Research
Molecular genetics and olfactory communication in primates
Olfaction
has been neglected in primate studies but olfactory communication is
of profound importance in many species. Well-developed scent glands
and specialized scent-marking behaviours are common. Tamarins can discriminate
sex, age and probably individuals dependent on odour, and odour forms
part of the mechanism of inhibition of ovulation of subordinate female
marmosets by dominant female group members. Pheromonal communication
in humans, apes and Old World monkeys is more enigmatic, not least since
the main sensory system for pheromones, the vomeronasal system, is vestigial
and probably non-functional in these species. Nevertheless, intriguing
experiments in humans suggest that mate preference, and possibly mate
choice, are influenced by body odours.
We are interested in the molecular evolution of various gene families involved in primate olfactory communication, including olfactory receptor genes, vomeronasal receptor genes, and genes for odorant binding proteins.
References
Mundy, N. I. (2005) The genetic basis of olfactory communication in primates. American Journal of Primatology 68, 559 - 567.
Mundy, N. I. and Cook, S. (2003) Positive selection during the diversification of class I vomeronasal receptor-like (V1RL) genes, putative pheromone receptor genes, in human and primate evolution. Molecular Biology and Evolution 20, 1805 - 1810.
Whinnett, A. and N. I. Mundy. (2003) Isolation of novel olfactory receptor genes in marmosets: insights into pseudogene formation and evidence for functional degeneracy in non-human primates. Gene 304, 87-96.
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