Publication at Faculty of Science, Faculty of Humanities |
2013
Abstract
A growing body of evidence suggests that various animal species use diet-associated cues to assess the condition of a potential mate. Such cues are not restricted to the visual channel (e.g. brightness of colouration) but could also be perceived by olfaction.
Here, we fi rst summarise current knowledge about the role of diet in vertebrate semiochemistry. Consequently, we employ an adaptationist approach to communication to explore whether cues to diet are or were subject to sexual selection in humans.
These thoughts are speculative as research in this area is rather fragmental.