Pheromones and the VNO

[Jim Kohl]

In article <Pine.3.89.9608051245.G2340-0100000 at lex.lccc.edu>, 
rcb1 at LEX.LCCC.EDU says...

>It seems to me that pheromones could be influenced by diet.  Should
>a female prefer a male who has a behavioral trait of eating food
>that is different from her own preference.

While diet may affect one's olfactory profile, pheromones (derived from 
steroid hormone metabolism) are most often associated with a unique 
olfactory signature. The difference between the profile and the signature 
is that the profile may be consciously perceived, while the (pheromone) 
signature is not likely to be consciously perceived. To my knowledge, 
there is no evidence to indicate that food choice influences mate 
choice/preferences. However, the genetics of pheromone production and 
distribution have been shown to be involved in mammalian, including human 
mate choice.

Jim
http://www.pheromones.com