JOURNAL ARTICLE

To mate or predate?

  • Published In: Science, 2026, v. 392, n. 6793. P. 22 1 of 3

  • Database: Academic Search Ultimate 2 of 3

  • Authored By: Di Cosmo, Anna 3 of 3

Abstract

Life begins with chemistry. Long before visual displays or acoustic courtship signals evolved, organisms detected one another through molecules. Across animals, reproductive decisions are governed by chemical signals and the receptors that interpret them (1–4). Because speciation is defined by reductions in gene flow between populations (5), identifying the mechanisms that bias mate recognition is central to understanding how species boundaries arise. On page 96 of this issue, Villar et al. (6) report that octopuses use the same sensory system involving contact-dependent chemosensation for both predation and mate recognition and identify progesterone as the key mating signal. Merging sensory detection (mate recognition) and sperm transfer may be a mechanism that drives speciation in cephalopods. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Additional Information

  • Source:Science. 2026/04, Vol. 392, Issue 6793, p22
  • Document Type:Article
  • Subject Area:Zoology
  • Publication Date:2026
  • ISSN:0036-8075
  • DOI:10.1126/science.aeg4381
  • Accession Number:192726671
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