Chemical Senses Advance Access first published online on May 28, 2009
This version published online on June 5, 2009
Chemical Senses, doi:10.1093/chemse/bjp030
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Human Pheromone Detection by the Vomeronasal Organ: Unnecessary for Mate Selection?
Department of Biological Sciences, Program in Neuroscience, The Florida State University, 319 Stadium Dr. (Kin), Tallahassee, FL 32306-4295, USA
Correspondence to be sent to: Thomas Mast, Department of Biological Sciences, Program in Neuroscience, The Florida State University, 319 Stadium Dr. (Kin), Tallahassee, FL 32306-4295, USA. e-mail: mast{at}neuro.fsu.edu
| Abstract |
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Recently, Foltan and Sedy proposed a hypothesis stating that the adult human VNO is integral to the prevention of inappropriate mate selection. In this commentary, we address the authors assumption that humans have a functional VNO, that pheromones are detected exclusively by the VNO, and that human pheromones are responsible for negative stimuli during mate selection. After examining the published literature on human vomeronasal function, we argue that their hypothesis is critically flawed. We offer a brief review of the adult human VNO in support of our argument.
Key words: behavior, human, pheromone, vomeronasal
The original published version of this paper was incorrect. The first author's middle initial was listed as E but should be G.
Accepted 6 May 2009