This study was conducted to determine whether urinary ol-factants were capable of communicating information about a male's dominance status to females. Voided urine was collected from pairs of dominant and subordinate males. These odors were simultaneously presented to females in a Y-maze olfactometer. Females in estrus spent more time in proximity to the area infused with the odors associated with dominant males. Females, when tested while in diestrus, apparently preferred the odors of submissive males. It is hypothesized that male urinary odors influence male attractiveness and might provide the female with a basis for mate selection.
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