OFK
Olfactory Recognition of Offspring
Class: II - Sexual Selection
EPA Total Score: 3 /100
Porter, R.H., Balogh, R.D., Cernoch, J.M., & Franchi, C. (1986). Recognition of kin through characteristic body odors. Chemical Senses, 11:389-395.
Abstract: The role of body odors (olfactory signatures) in human kin recognition was investigated in a series of experiments. In two-choice odor discrimination tests, fathers, grandmothers and aunts reliably identified the odors of garments previously worn by their neonatal relatives. Adult kin accurately discriminated between the odors of their sibling, from whom they had been separated for a period of 1 – 30 months, and a stranger of the same sex and age. Individuals apparently become rapidly familiarized with the odors of their relatives through direct exposure and may also detect a resemblance in the olfactory signatures of their close kin. Although body odors can be influenced by environmental variables (e.g. diet), unique olfactory signatures are quite likely genetically mediated.
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Supporting Evidence
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10/100
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10/100
Submitted by DJGlass
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Supporting Evidence is evidence that suggests that this trait is an Evolved Psychological Adaptation (EPA) - i.e., that it has been shaped by natural selection to solve a particular adaptive problem.
Challenging Evidence
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0/100
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0/100
Submitted by DJGlass
No one has (yet) rated this source as containing any challenging Phylogenetic evidence for this EPA.
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Challenging Evidence is evidence that suggests that this trait is not an EPA - e.g., that it is a product of cultural learning or genetic drift, or maybe it does not exist at all. However over each line of evidence for a description.