It turns out people are not the only one who likes to smell nice on dates! Scientists report that the males of cat’s lemurs (Lemur catta) are more attractive to females, highlighting the fruity and floral aroma from their wrists.
During the breeding season, the male lemurs RUB their tails special glands on their wrists. And then waving them in front of the females, the researchers called this phenomenon “aromatic flirt.”
The cat lemurs are well developed scent glands on the shoulders and wrists. They are typically used to indicate social status and to mark territory. However, observations show that they also need to attract the attention of females.
In the Japanese monkey center, a team of scientists tracked the behavior of the cat lemurs. The researchers noticed that the females smelled “fragrant” markers left by males more often during the breeding season. In addition, when observers were able to “collect” the spirits of the primates from the four males and made them females separately, they found that they smelled a fruity smell about two times more often than the bitter-smelling selection of glands that produce in the off-season.
Using gas chromatography and mass spectrometry of secretions of the carpal glands, the researchers identified key chemical components of male odors during the breeding season and in the offseason. Three aldehyde compounds were present in both fragrances, but showed significantly higher concentrations during the breeding season. Moreover, connections alone are not very interested in females, but when they are all together – the lemurs begin to show special interest.
Young, Mature males naturally produce more of these compounds than the older generation. Also, scientists have noticed that females emerging from their reproductive age, it is not impressed with the fruity smells of males. These data suggest that the three aldehyde from the glands of lemur are pheromones.
