This volume is an up-to-date treatise of chemosensory vertebrate research performed by over 200 scientists from 22 countries. Importantly, data from over 25 taxa of vertebrates are presented, including those from human beings. Unlike other volumes on this topic, a significant nurober of the contributions come from leading workers in the former Soviet Union and reflect studies within a wide variety of disciplines, including behavior, biochemistry, ecology, endocrinology, genetics, psychophysics, and morphol ogy. Most of the studies described in this volume were presented at the Chemical Signals in Vertbrates VI (CSV VI) symposium held at the University of Pennsylvania in the summer of 1991. This international symposium was the largest and the most recent of a series of six such symposia, the first of which was held in Saratoga Springe, New York (June 6-9, 1976) and the last in Oxford, England (August 8-10, 1988). Unlike the previous symposia, Chemical Signals in Vertabrates VI lasted a full week, reflecting the increased number of participants and the desire of many to present their research findings orally to the group as a whole.

It is generally accepted that the recent progress in molecular and cellular biology would not have been possible without an understanding of the mechanisms and signaling pathways of communication inside the cell and between various cells of the animal organism. In fact a similar progress occurred in the field of chemical communication between individual organisms of vertebrate species, and this volume is aimed at presenting the current state of the art on this subject. The reader can find here both original results obtained in the laboratory or field studies and comprehensive reviews summarizing many years of research. The presentations of over 60 scientists have been grouped according to their approach into nine parts covering such fields as ecological and evolutionary aspects of chemical communication, structure and neuronal mechanisms of chemosensory systems, chemical structure of pheromones and binding proteins, kin, individual and sexual recognition, predator-prey relationships, purpose and consequences of marking behavior, scent signals and reproductive processes. Expanding on former volumes of this series, entirely new chapters have been added on prenatal chemical communication describing specific effects of the intrauterine environment. In many cases a truly multidisciplinary approach was required, such as with the population analysis of polymorphic variants of the mouse's major urinary proteins that function in carrying pheromones.

The field of olfactory research and chemical communication is in the early stages of revolutionary change, and many aspects of this revolution are reflected in the chapters in this book. Thus, it should serve admirably as an up-to-date reference. First, a wide range of vertebrate groups and species are represented. Second, there are excellent reviews of specific topics and theoretical approaches to communication by odors, including chapters on signal specialization and evolution in mammals, the evolution of hormonal pheromones in fish, alarm pheromones in fish, chemical repellents, the chemical signals involved in endocrine responses in mice, and the controversy over human pheromones. Third, there are exciting new findings presented in numerous specific topic areas, such as the chemis try of pheromones in a wide range of species (salamanders to elephants), the chemistry of proteins that control the release of pheromones, the molecular biology and physiology of detection, coding and response to odor signals, the effects of experience on sensitivity to odors, the role of genes of the immune system in odor production and in human mate choice, the function and perception of scent over-marks, the recognition of individuals and kin by odors, the influence of odors on predator-prey interactions, and the use of odors to help control pests. This book is an offshoot of the Eighth International Symposium on Chemical Sig nals in Vertebrates, held at Cornell University in Ithaca, New York, July 20-25, 1997, hosted and organized by Bob Johnston.

The editors and contributors to this volume should be justifiably proud of their participation in the tenth triennial meeting of the Chemical Signals in Vertebrates International Symposium. This meeting was held 27 years after the initial gathering of participants in Saratoga Springs, New York from June 6* to 9*, 1976. Subsequent meetings have been held every three years in Syracuse, New York; Sarasota, Florida; Laramie, Wyoming; Oxford, England; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania; Tubingen, Germany; Ithaca, New York; and Krakow, Poland. This tenth aimiversary symposium was held from July 29* through August 1*' in Corvallis, Oregon and was hosted by the Zoology Department and Biology Programs of Oregon State University. This book also represents the tenth in a series of books on chemical communication, chemical ecology, olfactory and vomeronasal research in vertebrate species. The species covered in the chapters herein range from fish to mammals including humans. By taxonomic breakdown the mammals are the most represented in number of species and chapter contributions. However, the hosts of the meeting endeavored to have some representative contributions covering all of the major vertebrate taxa. As in past years, the meeting was well-represented with just over 100 participants from 13 different nations. Plenary talks focused on some of the non-mammalian groups that have tended to be less represented in these symposia. Thus, we had a very nice overview of comparisons and contrasts of invertebrate chemical commimication to vertebrate systems.

