Bird bacteria is key to communication and mating

Birds use odor to identify other birds, and researchers at Michigan State University have shown that if the bacteria that produce the odor is altered, it could negatively impact a bird's ability to communicate with other ...

Male common marmosets smell female fertility

Scientists from the University of Leipzig and the Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology found that male common marmosets are able to detect the fertile phase of females based on changes in their body odor. Using ...

Learning from experience is all in the timing

As animals explore their environment, they learn to master it. By discovering what sounds tend to precede predatorial attack, for example, or what smells predict dinner, they develop a kind of biological clairvoyance—a ...

Solving the knotty question of soft-pretzel aroma

Whether at Oktoberfest, the movie theater or a shopping mall, the enticing aroma of soft pretzels is unmistakable. Now, researchers have identified the key compounds that give these twisted knots their distinctive scent. ...

Vanilla makes milk beverages seem sweeter

Adding vanilla to sweetened milk makes consumers think the beverage is sweeter, allowing the amount of added sugar to be reduced, according to Penn State researchers, who will use the concept to develop a reduced-sugar chocolate ...

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