

Pheromones (Archive Episode)
68 snips Sep 25, 2025
In this fascinating discussion, Tristram Wyatt, a chemical communication expert from Oxford, Jane Hurst, a mammalian scent specialist from Liverpool, and Francis Ratnieks, a honeybee behavior authority from Sussex, explore the intricate world of pheromones. They reveal how these invisible chemical signals guide animal behavior, from honeybees’ alarm signals to rabbits' milk scents influencing neonatal learning. The evolution, diversity, and even applications in pest control of pheromones are also highlighted, showcasing their crucial role in the animal kingdom.
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Half a Million Moths Led to Breakthrough
- Adolf Butenandt isolated the silk moth sex pheromone after 20 years and half a million moths.
- He tracked molecules by using male moths' wing-fluttering as a bioassay to confirm the chemical.
Pheromones Power Social Insect Life
- Social insects like honeybees and ants use pheromones extensively to coordinate colony functions.
- Honeybees employ many pheromones for foraging, reproduction, defence and navigation.
Banana-Smelling Alarm Signal
- A honeybee sting releases an alarm pheromone that smells of bananas and rapidly recruits nestmates.
- That volatile signal can turn one sting into many by summoning defenders.