From Greek for gadfly/frenzy, what word refers to the recurring period of sexual receptivity in female mammals?
Estrous cycle genitals to behavioral changes like mating calls. "Estrus" is derived via Latin "" ('frenzy', 'gadfly'), from Greek "oîstros" (literally 'gadfly', more figuratively 'frenzy', 'madness', among other meanings like 'breeze'). Specifically, this refers to the gadfly in Ancient Greek mythology that Hera sent to torment Io, who had been won in her heifer form by Zeus. Euripides used "oestrus" to indicate 'frenzy', and to describe madness. Homer uses the word to describe panic. Plato also uses it to refer to an irrational drive and to describe the soul "driven and drawn by the gadfly of desire". Somewhat more closely aligned to
Sexual selection in mammals Elephants continuously grow throughout their lifetime. As males grow older, they also experience increasing lapses of musth, a violent sexual excitement, and most reproductive success happens to males in musth as it helps them win fights. A fight between a male in musth and one not can result in the death of the latter. Species with intense male-male competition are known to exhibit the most size dimorphism. For example, female American black bears ("Ursus americanus") are 20–40% smaller than males. Male mammals can compete for harems as well with elephant seals competing fiercely for harems. As mammals reach sexual maturity,