The Sexy, Healthy Scent of a Man

[DCW]

Here is

something that I came across today in regards to

pheromones


DCW

[belgareth]

Interesting article. I wonder

how that works with JVK's mammalian model? Although I don't think either would be mutually exclusive it does shed

some doubt on the validity of the model as the last word in human and animal attraction.

[Gegogi]

"The research suggests

that other animals, perhaps even you, choose mates in part based on the strength of their immune

systems."

I don't doubt there is certainly truth here and, like most things, is one component of a

greater whole. However, having grown up in a family with over a half dozen nurses (!) I couldn't help but notice

these women often dated their patients! Sheesh, many of these guys looked like death warmed over. One of my kin even

went steady with a former patient that was paralyzed from the neck down! And she was a very smart and attractive

young woman.

[belgareth]

You've been pointing out for a

while that the models don't seem to cover all the facts. Others have been arguing otherwise. I think this just goes

to show that assuming you have all the answers to somehting as complex as human behavoir is at best tunnel vision.

All the science people I have known over the years are always looking for exceptions and reasons to question

everything. They rarely take any model as the last word. The universe is just far to complex to do otherwise.

[jvkohl]

Interesting

article. I wonder how that works with JVK's mammalian model? Although I don't think either would be mutually

exclusive it does shed some doubt on the validity of the model as the last word in human and animal

attraction.

Actually, this report though somewhat misleading with regard to the importance of the

VNO, supports the validity of my mammalian model. Especially since several human studies (two are cited below) have

shown virtually the same link.

Jacob, S., McClintock, M.K., Zelano, B., & Ober, C. Paternally inherited HLA

alleles are associated with women's choice of male odor. Nature Genetics, DOI: 10.1038/ng830 (2002). "Our data

indicate that paternally inherited HLA-associated odors influence odor preference and may serve as social

cues."

Ober C, et.al. (1997) "These results are consistent with the conclusion that Hutterite mate choice is

influenced by HLA haplotypes, with an avoidance of spouses with haplotypes that are the same as one's

own."

Results published in Ober et al., 1997, were first presented in 1993. Ober, C. (1993) Reported by

Associated Press in Las Vegas Review Journal, October 10, 1993, p. 2A. Paper presented at the Annual Meeting of the

American Society of Human Genetics, New Orleans, Oct 8. MEMBERS OF AN ISOLATED RELIGIOUS GROUPS USUALLY AVOID

CHOOSING MATES WITH SIMILAR IMMUNE SYSTEM GENES, SUGGESTING THAT SUBTLE ODORS MAY PLAY A ROLE IN ROMANCE. WOMEN MORE

LIKELY TO MISCARRY IF THEY SHARE CERTAIN IMMUNE SYSTEM GENES WITH THEIR HUSBANDS & CHILDREN OF SUCH MARRIAGES ARE

LIKELY TO BE MORE SUSCEPTIBLE TO DISEASE. COMPARES MICE FINDINGSAND HUMAN ODOR CUES GOVERNING BEHAVIOR

Peer

reviewers would not accept the direct comparison to what happens in rodents, which delayed publication. Ultimately,

Ober and colleagues backed down--and did not make the comparison in the journal article that was

obvious.

Researchers from Monell Chemical Senses were not so reluctant to make the comparison. Beauchamp,

G.K., & Yamazaki, K. (1997) HLA and mate selection in humans: commentary. American Journal of Human Genetics, 61,

494 496."...positive evidence in human populations for negative assortative pairing (and likely mating) according to

HLA as predicted from mouse studies." "Perhaps in humans the ability of mothers and infants to recognize each othre

and to bond, even prior to birth, depends in part on HLA determined odor." "...the results of Ober et al. are

exciting, since they implicate MHC type in human mate choice." as predicted by Lewis Thomas. In mice this is done by

odor.

Abstracts from the first two articles I sited are linked from the scientific information page of my

domain:

The rest of the story is from my notes, which I began compiling in the

mid 80's.

Belgareth, of course the mammalian model is valid in humans. The only reason the model isn't the

last word, is because there is not yet enough data from human studies. However, none of the existing data from human

studies invalidates extension of the mammalian model to human sexual behavior.




JVK