Mammalian social odours: attraction and individual recognition

The nature and representation of individual recognition odours in Belding’s ground squirrels

In many taxonomic groups, odours provide cues to species identity, reproductive status, genetic relatedness and individual identity. These odour cues are often used to mark territories or other resources and to recognize individuals through direct or indirect olfactory investigation. Belding’s ground squirrels, Spermophilus beldingi, frequently scent-mark their environment and they also investi...

Introduction. The neurobiology of social recognition, attraction and bonding.

The causal role of odours in the development of recognition templates and social preferences

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Social odours, sexual arousal and pairbonding in primates.

We describe the role of social odours in sexual arousal and maintaining pairbonds in biparental and cooperatively breeding primates. Social odours are complex chemical mixtures produced by an organism that can simultaneously provide information about species, kinship, sex, individuality and reproductive state. They are long lasting and have advantages over other modalities. Both sexes are sensi...

Wolbachia infection does not alter attraction of the mosquito Aedes (Stegomyia) aegypti to human odours.

The insect endosymbiont Wolbachia pipientis (Rickettsiales: Rickettsiaceae) is undergoing field trials around the world to determine if it can reduce transmission of dengue virus from the mosquito Stegomyia aegypti to humans. Two different Wolbachia strains have been released to date. The primary effect of the wMel strain is pathogen protection whereby infection with the symbiont limits replica...