Young female pigs can discriminate individual differences in odours from conspecific urine
The ability to discriminate odour cues from different conspecifics has been demonstrated in a variety of small mammalian species. We used a habituation-dishabituation procedure to investigate whether 10-week-old female pigs,Sus scrofa , are able to discriminate between urinary odours from similar-aged conspecifics that were unfamiliar (not encountered for at least 7 weeks). We also examined […]
The “Secret” in Secretions: Methodological Considerations in Deciphering Primate Olfactory Communication
Olfactory communication in primates is gaining recognition; however, studies on the production and perception of primate scent signals are still scant. In general, there are five tasks to be accomplished when deciphering the chemical signals contained in excretions and secretions: (1) obtaining the appropriate samples; (2) extracting the target organic compounds from the biological matrix; […]