Noted smell scientist Avery Gilbert blogged about a team of Japanese scientists who tested what quantitative differences are there in the odor profiles of mice experiencing different life conditions (e.g., no bedding, fasting). What they found is that the greater the stressful life conditions, the stronger the smell of the feces. Seventeen odor compounds were identified (aldehydes, sulfides,Continue reading “Detecting stress via feces?”
Category Archives: Bioarchaeology
The Use and Misuse of Allostatic Load in Bioanthropology
I have noticed a recent trend in bioarchaelogy referring to odontoskeletal stress markers as measures of allostatic load. Allostatic load was first described by McEwan and Stellar in 1993. They argue (quite well and rightly) that the concept of homeostasis (or internal maintenance of system functioning) fails to consider the complex biological negotiations over timeContinue reading “The Use and Misuse of Allostatic Load in Bioanthropology”
The Smell of Evolution 