Table 2.
Example targets of potential sexual selection on chemical communication.
| Level | Trait type | Example | Species |
|---|---|---|---|
| Production | Enzyme | Female-specific expression of fatty acid elongase underlies sex pheromone production110 | Cockroach (Blattella germanica) |
| Cell | Male-specific gill cells release sex pheromone81 | Lamprey (Petromyzon marinus) | |
| Gland | Male-specific leg glands secrete sex pheromone116 | Velvet worm (Cephalofovea tomahmontis) | |
| Organ | Large kidneys and hypertrophic urinary bladders mediate pheromone signaling by dominant males120 | Tilapia (Oreochromis mossambicus) | |
| Delivery | Apparatus | Calcareous dart injects allohormone that biases paternity170 | Snail (Helix aspersa) |
| Signaling behavior | Dominant males kick feces to increase active space of odor127,128 | Rhino (Ceratotherium simum) | |
| Transmission | Accessory molecule | Proteins delay scent evaporation and extend signal duration132 | Mouse (Mus domesticus) |
| Detection | Sampling behavior | Eventual losers of fights flick sensory antennules more often to assess urine signal of competitor171 | Lobster (Nephrops norvegicus) |
| Sensory structure | Long antennae improve male mate search172 | Isopod (Asellus aquaticus) | |
| Accessory molecule | Male-specific binding proteins increases sensitivity to female pheromones173 | Moth (Chilo suppressalis) | |
| Receptor | Female-specific expression of putative pheromone receptors on sensory tentacles174 | Starfish (Acanthaster planci) | |
| Neural circuit | Sexually dimorphic neural circuit mediates sex-specific responses to a pheromone175 | Fruit fly (Drosophila melanogaster) |