Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

Human Body Odour Individuality

  • Conference paper
Chemical Signals in Vertebrates 11

Abstract

Humans produce temporarily stable, genetically mediated odour signatures and possess the ability to recognise, discriminate and identify other people through the sense of smell. The capability of self, gender, kin and non-kin odour recognition plays a role in social interactions. It seems that despite the stability of olfactory cues, the hedonic quality of body odour may vary over time.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this chapter

Log in via an institution
Chapter
USD 29.95
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Available as PDF
  • Read on any device
  • Instant download
  • Own it forever
eBook
USD 189.00
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Available as PDF
  • Read on any device
  • Instant download
  • Own it forever
Softcover Book
USD 249.99
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Compact, lightweight edition
  • Dispatched in 3 to 5 business days
  • Free shipping worldwide - see info
Hardcover Book
USD 249.99
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Durable hardcover edition
  • Dispatched in 3 to 5 business days
  • Free shipping worldwide - see info

Tax calculation will be finalised at checkout

Purchases are for personal use only

Institutional subscriptions

Preview

Unable to display preview. Download preview PDF.

Unable to display preview. Download preview PDF.

References

  • Cernoch, J.M. and Porter, R.H. (1985) Recognition of maternal axillary odors by infants. Child. Dev. 56, 1593–1598.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Davis, L.B. and Porter, R.H. (1991) Persistent effect of early odor exposure on human neonates. Chem. Senses 16, 169–174.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Doty, R.L., Green, P.A., Ram, C. and Yankell, S.L. (1982) Communication of gender from human breath odors: relationship to perceived intensity and pleasantness. Horm. Behav. 16, 13–22.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Doty, R.L., Kligman, A., Leyden, J. and Orndorff, M.M. (1978) Communication of gender from human axillary odors: Relationship to perceived intensity and hedonicity. Behav. Biol. 23, 373–380.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Doty, R.L. (1977) A review of recent psychophysical studies examining the possibility of chemical communication of sex and reproductive status in humans. In: Müller-Schwarz D and Mozell, M.M., Chemical Signals in Vertebrates. Plenum, New York, pp. 273–286

    Google Scholar 

  • Fleming, A., Corter, C., Surbey, M., Franks, P. and Steiner, M. (1995) Postpartum factors related to mother’s recognition of newborn infant odours. J. Reprod. Infant. Psyc. 13, 197–210.

    Google Scholar 

  • Gower, D.B., Bird, S., Sharma, P. and House, F.R. (1985) Axillary 5 alpha-androst-16-en-3-one in men and women: relationship with olfactory acuity to odorous 16-androstenes. Experientia 41, 1134–1136.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Havlicek, J., Bartos, L., Dvorakova, R. and Flegr, J. (2006) Non-advertised does not mean concealed. Body odour changes across the human menstrual cycle. Ethology 112, 81–90.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Hold, B. and Schleidt, M. (1977) The importance of human odor in nonverbal communication. Z. Tierpsychol. 43, 225–238.

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Kaitz, M. and Eidelman, A.I. (1991) Smell-recognition of newborns by women who are not mothers. Chem. Senses 17, 225–229.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Leyden, J.J., McGinley, K.J., Holzle, E., Labows, J.N. and Kligman, A.M. (1981) The microbiology of the human axilla and its relationship to axillary odor. J. Invest. Dermatol. 77, 413–416.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Makin, J.W. and Porter, R.H. (1989) Attractiveness of lactating females’ breast odors to neonates. Child. Dev. 60, 803–810.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Marlier, L., Schaal, B. and Soussignan, R. (1997) Orientation responses to biological odours in the human newborn. Initial pattern and postnatal plasticity. C. R. Acad. Sci. Paris, Science de la vie. 320, 999–1005.

