OHSU researcher, biochemist Rasmussen dies at 67
Elephant advocate - L.E.L. "Bets" Rasmussen discovered how pachyderms use secretions to communicate
Wednesday, September 20, 2006
RICHARD L. HILL
The Oregonian
L.E.L. "Bets" Rasmussen, an Oregon biochemist renowned for her discoveries of how elephants chemically communicate, died Sunday in a Seattle hospital. She was 67.
Rasmussen, a research professor with the OGI School of Science and Engineering at OHSU, was being treated for myelodysplastic syndrome, a bone marrow disorder. She was diagnosed with the disease in January.
A decade ago, Rasmussen gained international attention when she reported in the journal Nature her discovery of the sex pheromone that female elephants secrete in their urine to let bulls know they're ready to mate. The breakthrough came after 15 years of dogged research and, as she liked to joke, "after collecting 700 gallons of elephant urine."
The ground-breaking study led to other discoveries about the mysteries of elephant communication. She found that bull elephants communicate with each other by using two fragrances in secretions from the temporal glands on their heads during their yearly musth, a period of heightened sexual activity and aggression. She determined that older bulls use a foul-smelling substance that deters younger males, while young bulls emit a sweet, honey-scented secretion to avoid conflict with the older guys.
Another study discovered how female elephants can detect chemical cues in the urine of other females to determine the phase of their reproductive, or estrous, cycle.
Scientists say her studies led to a better understanding of a basic way that elephants communicate, which may prove useful in helping conservationists manage the animals in the wild and in captivity. She also was seeking a repellent that would keep elephants away from crops.
"She cared deeply about elephants and about the people who worked with and for elephants," said Bruce Schulte, a research colleague at Georgia Southern University. "We have lost not only a great scientist, but one of the most enthusiastic and nicest people you could ever meet."
Heidi Riddle of Riddle's Elephant and Wildlife Sanctuary in Arkansas -- where Rasmussen did much of her recent research work -- said the biochemist was "a tireless, dedicated scientist. She had a great curiosity cared about elephants and worked hard to look for ways to help them."
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