title: p-Cresol: a sex pheromone component identified from the estrous urine of mares.
abstract: Previously it was shown that m- and p-cresols in the urine of mares exhibits a temporally reproducible pattern that is dependent on ovarian activity and, thus, provides information about the timing of ovulation. New behavioral data demonstrate 1) that stallions spend significantly more time sniffing p-cresol as compared to o-, and m-cresols, and, 2) that the extent of stallions' erections differ significantly in response to different types of samples. The lowest erection level was recorded for the pure-water control, a moderate erection level was elicited by the urine of diestrous mares, and the highest erection level was elicited by urine of a diestrous mare containing synthetic p-cresol at a quantity equivalent to half of the amount of p-cresol found in the urine of estrous mares. Consequently, p-cresol is at least one of the components of a horse sex pheromone.
authors.affiliation: Centre for Ecology and Environmental Studies, Faculty of Natural Sciences, Vilnius University, Vilnius, Lithuania.
authors.forename: Vincas
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Būda
authors.forename: Raimondas
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Mozūraitis
authors.forename: Jonas
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Kutra
authors.forename: Anna-Karin
authors.initials: AK
authors.lastname: Borg-Karlson
mesh_terms: D000819:Animal Communication; D000818:Animals; D003408:Cresols / Q000032:analysis*; D005260:Female; D006736:Horses / Q000652:urine*; D008297:Male; D012724:Sex Attractants / Q000737:chemistry*; D012726:Sexual Behavior, Animal
chemical_list: D003408:Cresols; D012724:Sex Attractants; C032538:4-cresol