Olfactory signals of sex in mammals: analysis of approaches

摘要

Main approaches and methods used in the Laboratory of Ecology, Behavior and Morphology of Higher Vertebrates at the Institute of Ecology and Evolution to study olfactory signals in mammals promoting reproductive success are briefly reviewed. Sex and physiological status discrimination, stimulation of sexual activity and some other behavioral responses to chemical signals are considered. More than 10 species of mammals from different taxa were analyzed. A response of animals is related to many factors such as chemical cue, season, age, sexual experience. Problems of chemical communication arc suggested to be solved by conducting complex studies of different groups of mammals.