Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

The Human Mammary Odour Factor: Variability and Regularities in Sources and Functions

  • Conference paper
  • First Online:
Chemical Signals in Vertebrates 14

Abstract

In the course of evolution, human mothers have been, and still are, under strong selective pressure to induce their newborns’ colostrum ingestion promptly after birth. As a concentrate of nutrients, passive immunity, antioxidants, growth factors and symbiotic microbiota, colostrum functions as the evolved antidote to ubiquitous pathogens and threats of neonatal exhaustion. Under such constraints, any means to speed up colostrum/milk intake can only have been beneficial to neonatal viability and adaptive life onset along evolutionary time. The areolar-nipple areas of human lactating females emit lacteal substrates conveying chemostimuli that are attractive and release mouthing and sucking in infants. Current information about areolar glands of Montgomery is summarized here, in terms of variability/regularity in number and distribution, of behavioural activity of their secretion, and of the adaptive value of their occurrence. It is concluded that a majority of lactating women investigated so far bear from 1 to >40 glands/areola, among which some emit a visible secretion. Reciprocally, a majority of neonate infants react to the odour of these secretions. The number of areolar glands correlates with infants’ behaviour at the breast, indicating that areolar phenotypic variability has potential fitness consequences on the infant and the mother. Ideas for future studies are outlined to advance our understanding of how human areolar phenotypic variability relates to life history characteristics.

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 129.00
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Available as EPUB and PDF
  • Read on any device
  • Instant download
  • Own it forever
Softcover Book
USD 169.99
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Compact, lightweight edition
  • Dispatched in 3 to 5 business days
  • Free shipping worldwide - see info
Hardcover Book
USD 169.99
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

References

  • Abuidhail J (2014) Rural Jordanian mothers’ beliefs, knowledge and practices of postnatal care. Qual Primary Care 22:285–293

    Google Scholar 

  • Adams MG (1980) Odour-producing organs of mammals. Symp Zool Soc London 45:57–86

    Google Scholar 

  • Albone E (1984) Mammalian semiochemistry: the investigation of chemical signals between mammals. Wiley, Chichester

    Google Scholar 

  • Aoyama S, Toshima T, Saito Y, Konishi N, Motoshige K, Ishikawa, Nakamura K, Kobayashi M (2010) Maternal breast milk odour induces frontal lobe activation in neonates: A NIRS study. Early Hum Dev 86:541–545

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Badinter E (1982) Myth of motherhood: an historical view of the maternal instinct. Souvenir Press Ltd., London

    Google Scholar 

  • Banapurmath CR, Nagaraj MC, Banapurmath S, Kesaree N (1996) Breastfeeding practices in villages of central Karnataka. Indian Pediatr 33:477–479

    CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Barkow JH, Hallett AL (1989) The denial of colostrum. In: Barkow JH (ed) Darwin, sex and status: biological approaches to mind and culture. Toronto University Press, Toronto, pp 301–309

    Google Scholar 

  • Bartocci M, Winberg J, Ruggiero C, Bergqvist LL, Serra G, Lagercrantz H (2000) Activation of olfactory cortex in newborn infants after odor stimulation: a functional near-infrared spectroscopy study. Pediatr Res 48:18

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Bingham PM, Abassi S, Sivieri E (2003) A pilot study of milk odor effect on nonnutritive sucking by premature newborns. Arch Pediatr Adol Med 157:72–75

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Bingham PM, Churchill D, Ashikaga T (2007) Breast milk odor via olfactometer for tube-fed, premature infants. Behav Res Meth 39:630–634

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Bourvis N, Singer M, Saint Georges C, Bodeau N, Chetouani M, Cohen D, Feldman R (2018) Pre-linguistic infants employ complex communicative loops to engage mothers in social exchanges and repair interaction ruptures. Royal Soc Open Sci 5:170274

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Burd LI, Dorin M, Philipose V, Lemons JA (1977) The relationship of mammary temperature to parturition in human subjects. Am J Obstet Gynecol 128:272275–273278

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Burton JL, Shuster S, Cartlidge M, Libman LJ, Martell U (1973) Lactation, sebum excretion and melanocyte-stimulating hormone. Nature 243:349–350

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Cabrera-Rubio R, Collado MC, Laitinen K, Salminen S, Isolauri E, Mira A (2012) The human milk microbiome changes over lactation and is shaped by maternal weight and mode of delivery. Am J Clin Nutr 96:544–551

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Candau J, Schaal B (2015) Human neonatal exposure to colostrum as a biocultural experience. In: Talk at the 48th annual meeting of the international society for developmental psychobiology, San Sebastian, Spain, 20–23 July 2015

