000			02851pam a2200289 a 4500
001			4867952
003			OSt
005			20231103094003.0
008			920226s1992 nyua b 001 0 eng
010			_a 92009412
020			_a0716750368 (hardback)
020			_a9780716750369 (hardback)
040			_aDLC _cDLC _dDLC
050	0	0	_a591.59
082	0	0	_a591.59
100	1		_aAgosta, William C.
245	1	0	_aChemical communication : _bthe language of pheromones / _cWilliam C. Agosta.
260			_aNew York : _bScientific American Library : _bDistributed by W.H. Freeman, _c©1992.
300			_aix, 179 pages : _billustrations (some color) ; _c25 cm.
504			_aIncludes bibliographical references (p. [165]-168) and index.
520			_aA wounded minnow attempts to rejoin its school and the other minnows scatter in panic; a single beetle finds a pine tree to its liking and soon thousands of beetles swarm that tree and others in the vicinity; a male Syrian golden hamster is drawn along an invisible trail to a burrow where a female hamster awaits him, ready for mating. These animals are responding to received communications, but, as in countless other occurrences in nature, the language is not auditory or visual--it is chemical." "Unlike humans, who gather information largely through sight and sound, most living creatures rely heavily on chemical compounds from other organisms for their basic knowledge of the world. Among the various types of these compounds are the chemical signals exchanged between members of the same species that govern social interactions crucial to survival. These signals are called pheromones (from the Greek "pherein"--To carry--and "hormon"--exciting) and they are used to send warnings, establish territorial boundaries, provoke aggression, control sexual behavior, and locate food. In this volume, organic chemist William C. Agosta explores the chemistry of pheromones and the mechanisms by which they orchestrate animal behavior. Professor Agosta details the intricate process of identifying pheromones: first establishing that some behavior in animals is chemically driven, then isolating pheromones and determining the active components within these sometimes highly complex mixtures. He also demonstrates the value of this growing body of knowledge to our understanding of evolution, ecology, human behavior, and agricultural production. The result is a fascinating look at a research area that brings together investigators, information, technologies, and procedures from the fields of biology, chemistry, and behavioral science.
650		0	_aPheromones.
650		0	_a Animal Communication.
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942			_2ddc _cBK _n0
999			_c344614 _d344614