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Chemical communication

Chirality in elephant pheromones

Abstract

Musth in male elephants is an annual period of heightened sexual activity and aggression1,2,3 that is linked to physical, sexual and social maturation. It is mediated by the release of chemical signals such as the pheromone frontalin, which exists in two chiral forms (molecular mirror images, or enantiomers). Here we show that enantiomers of frontalin are released by Asian elephants in a specific ratio that depends on the animal's age and stage of musth, and that different responses are elicited in male and female conspecifics when the ratio alters. This precise control of communication by molecular chirality offers insight into societal interactions in elephants, and may be useful in implementing new conservation protocols4.

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Figure 1: Secretion of the pheromone frontalin by male Asian elephants in musth.

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Correspondence to L. Elizabeth L. Rasmussen.

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Greenwood, D., Comeskey, D., Hunt, M. et al. Chirality in elephant pheromones. Nature 438, 1097–1098 (2005). https://doi.org/10.1038/4381097a

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