    Google Scholar 

  • Cantrill RM, Creedy DK, Cooke M, Dykes F (2014) Effective suckling in relation to naked maternal-infant body contact in the first hour of life: an observation study. BMC Pregn Childbirth 14:20

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Cernoch JM, Porter RH (1985) Recognition of maternal axillary odors by infants. Child Dev 56:1593–1598

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Christensson K, Sileses C, Moreno L, Belaustequi A, De La Fuente P, Lagercrantz H (1992) Temperature, metabolic adaptation and crying in healthy newborns cared for skin-to-skin or in cot. Acta Paediatr Scand 8:488–503

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Coureaud G, Fortun-Lamothe L, Langlois D, Schaal B (2007) The reactivity of neonatal rabbits to the mammary pheromone as a probe for viability. Animal 1:1026–1032

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Dasen V (2003) Naissance et petite enfance dans l’Antiquité. Editions Universitaires & Göttingen, Vandenhoek-Ruprecht Verlag, Fribourg

    Google Scholar 

  • Debes AK, Kohli A, Walker N, Edmond K, Mullany LC (2013) Time to initiation of breastfeeding and neonatal mortality and morbidity: a systematic review. BMC PublHealth 13(Suppl 3):S19

    Google Scholar 

  • Delahaye MC (1990) Tétons et tétines, Histoire de l’allaitement. Editions Trame-Way, Paris

    Google Scholar 

  • Delaunay-El Allam M, Marlier L, Schaal B (2006) Learning at the breast: preference formation for an artificial scent and its attraction against the odor of maternal milk. Infant Behav Dev 29:308–321

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Dewey KG, Nommsen-Rivers LA, Heinig MJ, Cohen RJ (2003) Risk factors for suboptimal infant breastdeefing behavior, delayed onset of lactation, and excess neonatal weight loss. Pediatrics 112:607–619

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Doucet S, Soussignan R, Sagot P, Schaal B (2007) The ‘smellscape’ of mother’s breast: effects of odour masking and selective unmasking on neonatal arousal, oral and visual responses. Dev Psychobiol 49:129–138

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Doucet S, Soussignan R, Sagot P, Schaal B (2009) The secretion of areolar (Montgomery’s) glands from lactating women elicits selective, unconditional responses in neonates. PLoS ONE 4:e7579

    Article  PubMed  PubMed Central  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Doucet S, Soussignan R, Sagot P, Schaal B (2012) An overlooked aspect of the human breast: Areolar glands in relation with breastfeeding pattern, neonatal weight gain, and dynamics of lactation. Early Hum Dev 88:119–128

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Durand K, Baudouin JY, Lewkowicz D, Goubet N, Schaal B (2013) Eye-catching odors: familiar odors promote attention and sustained gazing to faces and eyes in 4 month-old infants. PLoS ONE 8:e7067

    Google Scholar 

  • Edmond KM, Kirkwood BR, Amenga-Etego S, Owusu-Agyei S, Hurt LS (2007) Effect of early infant feeding practices on infection-specific neonatal mortality: an investigation of the causal links with observational data from rural Ghana. Am J Clin Nutr 86:1126–1131

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Edmond KM, Zandoh C, Quigley MA, Amenga-Etego S, Owusu-Agyei S, Kirkwood BR (2006) Delayed breastfeeding initiation increases risk of neonatal mortality. Pediatrics 117:e380–e386

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Evershed RP, Payne S, Sherratt AG, Copley MS, Coolidge J, Urem-Kotsu D, … Akkermans PM (2008) Earliest date for milk use in the near East and Southeastern Europe linked to cattle herding. Nature 455(7212):528

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Fleming AS (1990) Hormonal and experiential correlates of maternal responsiveness in human mothers. In: Krasnegor NA, Bridges RS (eds) Mammalian parenting: biochemical, neurobiological and behavioral determinants. Oxford University Press, New York, pp 184–208

    Google Scholar 

  • Girish M, Mujawar N, Gotmare P, Paul N, Punia S, Pandey P (2013) Impact and feasibility of breast crawl in a tertiary care hospital. J Perinatol 33:288–291

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Hale TW, Hartmann PE (eds) (2007) Textbook of human lactation. Halle Publishing, Amarillo, TX

    Google Scholar 

  • Houle D (1992) Comparing evolvability and variability of quantitative traits. Genetics 130:195–204

    CAS  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  • Hrdy SB (1999) Mother nature. Pantheon Press, New York

