Sniffing out the physical condition of conspecifics

Detecting and evaluating the quality of foodstuffs, remote perception of possible hazards, the recognition of territorial boundaries or subconscious activation of memories considered forgotten - the sense of smell (olfactory mechanism) supplies an abundance of important information. The scent signals between conspecifics are of particular significance for their social and sexual communication. The majority of mammals perceive such chemosensors, often referred to as pheromones, via a specific sensory organ, the vomeronasal organ (VNO)...

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