What do pheromones do?

What do pheromones do?

• A. Pheromones attract the opposite sex.
• B. Pheromones play a role in animal mating behavior.
• C. Pheromones from an unfamiliar male may block pregnancy in a newly mated female.
• D. All of the above

Answer: (D)

Pheromones are chemical signals released by animals that influence the behavior or reproductive physiology of other members of the same species. They can help attract mates and coordinate mating behavior, signaling when individuals are ready to breed. In some species, particularly rodents, pheromones from an unfamiliar male can trigger a pregnancy block in a recently mated female. Because pheromones can produce these different reproductive effects, all of the listed statements are accurate: they can attract, influence mating behavior, and, in the right context, block pregnancy.

Pheromones are chemical signals released by animals that influence the behavior or reproductive physiology of other members of the same species. They can help attract mates and coordinate mating behavior, signaling when individuals are ready to breed. In some species, particularly rodents, pheromones from an unfamiliar male can trigger a pregnancy block in a recently mated female. Because pheromones can produce these different reproductive effects, all of the listed statements are accurate: they can attract, influence mating behavior, and, in the right context, block pregnancy.