    Google Scholar 

  • Hrdy SB (2009) Mothers and others. The evolutionary origins of mutual understanding. Belknap-Harvard University Press, Cambridge, MA

    Google Scholar 

  • Hudson R, Distel H (1995) On the nature and action of the rabbit nipple-search pheromone: a review. In: Apfelbach R, Müller-Schwarze D, Reuter K, Weiler E (eds) Chemical signals in vertebrates, vol 7. Elsevier Science, London, pp 223–232

    Google Scholar 

  • Kelly AJ, Dubbs SL, Barlow FK, Zietsch BP (2018) Male and female nipples as a test case for the assumption that functional features vary less than nonfunctional by-products. Adaptive Hum Behav Physiol 4:344–353

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Kimura C, Matsuoka M (2007) Changes in breast skin temperature during the course of breastfeeding. J Hum Lact 23:60–69

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Kinney MV, Kerber KJ, Black RE, Cohen B, Nkrumah F et al (2010) Sub-Saharan Africa’s mothers, newborns, and children: where and why do they die? PLoS Med 7(6):e1000294

    Article  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  • Klaus M (1998) Mother and infant: early emotional ties. Pediatrics 102(Suppl E1):1244–1246

    Google Scholar 

  • Koyama S, Wu HJ, Easwaran T, Thopady S, Foley J (2013) The nipple: a simple intersection of mammary gland and integument, but focal point of organ function. J Mammary Gland Biol Neopl 18:121–131

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Lawn JE, Cousens S, Zupan J, Team NSS (2005) 4 million neonatal deaths: when? where? why? Lancet 365:891–900

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Loos HM, Reger D, Schaal B (2019) The odour of human milk: its chemical variability and detection by newborns. Physiol Behav 199:88–99

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Loos HM, Doucet S, Védrines F, Sharapa C, Soussignan R, Durand K, Büttner A, Schaal B (2017) Responses of human neonates to highly diluted odorants from sweat. J Chem Ecol 43:106–117

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Macfarlane AJ (1975) Olfaction in the development of social preferences in the human neonate. Ciba Found Symp 33:103–117

    Google Scholar 

  • Makin JW, Porter RH (1989) Attractiveness of lactating female’s breast odors to neonates. Child Dev 60:803–810

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Marlier L, Schaal B (2005) Human newborns prefer human milk: conspecific milk odor is attractive without postnatal exposure. Child Dev 76:155–168

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Matthews MK (1988) Developing an instrument to assess infant breastfeeding behaviour in the early neonatal period. Midwifery 4:154–165

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Michel MP, Gremmo-Féger G, Oger E, Sizun J (2007) Étude pilote des difficultés de mise en place de l’allaitement maternel des nouveau-nés à terme, en maternité: incidence et facteurs de risque. Arch Pédiatr 14:454–460

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Mizuno K, Ueda A (2004) Antenatal olfactory learning influences infant feeding. Early Hum Dev 76:83–90

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Montagna W, MacPherson EE (1974) Some neglected aspects of the anatomy of human breasts. J Invest Dermatol 63:10–16

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Montagna W, Yun JS (1972) The glands of montgomery. Br J Dermatol 86:126–133

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Montgomery WF (1837) An exposition of the signs and symptoms of pregnancy, the period of human gestation, and signs of delivery. Sherwood, Gilber and Piper, London

    Google Scholar 

  • Morgagni GB (1719) Adversaria Anatomica Omnia. A.J.A. Langerak, Lugduni Batavorum. https://archive.org/details/joannisbaptistae1723morg/page/n7

  • Naeslund J (1957) The function of montgomery’s tubercles. Acta Obst Gynecol Scand 36:460–467

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Nishitani S, Miyamura T, Tagawa M, Sumi M, Takase R, Doi H, Moriushi H, Shinohara K (2009) The calming effect of a maternal breast milk odor on the human newborn infant. Neurosci Res 63:66–71

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Odent PLG (2010) Early infant feeding and neonatal survival in Nepal: breastfeeding, colostrum and discarding of the first milk. PhD thesis, University College, London

    Google Scholar 

  • Perkins OC, Miller AM (1926) Sebaceous glands in the human nipple. Am J Obstet Gynecol 11:789–794

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Porter RH, Makin JW, Davis LB, Christensen KM (1991) An assessment of the salient olfactory environment of formula-fed infants. Physiol Behav 50:907–911

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Porter RH, Makin JW, Davis LB, Christensen KM (1992) Breast-fed infants respond to olfactory cues from their own mother and unfamiliar lactating females. Infant Behav Dev 15:85–93

