Hayes R A, Richardson B J, Wyllie S G
Centre for Biostructural and Biomolecular Research, University of Western Sydney, Hawkesbury, New South Wales, Australia.
J Chem Ecol. 2003 May;29(5):1051-64. doi: 10.1023/a:1023836319677.
The European rabbit (Oryctolagus cuniculus) uses the secretion of the chin gland to maintain dominance hierarchies in the wild. Recent work has investigated changes in the secretion when social status is manipulated in the rabbit. When a rabbit becomes dominant, a new compound appears in his secretion, 2-phenoxyethanol. This compound is used as a fixative in the perfume industry. This study investigates whether the compound performs a similar function in the secretion of the rabbit. 2-Phenoxyethanol is not detected olfactorially by rabbits, and slows the release rate of some of the compounds that occur naturally in rabbit chin gland secretion. We suggest that when a rabbit becomes dominant, he adds a fixative to his secretion so that his scent will persist in the environment and not dissipate. He will thus come to dominate the olfactory environment, in much the same way as he does the physical environment.
欧洲野兔（穴兔）利用颏腺分泌物在野外维持等级制度。最近的研究探讨了在野兔中操纵社会地位时分泌物的变化。当一只兔子占据主导地位时，其分泌物中会出现一种新化合物，即2-苯氧基乙醇。这种化合物在香水行业用作固定剂。本研究调查该化合物在野兔分泌物中是否发挥类似功能。兔子无法通过嗅觉检测到2-苯氧基乙醇，且它会减缓野兔颏腺分泌物中一些天然存在的化合物的释放速度。我们认为，当一只兔子占据主导地位时，它会在分泌物中添加一种固定剂，以便其气味能在环境中持续存在而不散失。这样它就能像在物理环境中一样主导嗅觉环境。
