Abstract
The science of semiochemistry (derived from the Greek “semeion,” sign or signal) deals with the nature of those substances, or semiochemicals, by which organism interacts with organism in their shared environment. That chemical interactions occur between mammals has long been known and numerous behavioural and physiological effects have been investigated (Doty, 1976; Stoddart, 1980a, 1980b; Vandenbergh, 1983; Brown and Macdonald, 1985), while International Symposia such as this testify to an increasing awareness of the importance of chemical signals in the lives of many mammals. Yet in spite of the centrality of chemistry to a full understanding of the subject and its applications, the number of studies in which chemistry has been employed is remarkably few. The future of this subject clearly depends on a much greater emphasis on the integration of chemical studies with the work of biologists.
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Albone, E.S., Blazquez, N.B., French, J., Long, S.E., Perry, G.C. (1986). Mammalian Semiochemistry: Issues and Futures, with some Examples from a Study of Chemical Signalling in Cattle. In: Duvall, D., Müller-Schwarze, D., Silverstein, R.M. (eds) Chemical Signals in Vertebrates 4. Springer, Boston, MA. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4613-2235-1_3
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4613-2235-1_3
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