil vehicle, gonadectomized male and female ferrets that received no sex steroids reliably discriminated anal scents from male and female conspecifics. This discrimination most likely reflects gender recognition rather than individual recognition because gonadectomized, sex steroid-treated ferrets discriminated between anal scents of males and females but not between anal scents of individual males or females. Treatment with either the estrogen receptor agonist, estradiol benzoate (EB), or the androgen receptor agonist, 5-alpha dihydrotestosterone proprionate (DHTP), increased investigation of low concentrations of anal scent by gonadectomized ferrets. These data suggest that ferrets could use anal scent gland secretions in mate recognition and that seasonal increases in circulating sex steroid hormones increase ferrets' responsiveness to low concentrations of these odors"
Keywords:		Analysis of Variance Animals Discrimination Learning/*physiology Female Ferrets/*physiology Gonadal Steroid Hormones/*blood Male *Pheromones Scent Glands/metabolism Sensory Thresholds/physiology Sex Characteristics Sex Factors Smell/*physiology;
Notes:		"MedlineWoodley, Sarah K Baum, Michael J eng DC00426-02/DC/NIDCD NIH HHS/ HD21094/HD/NICHD NIH HHS/ Research Support, U.S. Gov't, P.H.S. 2003/09/18 Horm Behav. 2003 Aug; 44(2):110-8. doi: 10.1016/s0018-506x(03)00126-0"