Ecology and chemistry of mammalian pheromones

The importance of chemical signals in regulating animal behaviour has long been known, but the nature of the substances involved — many of them highly active — has received relatively little attention. It appears that in some cases, at least, the individual animal presents a unique chemical pattern by which it can be identified. This article reviews some recent work in this field, with special reference to the pheromones of tigers, leopards and lions where the collection of the necessary samples presents unusual experimental problems.