Ants communicate via an arsenal of different pheromones produced in a variety of exocrine glands. For example, ants release alarm pheromones in response to danger to alert their nestmates and to trigger behavioral alarm responses. Here we characterize the alarm pheromone and the alarm response of the clonal raider ant
Pheromones are chemical signals that facilitate communication between animals, and most animals use pheromones for reproduction and other forms of social behavior. The identification of key ligands and olfactory receptors used for pheromonal communication provides insight into the sensory processing of these important cues. An individual’s responses to pheromones can be plastic, as physiological status modulates behavioral outputs. In this review, we outline the mechanisms for pheromone sensation and highlight physiological mechanisms that modify pheromone-guided behavior. We focus on hormones, which regulate pheromonal communication across vertebrates including fish, amphibians, and rodents. This regulation may occur in peripheral olfactory organs and the brain, but the mechanisms remain unclear. While this review centers on research in fish, we will discuss other systems to provide insight into how hormonal mechanisms function across taxa.
more » « less- Award ID(s):
- 2209257
- NSF-PAR ID:
- 10445256
- Publisher / Repository:
- Oxford University Press
- Date Published:
- Journal Name:
- Integrative And Comparative Biology
- Volume:
- 63
- Issue:
- 2
- ISSN:
- 1540-7063
- Format(s):
- Medium: X Size: p. 407-427
- Size(s):
- p. 407-427
- Sponsoring Org:
- National Science Foundation
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