Mate recognition

Inhibitory controls are found in the glomerular microcircuits which underlie the PB effect, and could represent a common model for the local functions of the AOB (Brennan, 1990 Taylor, 1991). Indeed, its simplicity has led to suggestions that it represents an evolutionary conserved neural subset (Fig. 5.4) for mate-recognition (Keveme, 1990... 

Binns, K.E. and Brennan, P. (2005) Changes in electrophysiological activity in the accessory olfactory bulb and medial amygdala associated with mate recognition in mice. Eur. J. Neurosci. 21, 2529-2537. 

Brennan, P. and Binns, K.E. (2005) Vomeronasal mechanisms of mate recognition in mice. Chem. Senses. 30 (suppl 1), il48-il49. 

Bloss J., Acree, T.E., Bloss, J.M., Hood, W.R. and Kunz, T.H. (2002) Potential use of chemical cues for colony-mate recognition in the big brown bat, Eptesicus fuscus. J. Chem. Ecol. 28, 819-834. 

Abstract In this chapter, we review recent data about the involvement of both the main and the accessory olfactory system in mate recognition and the control of sexual behavior in mice. Whereas the main olfactory system seems to play a central role in mate recognition in both male and female mice, clear sex differences emerge with regard to which olfactory system plays a more important role in the control of sexual behavior. Indeed, the main but not the accessory olfactory system seems to be more important in regulating sexual behavior in male mice, whereas in female mice, the accessory olfactory system seems to play a critical role in the control of mating. 

Main vs Accessory Olfactory System in Mate Recognition and Sexual Behavior... 

Questions clearly remain about which olfactory system is more important in mate recognition and in sexual behavior in mice. To address these issues, we conducted a series of experiments to systematically assess the role of either olfactory system in mate recognition and sexual behavior. Our main results are summarized here. 

Abstract Mate recognition is an essential component of successful reproductive behavior, and in rodent species, is primarily guided by the perception of social odors in the environment. Importantly, there is substantial evidence that species or sexual odor preferences may be regulated by early olfactory experience, although considerable variability in the plasticity of these behaviors has been observed. The current chapter summarizes what is known regarding the role of early olfactory experience in the development of adult odor preferences, synthesizing data across species, sex, and behavioral paradigms. 

Successful reproductive behavior relies on the ability to identify and approach appropriate mating partners within the environment. Critically, mate recognition requires identifying species and sex characteristics of possible mates. As in many mammalian species, rodents use odor cues as the primary mechanism for mate recognition (Johnston 1983). Thus, sexually mature rodents typically display strong behavioral preferences for conspecific odors from opposite-sex individuals compared to odors from the same-sex or heterospecific individuals (Johnston 1983). 

Newman, K.S. and Halpin, Z.T. (1988) Individual odours and mate recognition in the prairie vole, Microtus ochrogaster. Anim. Behav. 36, 1779-1787. 

Olsson, M. and Shine, R. (1998) Chemosensory mate recognition may facilitate prolonged mate guarding by male snow skinks, Niveoscincus microlepidotus. Behav. Ecol. Sociobiol. 43, 359-363. 

Attractive Compounds. While the defence chemistry of ladybird beetles has been extensively investigated, little is known about intraspecific communication. The role of chemical and behavioural cues has been described in mate recognition in Adalia bipunctata. Cuticular hydrocarbons, especially 7- and 9-methyltri-cosane seem to play an important role [301]. In Coccinella septempunctata, 2-isopropyl-3-methoxypyrazine 158 (see Scheme 17) accounting for the dis-... 

Brown, R. E., Hauschild, M., Holman, S. D., and Hutchison, J. B. (1988). Mate recognition by urine odors in the Mongolian gerbil, Meriones unguiculatus. Behavioral and Neural Biology 49,174-183. 

Cobb M. and Jallon J. M. (1990) Pheromones, mate recognition and courtship stimulation in the Drosophila melanogaster species sub-group. Anim. Behav. 39, 1058-1069. 

Courtship in insects may involve more than the copulatory act itself. Following the initial phases of the behavior, in which mate recognition, attraction, and localization are at play, the prospective partners do not necessarily proceed at once to mate, but first may show elaborate precopulatory interactions, obviously communicative in nature. What it is that the sexes say to one another in that context, and why they should even bother to communicate once they have achieved the proximity necessary for copulation, is often a mystery. 

Ginzel, M.D., Blomquist, G.J., Millar, J.G. and Hanks, L.M. (2003). Role of contact pheromones in mate recognition in Xylotrechus colonus. J. Chem. Ecol., 29, 533-545. 

Couvillon, M.J., Caple, J.R, Endsor, S.L., Karcher, M Russell, T.E., Storey, D.E. and Ratnieks, F.L.W. (2007). Nest-mate recognition template of guard honeybees (Apis mellifera) is modified by wax comb transfer. Biol. Lett., 3, 228-230. 

Helantera, H., and Sundstrom, L. (2007). Worker policing and nest mate recognition in the ant Formica fusca. Behav. Ecol. Sociobiol., 61, 1143-1149. 

Cini, A., Gioli, L. and Cervo, R. (2009). A quantitative threshold for nest-mate recognition in a paper social wasp. Biol. Lett. 5, 459 161. 

Blows, M. W and Allan, R. A. (1998). Levels of mate recognition within and between two Drosophila species and their hybrids. Am. Nat., 152, 826-837. 

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