Scientists have long searched for a tangible molecule that produces an effect on females called the “male effect” (Murata et. al. 2014). The male effect is a physiological process that causes the reproductive cycle of females to change in the presence of the scent of males. Researchers at the University of Tokyo were looking for a primer pheromone that would cause this change in the ovulation cycle of female goats, and they may have finally found one (Murata et. al. 2014). The researchers collected the smell released from a male goat’s head (known to be a place that secretes the most smell on a goat) and analyzed the chemical components of the mixture. Then, they isolated components and looked at which components elicited the biggest response in the female goat brain. They analyzed the female goat brain by looking at how many times her “GnRH pulse generator” was firing. GnRH is the gonadotropin-releasing hormone that activates LH (luteinizing hormone), which in turn causes female mammals to ovulate by stimulating their eggs to grow. When the GnRH pulse generator fires, GnRH is stimulated, and the researchers reasoned that this process caused ovulation in the female goats. This research could lead to some exciting new knowledge about the reproductive system of female mammals (especially other ruminants) and how it is affected by male pheromones.

The press release from this study was published in Science Daily very soon after the study was published. I found it interesting that the writing in Science Daily puts a heavier emphasis on human implications than does the original paper about the experiment. Science Daily publishes the quote “there is reason to think the findings will apply to other livestock, and perhaps even to humans, too” (Science Daily, 2014).  After reading the original paper from the researchers, I only noticed one mention of human implications, and the authors were discussing how the research would help humans to better breed livestock. The press release also uses words that seem to dumb down the scientific terms that the original study uses. For example, the press release uses the phrase “central reproductive axis” instead of using the actual terms for the neurotransmitters and the parts of the brain. These changes are logical considering that press releases are for a broad audience, and the emphasis of the press release might make the information more accessible to other scientists or the general public. (more…)