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Prechtl HFR (1958) The directed head turning response and allied movements of the human baby. Behaviour 13:212–242

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Prokop-Prigge KA, Greene K, Varallo L, Wysocki CJ, Preti G (2016) The effect of ethnicity on human axillary odorant production. J Chem Ecol 42:33–39

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Prokop-Prigge KA, Mansfield CJ, Parker MR, Thaler E, Grice EA, Wysocki CJ, Preti G (2015) Ethnic/racial and genetic influences on cerumen odorant profiles. J Chem Ecol 41:67–74

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Raimbault C, Saliba E, Porter RH (2007) The effect of the odour of mother’s milk on breastfeeding behaviour of premature neonates. Acta Paediatr 96:368–371

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Rawlings AV (2006) Ethnic skin types: are there differences in skin structure and function? Int J Cosmet Sci 28:79–93

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Regnier FE, Goodwin M (1977) On the chemical and environmental modulation of the pheromone release from vertebrate scent marks. In Müller-Schwarze DM, Mozzell MM (eds) Chemical signals in vertebrates, vol 1. Plenum Press, pp 115–133

    Google Scholar 

  • Reissland N, Burghart R (1988) The quality of a mother’s milk and the health of her child: Beliefs and practices of the women of Mithila. Soc Sci Med 27:461–469

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Righard L, Alade MO (1990) Effect of delivery room routines on success of first breast-feed. Lancet 336:1105–1107

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Roulin A, Heeb P (1999) The immunological function of allosuckling. Ecol Lett 2:319–324

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Russell MJ (1976) Human olfactory communication. Nature 260:520–522

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Schaal B (1986) Presumed olfactory exchanges between mother and neonate in humans. In Le Camus J, Cosnier J (eds) Ethology and psychology. Privat, I.E.C, Toulouse, pp 101–110

    Google Scholar 

  • Schaal B (1988) Olfaction in infants and children: developmental and functional perspectives. Chem Senses 13:145–190

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Schaal B (2010) Mammary odor cues and pheromones: mammalian infant-directed communication about maternal state, mammae, and milk. Vitam Horm 83:81–134

    Google Scholar 

  • Schaal B, Al Aïn S (2014) Chemical signals ‘selected for’ newborns in mammals. Anim Behav 97:289–299

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Schaal B, Durand K (2012) The role of olfaction in human multisensory development. In: Bremner A, Lewkowicz D, Spence C (eds) Multisensory development. Oxford University Press, Oxford, UK, pp 29–62

    Chapter  Google Scholar 

  • Schaal B, Porter RH (1991) Microsmatic humans revisited: the generation and perception of chemical signals. Adv Study of Behav 20:135–200

    Article  Google Scholar 

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

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Schaal B, Montagner H, Hertling E, Bolzoni D, Moyse R, Quichon R (1980) Les stimulations olfactives dans les relations entre l’enfant et la mère. Reprod Nutr Dev 20:843–858

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Schaal B, Coureaud G, Langlois D, Ginies C, Sémon E, Perrier G (2003) Chemical and behavioural characterization of the mammary pheromone of the rabbit. Nature 424:68–72

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Schaal B, Doucet S, Soussignan R, Francke W, Weibchen G, Rietdorff M (2008) The human breast as a scent organ: structures, secretions, chemistry and possible functions in mother-infant interactions. In: Hurst JL, Beynon RJ, Roberts SC, Wyatt TD (eds) Chemical signals in vertebrates, vol 11. Berlin, Springer, pp 325–335

    Chapter  Google Scholar 

  • Schaffer J (1937) Die Duftorgane des Menschen. Wiener Klin. Wochenschr. 20:790–796

    Google Scholar 

  • Schiefferdecker P (1922) Die Hautdrüsen des Menschen und der Säugetiere. Zoologica 27:1–154

    Google Scholar 

  • Smith JD, Peters TG, Donegan WL (1982) Montgomery’s areolar tubercle. A light microscopic study. Arch Pathol Lab Med 106:60–63

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Soussignan R, Schaal B, Marlier L, Jiang T (1997) Facial and autonomic responses to biological and artificial olfactory stimuli in human neonates: re-examining early hedonic discrimination of odors. Physiol Behav 62:745–758

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Stolnicu S (2018) Histology of the normal breast, normal changes, and abnormalities of breast development. In: Practical atlas of breast pathology. Springer, Cham, pp 1–25

