Salamander chemical signaling courtship pheromones

Feldhoff R.C., Rollman S.M. and Houck L.D. (1999). Chemical analysis of courtship pheromones in a Plethodontid Salamander. In Advances in Chemical Signals in Vertebrates (Johnston R.E., Miiller-Schwarze D. and Sorenson P., eds.). Kluwer, New York, pp. 117-126. 

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. 

Critical investigations are just beginning, but analyses of salamander courtship pheromones potentially can offer compelling insights at the population level into sources of individual variation in reproductive success. At another level, these pheromones are candidates for examining predictions of sexual selection theory. At either level, the taxonomic variety and evolutionary persistence of courtship pheromone delivery in salamanders is a testimony to the reproductive significance of these chemical signals. 

---