Economic Consequences of Scent Marking in Mammalian Territoriality

Abstract

There have been few quantitative cross-cultural studies of taste and smell perception in humans, despite the obvious relevance of such research to scientific and commercial enterprises, and the fact that many cultures differ in their food preparation, dietary, and personal hygienic practices. The important role of the chemical senses to the species as a whole in such diverse matters as the detection of dangerous fumes and the selection of appropriate foodstuffs suggests that the basic chemosensory mechanisms responsible for the detection and evaluation of chemical signals are essentially the same among cultures. However, genetically related sensitivities to specific odorants and tastants (e.g., androstenone and phenylthiocarbamide) vary in frequency from group to group, and likely account for at least some cross-cultural differences in taste and odor preferences and aversions. These genetically determined factors interact with the well-known influences of experience on taste and smell perception to produce a variety of chemosensory experiences.