Elephants Asian

Fig. 2.17 Microvilli in Asian Elephant ( 1 maximus), lumen surface. VNOR with branched and unbranched organelles tip of supporting cell (from Rasmussen and Hultgrcn, 1990).

PI. 7.1 Nasal chemosampling, trunk-tip of Asian Elephant anterior finger region, showing tactile area + pits (DT, arrows). Vibrissa hairs (LVH and SVH), muscular walls (LDT and VT) (from Rasmussen and Munger, 1996). 

Perrin T. and Rasmussen L.E.L. (1994). Chemosensory responses of female Asian elephants (Elephas maximus) to cyclohexanone. J Chern Ecol 20, 2953-2958. 

Rasmussen L.E.L. and Hultgren B. (1990). Gross and microscopic anatomy of vomeronasal organ in the Asian Elephant (Elephas maximus). In Chemical Signals in Vertebrates 5 (MacDonald D., Milller-Schwarze D. and Natynczuk S.E., eds.). Oxford University Press, pp. 154-161. 

Rasmussen L.E.L., Lee T.D., Daves G. and Schmidt M.J. (1993). Female-to-male sex-pheromones of low volatility in the Asian Elephant, Elephas maximus. J Chem Ecol 19, 2115-2128. 

Rasmussen L.E.L. and Munger B.L. (1996). The sensorineural specializations of the trunk tip (finger) of the Asian elephant, Elephas maximus. Anat Rec 246, 127-134. 

Johnson, E.W. and Rasmussen, L.E.L. (2002) Morphological characteristics of the vomeronasal organ of the newborn Asian elephant, Elephas maximus. Anat. Rec. 267, 252-59. 

Lazar, J., Greenwood, D.R., Rasmussen, L.E.L. and Prestwich, G.D. (2002) Molecular and functional characterization of an odorant binding protein of the Asian elephant, Elephas maximas Implications for the role of lipocalins in mammalian olfaction. Biochemistry 41, 11786-11794. 

Rasmussen, L.E.L. (1999) Evolution of chemical signals in the Asian elephant, Elephas maximus behavioural and ecological influences. J. Biosci. (Bangalore) 24, 241-251. 

Rasmussen, L.E.L. (2001) Source and cyclic release pattern of Z-7-dodecenyl acetate, the preovulatory pheromone of the female Asian elephant. Chem. Senses 26, 611-623. 

Rasmussen, L.E.L. and Schulte, B.A. (1999) Ecological and biochemical constraints on pheromonal signaling systems in Asian elephants and their evolutionary implications. In R. Johnston, D. Miiller-Schwarze and P. Sorenson (Eds.), Advances in Chemical Communication in Vertebrates, Vol. 8 Kluwer Academic/Plenum Press, New York, pp. 46-62. 

Schulte, B.A. and Rasmussen, L.E.L. (1999b) Signal-receiver interplay in the communication of male condition by Asian elephants. Anim. Behav. 57, 1265-1274. 

Scott, N.L. and Rasmussen, L.E.L. (2005) Chemical communication of musth in captive Asian elephants, Elephas maximus. In R.T. Mason, M.R LeMaster and D. Miiller-Schwarze (Eds.), Chemical Signals in Vertebrates 10. Springer Press, New York, pp. 118-127. 

Abstract A relatively small number of mammalian pheromones has been identified, in contrast to a plethora of known insect pheromones, but two remarkable Asian elephant/insect pheromonal linkages have been elucidated, namely, (Z)-7-dodecen-1-yl acetate and frontalin. In addition, behavioral bioassays have demonstrated the presence of a chemical signal in the urine of female African elephants around the time of ovulation. Our search for possible ovulatory pheromones in the headspace over female African elephant urine has revealed for the first time the presence of a number of known insect pheromones. This search has been facilitated by the use of a powerful new analytical technique, automated solid phase dynamic extraction (SPDE)/GC-MS, as well as by novel macros for enhanced and rapid comparison of multiple mass spectral data files from Agilent ChemStation . This chapter will focus on our methodologies and results, as well as on a comparison of SPDE and the more established techniques of solid phase microextraction (SPME) and stir bar sorptive extraction (SBSE). 

Compared to the large number of chemical signals identified in insects, only a small number of proven mammalian pheromones are known, two of which have been identified in elephants (Albone 1984 Brown and Macdonald 1985 Wyatt 2003 Burger 2005). Female Asian elephants (Elephas maximus) release a... 

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