Three invited international experts present overviews of recent developments in key fields and will submit chapters for the book. Jane Hurst from Liverpool University in the UK presents an overview on the function, mechanisms and evolution of chemical signals, Penelope Hawkins from the University of Western Australia will detail the importance of male odors in female mate-choice and the priming of female reproduction, and Francesco Bonadonna from CNRS-CEFE, Montpellier in France presents an overview of the importance of chemical signals for the formation and maintenance of pair-bonds, parent – offspring recognition and navigation in seabirds. Select submissions are invited by the scientific committee to contribute chapters. ​

Intraspecific communication involves the activation of chemoreceptors and subsequent activation of different central areas that coordinate the responses of the entire organism—ranging from behavioral modification to modulation of hormones release. Animals emit intraspecific chemical signals, often referred to as pheromones, to advertise their presence to members of the same species and to regulate interactions aimed at establishing and regulating social and reproductive bonds. In the last two decades, scientists have developed a greater understanding of the neural processing of these chemical signals. Neurobiology of Chemical Communication explores the role of the chemical senses in mediating intraspecific communication. Providing an up-to-date outline of the most recent advances in the field, it presents data from laboratory and wild species, ranging from invertebrates to vertebrates, from insects to humans. The book examines the structure, anatomy, electrophysiology, and molecular biology of pheromones. It discusses how chemical signals work on different mammalian and non-mammalian species and includes chapters on insects, Drosophila, honey bees, amphibians, mice, tigers, and cattle. It also explores the controversial topic of human pheromones. An essential reference for students and researchers in the field of pheromones, this is also an ideal resource for those working on behavioral phenotyping of animal models and persons interested in the biology/ecology of wild and domestic species.

The 15th Meeting on Chemical Signals in Vertebrates (CSiV) reunited participants from 20 countries from 5 continents who "electronically commuted" to Dijon, France, during three days (3-5 November 2021). This virtual meeting was a great opportunity to share information on how amphibians, reptiles, birds, and mammals communicate through chemosignals and integrate their environment through chemical cues. Scientists from varied disciplines ranging from biology and psychology to chemistry and biostatistics attended the meeting to share their research on how vertebrates produce and release chemical cues and signals, how they detect, discriminate, process, and interpret them; how they respond to them behaviorally, physiologically, and/or neurally in adaptive ways; how the typical or atypical environment modulates such chemocommunication loops, and chemoreception in general. In total, this 2021 CSiV meeting presented important new findings, representative of the growing points in the rapidly expanding field of research on chemocommunication among vertebrates. As appreciated by D Müller-Schwarze (a well-known pioneer in the field and the founding father of the book series in question) in his foreword to the meeting, “Our field has broadened to new horizons: besides multicomponent cues, we now learn about multisource and multifunction chemical signals. The range of study animals and settings has become richer, and we have learned enough that practical applications are becoming realistic.” This proceedings documents key presentations from this virtual conference.

This volume reviews recent developments in our understanding of che~ ical signaling in vertebrates. After sections dealing with general princi ples and chemical aspects of vertebrate pheromones, it follows a taxonomic approach, progressing from fish to. mammals. The editors asked a diverse, international group of leading investigators, working on a wide array of vertebrate taxa and specific issues, to consider their efforts from compar ative, evolutionary, and ecological viewpoints. The relative number of manuscripts in each part does not necessarily reflect current intensity of research, since the editors invited speakers who together would provide a balanced and comprehensive overview, while avoiding duplication. Still, the part on mammals is the longest. Fourth in a series dating from 1977, this volume illuminates current trends and likely future developments in the field of chemical signaling in vertebrates. Going back even farther, the first chapter, a personal account of the past quarter century by Dr. Mykytowycz recalls the most important milestones, such as symposia, or the founding of societies and journals. He also credits those investigators who stand out by their seminal studies.

Intraspecific communication involves the activation of chemoreceptors and subsequent activation of different central areas that coordinate the responses of the entire organism-ranging from behavioral modification to modulation of hormones release. Animals emit intraspecific chemical signals, often referred to as pheromones, to advertise their prese