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Life Sciences Commons

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Animal Sciences

Western Kentucky University

2016

Chemical ecology; animal behavior; signal theory

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Full-Text Articles in Life Sciences

Chemical Signaling In Asian Elephants (Elephas Maximus): Concentration Effects With Applications For Management And Conservation, Chase Andrew Ladue Jul 2016

Chemical Signaling In Asian Elephants (Elephas Maximus): Concentration Effects With Applications For Management And Conservation, Chase Andrew Ladue

Masters Theses & Specialist Projects

Asian elephants utilize two chemical signals that have been described to function in reproduction: (1) (Z)-7-dodecenyl acetate (Z7-12:Ac) is released by females near ovulation, and (2) frontalin is released by males around the time of musth. Signaling theory posits that the concentration at which either compound is emitted should have implications for the response of the receiver, varying with factors such as sex and reproductive experience. Here, the objectives were to: (1) investigate the effect of concentration on receiver chemosensory behavior in an effort to identify detection thresholds and concentrations of maximum response for reproductively experienced or inexperienced male and …