Evolution courtship pheromones

The delivery of male courtship pheromones is widespread among plethodontid salamanders (Houck and Arnold 2003), and other courtship pheromones are being discovered for this group (Houck, Palmer, Watts, Arnold, Feldhoff and Feldhoff 2007). The mode by which these pheromones are transferred to the female apparently has been modified from delivery via diffusion into the circulatory system to delivery that directly stimulates vomeronasal receptors (Fig. 20.1 Houck and Sever 1994 Watts et al. 2004 Palmer et al. 2005 Palmer et al. 2007). The behavior patterns and morphologies associated with these two delivery modes often remain static for millions of years. In contrast, evolution at the level of pheromone signals is apparently an incessant process that continuously alters the protein sequence and composition of pheromones both within and among species (Watts et al. 2004 Palmer et al. 2005 Palmer et al. 2007). 

Houck, L.D. 1986. The evolution of salamander courtship pheromones. In D. Duvall, D. MiHler-Schwarze and R.M. Silverstein. (Eds.) Chemical Signals in Vertebrates, Vol. IV Ecology, Evolution, and Comparative Biology. Plenum Press, New York. Pp. 173-190. 

Grapholitha molesta) experimental analysis and consideration of the role of sexual selection in the evolution of courtship pheromones in the Lepidoptera. Annals of the Entomological Society of America 72 173-188. 

Arnold, S.J. Houck, L.D. 1982. Courtship pheromones Evolution by natural and sexual selection. In Biochemi-cal Aspects of Evolutionary Biology (Ed. by M. Nitecki), pp. 173—211. Chicago University of Chicago Press. 

Meanwhile, these data will come from studies that are significant in their own right, studies that concentrate on courtship pheromone evolution at the population level. Several questions pertinent to this level of analysis are ... 

Legendre, A., Miao, X.-X., Da Lage, J.-L. and Wicker-Thomas, C. (2008). Evolution of a desaturase involved in female pheromonal cuticular hydrocarbon biosynthesis and courtship behavior in Drosophila. Insect Biochem. Mol. Biol., 38, 244-253. 

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