Unknown

Dataset Information

0

Avoidance of biological contaminants through sight, smell and touch in chimpanzees.


ABSTRACT: Avoiding biological contaminants is a well-known manifestation of the adaptive system of disgust. In theory, animals evolved with such a system to prevent pathogen and parasite infection. Bodily products are human-universal disgust elicitors, but whether they also elicit avoidance behaviour in non-human primates has yet to be tested. Here, we report experimental evidence that potential exposure to biological contaminants (faeces, blood, semen), as perceived via multiple sensory modalities (visual, olfactory, tactile), might influence feeding decisions in chimpanzees (Pan troglodytes troglodytes)-our closest phylogenetic relatives. Although somewhat mixed, our results do show increased latencies to feed, tendencies to maintain greater distances from contaminants and/or outright refusals to consume food in test versus control conditions. Overall, these findings are consistent with the parasite avoidance theory of disgust, although the presence of biological contaminants did not preclude feeding entirely. The avoidance behaviours observed hint at the origins of disgust in humans, and further comparative research is now needed.

SUBMITTER: Sarabian C 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC5717664 | biostudies-literature | 2017 Nov

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature

altmetric image

Publications

Avoidance of biological contaminants through sight, smell and touch in chimpanzees.

Sarabian Cecile C   Ngoubangoye Barthelemy B   MacIntosh Andrew J J AJJ  

Royal Society open science 20171108 11


Avoiding biological contaminants is a well-known manifestation of the adaptive system of disgust. In theory, animals evolved with such a system to prevent pathogen and parasite infection. Bodily products are human-universal disgust elicitors, but whether they also elicit avoidance behaviour in non-human primates has yet to be tested. Here, we report experimental evidence that potential exposure to biological contaminants (faeces, blood, semen), as perceived via multiple sensory modalities (visua  ...[more]

Similar Datasets

| S-EPMC6700712 | biostudies-literature
| S-EPMC7390897 | biostudies-literature
| S-EPMC6326982 | biostudies-literature
| S-EPMC6869094 | biostudies-literature
| S-EPMC9751362 | biostudies-literature
| S-EPMC4558064 | biostudies-literature
| S-EPMC3904651 | biostudies-literature
| S-EPMC6911036 | biostudies-literature
| S-EPMC6074756 | biostudies-literature
| S-EPMC6647888 | biostudies-literature