Advances in Chemical Signals in Vertebrates

The purpose of this volume is to provide an update and overview of the field of chemical communication in vertebrates, including chemical identification of the signals, sensory mechanisms, interactions between odors and the endocrine system, behavior, and ecology. It gives extensive coverage of a number of vertebrate taxa, especially amphibians, fish, and mammals, and includes both theoretical and review chapters as well as reports of recent research. The volume is divided into ten sections: comparative and revolutionary perspectives; chemical identification of chemical signals; the major histochemical complex and odor communication, social recognition: individuals, kin, and species; signaling behaviors: functions of scent marking; sex, aggression, and social behavior; relationships to endocrine function; predator-prey relationships; neural mechanisms of chemical communication, and practical applications. A wide range of topics and approaches are covered, including animal behavior and ecology, chemistry of odor signals, neurobiology of olfactory function, the role of hormones, the role of the major histocompatability complex, predator-prey relationships, and practical applications such as the use of odors in pest management. No other text in this field covers this range of topics.