Let's Get Scientifical #6: For the Love of Pheromones

Welcome to Unwritten's February blog event! Of course, this is the month of love, so I wanted to celebrate that theme as I've done in year's past. But this year, I've decided to add a scientific spin to it. All month long, talented authors from several genres will write about some aspect of love from their books as it relates to science. It could be social, psychological, biological, or anything in between. Our blog event is sponsored by "HMC by Kate", a fabulous independent jewelry crafter. Kate's giving away one of her very beautiful necklaces that I think fits our theme perfectly. She's also offering everyone who stops in a 10% discount on any item from her Etsy store. Be sure to enter the giveaway at the end of this post and check out her lovely offerings! Without further ado, please welcome our guest author:

Pheromones and Rabbits (aka the attraction)

by Paula Shene

The more research I did on this subject, the less I learned.  That is, the more I learned of Pheromones in the area I wished to apply the knowledge, the less I had to use for expounding.

“A Pheromone is a chemical produced that affects the behavior or physiology of the individual to another within the same species.

The name Pheromone was first coined by Karlson and M. Luscher in 1959. Early work was with insects, but scientists soon discovered that pheromones operate in other animals, including mammals.”   (http://www.depts.ttu.edu/animalwelfare/Research/Pheromones/)

When I wrote about the attraction of my husband and me, the resultant reasoning I was told from this investigation, was impossible.  http://www.livescience.com/3233-sexual-pheromones-myth-reality.html)

How could I have thought for fifty years in error?  Surely not, my spirit cries.  Must do further research.

Approximately ten years ago an experiment over a period of two years was tested on nine rabbit farms in France using RAP aka Rabbit Appeasing Pheromone.  It found in the controlled setting, the Does were calmer, and the Kits survival chances increased.  (http://world-rabbit-science.com/WRSA-Proceedings/Congress-2008-Verona/Papers/R-Bouvier.pdf)

I would conclude from these studies, when the Does do not need to compete for a safe place to deliver their Kits, stressors are down, and production is up.  Do remember, rabbits seem to be the sex maniacs of the animal world. The Male can spray the female from across a distance immediately after she delivers a litter, and successful impregnate her.

My conclusions are "scientific findings in Pheromones" is still in the infancy stage.  It was believed for twenty years after the initial tag of Pheromone was introduced, it only applied to insects and some species.  I found it amusing that scientist would put a limit on species they felt would exhibit or possess Pheromones.

I understand the study of insects first as they would be plentiful and easier to obtain.  Mammals were

excluded and even today, that mankind is not included or believed to follow Pheromones, astonishes me.

Why is the perfume business thriving? The ads for these products are seductive, mate attracting, and desirous to wear.  The first recorded chemist was Tupputi, from the 2nd Millenium BCE in Mesopotamia  (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/History_of_perfume)

The conclusions about the insects studied are interesting and amusing:

 The Moth is a pacifist willing to make love, not war, when the female exudes her enticing Pheromones.

Butterflies are close range, in your antenna courtship partners.  Courting Pheromones tell other males to back off, tend to your territory.

The Fruit Fly is the most romantic including a courtship song, slowly wooing his intended.

The parasitic wasps are like sperm, racing one another for a female, and when mating, mark the female with their Pheromones, so no other males want them.

Spiders while not insects do deserve an observation regarding their sexual preferences.  Male spiders are choosy and prefer virgin females.  Their first mating is important, as again sperm priority marks the female making her unwanted as a potential mate to other males.

My short story diary has a list of what I wanted in a husband, Pheromones was not on the list, but the first to engage my senses.  http://yezallstrongheart.weebly.com/2/post/2013/07/the-ice-maiden-paula-shene.html) Years later my husband said it was the English Leather. Au Contraire.

“Females are often choosy when deciding to mate with a male and chemical communication ensures that they find a high-quality mate that satisfies their reproduction needs.”    (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sex_pheromone)

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Paula Louise Shene took to writing after forced retirement.  A former college administrator and business owner whose hours are now filled caring for a disabled husband, and tapping away at the keys taking her into a saner reality.  She  writes children’s stories under Paula Shene where she also writes under the banner of The Peacock Writers, a group dedicated to charity.  PC Shene is her name for Sci//Fi/Fantasy.

Website: paulandpaulasbooks.wordpress.com/

Find Paula's books on Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/Paula-Shene/e/B003U083ZG/

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