Analysis on Pheromonal Communication in Non-Humans Primates and in Humans: a research proposal.

In last years different studies on non-humans Primates (for example Lemur catta) and humans evidenced the basic role of pheromonal communication in activity correlated to sexual function (reproductive activity, sexual attraction, mechanisms of partner’s choice). The aim of this research is to show the role of pheromones in the overall olfactory communication in different species of non-humans Primates and in humans. For this reason we intend to carry out a comparison of the role of the pheromonal communication in the species above mentioned by studying the separate cases with a both chemical and behavioural approach. Experiments consist of observational sessions and chemical analyses of olfactory secretions. In particular the analyses of non-volatile compounds will be performed by gelelectrophoresis and protein sequence procedures, while volatile components will be characterized by gaschromatography-mass spectrometry. Crossed experiments in numerous different social groups of captive non-human primates (hosted in different italian and european zoos, for example Bussolengo and Pistoia Zoos) will be carried out in order to clarify if these species are able to recognize kinship, rank and sex of conspecifics, and to investigate the role of pheromonal signals, while specific experiments will be used to study human olfactory communication. All the results will be discussed and compared to understand how the pheromonal communication works and how evolution in Primates order has affected this kind of communication.