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The Pheromone of the Male Goat: Function, Sources, Androgen Dependency and Partial Chemical Characterization

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Chemical Signals in Vertebrates 9
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Abstract

The cyclic ovarian activity in sheep and goats of most breeds is limited to autumn and winter (Shelton, 1960; Claus et al., 1985; Martin et al., 1986). The photoperiod is the main environmental factor regulating the ovarian activity so that the decreasing daylength stimulates the slow onset of cyclicity in autumn (Legan and Karsch, 1980; Mori et al., 1984). The introduction of males to flocks of light-conditioned females additionally induces the ovarian function in acyclic does and leads to a synchronized resumption of the cycle. Thus a highly synchronized lambing in a group of females is ensured (Shelton, 1960; Chemineau, 1987; Walkden-Brown et al., 1999). Such a birth synchrony was also reported from other species and is regarded to improve survival of offspring in the presence of predators (Lindsay, 1988).

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Claus, R., Dehnhard, M., Götz, U., Lacorn, M. (2001). The Pheromone of the Male Goat: Function, Sources, Androgen Dependency and Partial Chemical Characterization. In: Marchlewska-Koj, A., Lepri, J.J., Müller-Schwarze, D. (eds) Chemical Signals in Vertebrates 9. Springer, Boston, MA. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4615-0671-3_17

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4615-0671-3_17

  • Publisher Name: Springer, Boston, MA

  • Print ISBN: 978-1-4613-5187-0

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