OFK

Olfactory Recognition of Offspring

Class: II - Sexual Selection

EPA Total Score: 3 /100

Porter, R.H., Cernoch, J.M., and McLaughlin, F.J. (1983). Maternal recognition of neonates through olfactory cues. Physiology and Behavior, 30, 151-154.

Abstract: The role of olfactory cues in maternal recognition of neonates was investigated. Mothers were able to identify the garments worn by their own infants (in comparison to garments worn by unfamiliar infants) through odor alone within the first 6 days postpartum. In a second experiment, mothers who had only limited pre-test exposure to their infants recognized the odor of their infant's garment during tests conducted at 20.5–41.7 hr after delivery. Olfaction may be an especially salient modality for recognition of infants.

DJGlass


Supporting Evidence

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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

Submitted by DJGlass

No one has (yet) rated this source as containing any challenging Medical evidence for this EPA.

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No one has (yet) rated this source as containing any challenging Cross-Cultural evidence for this EPA.

No one has (yet) rated this source as containing any challenging Genetic evidence for this EPA.

No one has (yet) rated this source as containing any challenging Phylogenetic evidence for this EPA.

No one has (yet) rated this source as containing any challenging Hunter-Gatherer evidence for this EPA.

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.