    Chapter  Google Scholar 

  • Thoman EB, Turner AM, Leiderman PH, Barnett CR (1970) Neonate-mother interactions: effects of parity on feeding behavior. Child Dev 41:1103–1111

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Uruakpa FO, Ismond MA, Akobundu EN (2002) Colostrum and its benefits: a review. Nutr Res 22:755–767

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Varendi H, Porter RH (2001) Breast odour as the only maternal stimulus elicits crawling towards the odour source. Acta Paediatr 90:372–375

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Varendi H, Porter RH, Winberg J (1994) Does the newborn baby find the nipple by smell? Lancet 344(8928):989–990

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Vigne JD, Helmer D (2007) Was milk a “secondary product” in the old world Neolithisation process? Its role in the domestication of cattle, sheep and goats. Anthropozoologica 42:9–40

    Google Scholar 

  • Volk AA, Atkinson JA (2013) Infant and child death in the human environment of evolutionary adaptation. Evol Hum Behav 34:182–192

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Vorherr H (1974) The breast. Morphology, physiology, and lactation. Academic Press, New York

    Chapter  Google Scholar 

  • Vuorenkoski V, Wasz-Hockert O, Koivisto E, Lind J (1969) The effect of cry stimulus on the temperature of the lactating breast of primipara. Experientia 25:1286–1287

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Wang S (2018) Understudied skin characteristics awaiting genetic breakthroughs. J Invest Dermatol 19:S101–S102

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Widström AM, Wahlberg V, Matthiesen AS (1990) Short-term effects of early suckling and touch of the nipple on maternal behaviour. Early Hum Dev 21:153–163

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Widström AM, Ransjö-Arvidson AB, Christensson K, Matthiesen AS, Winberg J, Uvnäs-Moberg K (1987) Gastric suction in healthy newborn infants effects on circulation and developing feeding behaviour. Acta Paediatr 76:566–572

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Widström AM, Lilja G, Aaltomaa-Michalias P, Dahllöf A, Lintula M, Nissen E (2011) Newborn behaviour to locate the breast when skin-to-skin: a possible method for enabling early self-regulation. Acta Paediatr 100:79–85

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Winberg J (2005) Mother and newborn baby: mutual regulation of physiology and behaviour—a selective review. Dev Psychobiol 47:217–229

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Wyatt TD (2014) Pheromones and animal behaviour: chemical signals and signature mixtures, 2nd edn. Cambridge University Press, Cambridge, UK

    Google Scholar 

  • Yasumatsu K, Uchida S, Sugano H, Suzuki T (1994) The effect of the odour of mother’s milk and orange on the spectral power of EEG in infants. J UOEH 16:71–83

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Zanardo V, Straface G (2015) The higher temperature in the areola supports the natural progression of the birth to breastfeeding continuum. PLoS ONE 10:e0118774

    Article  PubMed  PubMed Central  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Zanardo V, Volpe F, Luca F, Straface G (2017) A temperature gradient may support mother-infant thermal identification and communication in the breast crawl from birth to breastfeeding. Acta Paediatr 106:1596–1599

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

Download references

Acknowledgements

The Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS), the Regional Council of Bourgogne-Franche-Comté, and ANR grant “Milkodor” 15-CE21-0009-01 (to BS) supported the writing of this chapter. The authors gratefully thank Tristram D. Wyatt and Elisabeth III Hertling for useful comments on an earlier draft.

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Developmental Ethology and Cognitive Psychology Group, Centre for Smell, Taste and Food Science, CNRS (UMR 6265), Université de Bourgogne-Franche Comté, Dijon, France

    Benoist Schaal, Sébastien Doucet, Robert Soussignan, Magali Klaey-Tassone, Bruno Patris & Karine Durand

Authors
  1. Benoist Schaal
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Sébastien Doucet
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  3. Robert Soussignan
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  4. Magali Klaey-Tassone
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  5. Bruno Patris
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  6. Karine Durand
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Benoist Schaal .

Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

  1. Wildlife Conservation Research Unit, Department of Zoology, University of Oxford, Abingdon, Oxfordshire, UK

    Christina D. Buesching

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

Copyright information

© 2019 Springer Nature Switzerland AG

About this paper

Check for updates. Verify currency and authenticity via CrossMark

Cite this paper

Schaal, B., Doucet, S., Soussignan, R., Klaey-Tassone, M., Patris, B., Durand, K. (2019). The Human Mammary Odour Factor: Variability and Regularities in Sources and Functions. In: Buesching, C. (eds) Chemical Signals in Vertebrates 14. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-17616-7_10

Download citation

Publish with us

Policies and ethics

Search

Navigation