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Marlier, L., Schaal, B. and Soussignan, R. (1998a) Bottle-fed neonates prefer an odor experienced in utero to an odor experienced postnatally in the feeding context. Dev. Psychobiol. 33, 133–145.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Marlier, L., Schaal, B. and Soussignan, R. (1998b) Neonatal responsiveness to the odor of amniotic and lacteal fluids: a test of perinatal chemosensory continuity. Child. Dev. 69, 611–623.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Pause, B.M., Krauel, K., Sojka, B. and Ferstl, R. (1998) Body odor evoked potentials: a new method to study the chemosensory perception of self and non-self in humans. Genetica 104, 285–294.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Platek, S.M., Burch, R.L. and Gallup, G.G. (2001) Sex differences in olfactory self-recognition. Physiol. Behav. 73, 635–640.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Porter, R.H. and Moore, J.D. (1981) Human kin recognition by olfactory cues. Physiol. Behav. 27, 493–495.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Porter, R.H., Cernoch, J.M. and McLaughlin, F.J. (1983) Maternal recognition of neonates through olfactory cues. Physiol. Behav. 30, 151–154.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Porter, R.H., Cernoch, J.M. and Balogh, R.D. (1985) Odor signatures and kin recognition. Physiol. Behav. 34, 445–448.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Porter, R.H., Balogh, R.D., Cernoch, J.M. and Franchi, C. (1986) Recognition of kin through characteristic body odors. Chem Senses 11, 389–395.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Roberts, S.C., Gosling, L.M., Spector, T.D., Miller, P., Penn, D.J. and Petrie, M. (2005) Body odor similarity in noncohabiting twins. Chem. Senses 30: 1–6.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Russell, M.J. (1976) Human olfactory communication. Nature 260, 520–522.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Schaal, B., Doucet, S., Sagot, P.,Hertling, E. and Soussignan, R. (2006) Human breast areolae as scent organs: morphological data and possible involvement in maternal-neonatal coadaptation. Dev. Psychobiol. 48, 100–110.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Schaal, B. and Marlier. L. (1998) Maternal and paternal perception of individual odor signatures in human amniotic fluid – potential role in early bonding? Biol. Neonate 74, 266–273.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Schaal, B., Marlier, L. and Soussignan, R. (1998) Olfactory function in the human fetus: evidence from selective neonatal responsiveness to the odor of amniotic fluid. Behav. Neurosci. 6, 1438–1449.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Schaal, B., Marlier, L. and Soussignan, R. (1995) Responsiveness to the odor of amniotic fluid in the human neonate. Biol. Neonate 67, 397–406.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Schleidt, M., Hold, B. and Attili, G. (1981) A cross-cultural study on the attitude towards personal odors. J. Chem. Ecol. 7, 19–31.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Schleidt, M. (1980) Personal odor and nonverbal communication. Ethol. Sociobiol. 1, 225–231.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Singh, D. and Bronstad, M. (2001) Female body odor is a potential cue to ovulation. Proc. R. Soc. Lond. B 268, 797–801.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Varendi, H., Christensson, K., Porter, R.H. and Winberg, J. (1998) Soothing effect of amniotic fluid smell in newborn infants. Early Hum. Dev. 51, 47–55.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Varendi, H., Porter, R.H. and Winberg, J. (1996) Attractiveness of amniotic fluid odor: evidence of prenatal olfactory learning? Acta Paediatr. 85, 1223–1227.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Varendi, H., Porter, R.H. and Winberg, J. (1994) Does the newborn baby find the nipple by smell? Lancet 344, 989–990.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Wallace, P. (1977) Individual discrimination of humans by odor. Physiol. Behav. 19, 577–579.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Weisfeld, G.E., Czilli, T., Phillips, K.A., Gall, J.A. and Lichtman, C.M. (2003) Possible olfaction-based mechanisms in human kin recognition and inbreeding avoidance. J. Exp. Child Psycho. 85, 279–295.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Zeng. X.N., Leyden, J.J., Spielman, A.I. and Preti, G. (1996) Analysis of characteristic human female axillary odors: Qualitative comparison to males. J. Chem. Ecol. 22, 237–257.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Anthropology and Human Genetics, Charles University, Husnikova 2075, 158 00 Prague 13, Czech Republic

    Pavlina Lenochova

Authors
  1. Pavlina Lenochova
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Jan Havlicek
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Veterinary Preclinical Science, University of Liverpool, Leahurst, Neston CH64 7TE, UK

    Jane L. Hurst

  2. Department of Veterinary Preclinical Science, University of Liverpool, Crown Street, Liverpool, L69 7ZJ, UK

    Robert J. Beynon

  3. School of Biological Sciences, University of Liverpool, Crown Street, Liverpool, L69 7ZB, UK

    S. Craig Roberts

  4. Office of Distance and Online Learning, University of Oxford, Oxford OX2 7DD, UK

    Tristram D. Wyatt

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

Copyright information

© 2008 Springer Science+Business Media,LLC

About this paper

Cite this paper

Lenochova, P., Havlicek, J. (2008). Human Body Odour Individuality. In: Hurst, J.L., Beynon, R.J., Roberts, S.C., Wyatt, T.D. (eds) Chemical Signals in Vertebrates 11. Springer, New York, NY. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-0-387-73945-8_18

Download citation

Publish with us

Policies and ethics

Search

Navigation