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 odours and the endocrine system, behaviour, 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 behaviours: functions of scent marking; sex, aggression, and social behaviour; relationships to endocrine function; predator-prey relationships; neural mechanisms of chemical communication, and practical applications.