Led by the nose

Olfaction in primate feeding ecology

Datos Bibliográficos

ID18927872
AutoresOmer Nevo (0000-0003-3549-4509, German Primate Center, autor de correspondencia), Eckhard W Heymann (0000-0002-4259-8018, German Primate Center)
Año2015
Volumen24
Número4
Páginas137-148
Fecha de publicación2015-07-08
Peer ReviewedSí
Open AccessSí
TipoARTICLE
RevistaEvolutionary Anthropology Issues News and Reviews (JOURNAL)
Identificadores de la revistaISSN: 1060-1538 • E-ISSN: 1520-6505
EditorialWiley (PUBLISHER • GB)
DOI10.1002/evan.21458
PMID26267435
OpenAlexW1642684190
IdiomaEN
Citas recibidas17
Referencias citadas93

Olfaction, the sense of smell, was a latecomer to the systematic investigation of primate sensory ecology after long years in which it was considered to be of minor importance. This view shifted with the growing understanding of its role in social behavior and the accumulation of physiological studies demonstrating that the olfactory abilities of some primates are on a par with those of olfactory-dependent mammals such as dogs and rodents. Recent years have seen a proliferation of physiological, behavioral, anatomical, and genetic investigations of primate olfaction. These investigations have begun to shed light on the importance of olfaction in the process of food acquisition. However, integration of these works has been limited. It is therefore still difficult to pinpoint large-scale evolutionary scenarios, namely the functions that the sense of smell fulfills in primates' feeding ecology and the ecological niches that favor heavier reliance on olfaction. Here, we review available behavioral and physiological studies of primates in the field or captivity and try to elucidate how and when the sense of smell can help them acquire food

Biology · Evolutionary biology · Nose · Olfaction · Primate · Advanced Chemical Sensor Technologies · Biochemical Analysis and Sensing Techniques · Communication · Olfactory and Sensory Function Studies · Psychology · Anatomy · Ecology