Olfaction: An Overlooked Sensory Modality in Applied Ethology and Animal Welfare

It has long been known that odors and olfaction play a major role in behavioral development and expression in animals. The sense of smell is employed in numerous contexts, such as foraging, mate choice, and predation risk assessment. Indeed, olfaction is the primary sensory modality for most mammals...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Frontiers in veterinary science 2015-01, Vol.2 (69), p.69-69
Main Authors: Nielsen, Birte L, Jezierski, Tadeusz, Bolhuis, J Elizabeth, Amo, Luisa, Rosell, Frank, Oostindjer, Marije, Christensen, Janne W, McKeegan, Dorothy, Wells, Deborah L, Hepper, Peter
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
behavior
Behavior, Animal
chemoreception
Computer Science
Disease
feeding
Feeding Behavior
housing
Housing, Animal
Life Sciences
Odors
Reproduction
stress
Veterinary Science
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Summary:It has long been known that odors and olfaction play a major role in behavioral development and expression in animals. The sense of smell is employed in numerous contexts, such as foraging, mate choice, and predation risk assessment. Indeed, olfaction is the primary sensory modality for most mammals, and many domestic species kept by humans, including chickens (1). Odors are therefore likely to influence many of the handling and management procedures carried out with animals, whether on farms, in zoos, in the laboratory, or in the family home. Despite this, applied ethologists and animal welfare scientists have not to any great extent investigated chemosensory perception or included odors in their studies.
ISSN:2297-1769
2297-1769
DOI:10.3389/fvets.2015.00069