Essential nutrients such as vitamins can act like pheromones to attract the opposite sex, at least in lizards.
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Rock Lizard (Photo: BBC) |
The conclusion comes from researchers in Spain. They provided rock lizards with vitamin D, and the females became excited by the waste produced by these males.
However, it remains unclear whether vitamin D has a similar effect on humans.
Researchers state that in lizards, the presence of vitamins in the male’s secretions may signal good health and serve as a useful indicator for females when selecting mates.
“In other lizard species, we found large amounts of vitamin E in the secretions, and we believe it has a function similar to that of vitamin D,” said Jose Martin at the National Museum of Natural Sciences in Madrid.
Animals use pheromones as a communication tool to attract mates. Most of these pheromones are odorless to humans.
Vitamin D plays a crucial role in the immune system of rock lizards and also helps improve calcium metabolism. These animals often cannot synthesize enough vitamin D in their skin and must obtain it through their diet.
The team found that males supplemented with vitamin D excreted more provitamin D. Provitamin D converts to vitamin D when exposed to sunlight. Females also showed greater interest in the secretions from males supplemented with vitamin D, as evidenced by their continuous tongue-flicking and their increased presence in areas where vigorous males had been.
M.T
