Monkey also anointed

It may be the most natural perfume in the world discovered in the Mexican forest. What are its components? The answer is that monkey saliva and leaves are thoroughly chewed.

Capuchin monkey (Photo: montclair.edu)

Mexican male monkeys chew the leaves of three aromatic plants, the Alamos bean, the lilies and the wild celery. Matthias Laska. The zoology professor at the University of Linköping in Sweden said the activity took place anywhere within 30 seconds to 2 minutes. The group observed 20 behavior in 2 male monkeys at the Veracruz, Mexico tropical flora and fauna population.

The researchers confirmed that monkeys used only one plant at a time. This activity is regular, like guys who often wear perfume or deodorant.

This action was also found in capuchin monkeys, monkey-cat monkeys and lemurs. Initially scientists speculated that chewing leaves to mitigate skin infections or be attacked by insects.

But Laska and the team found that among the plants that Mexican monkeys chewed, only wild celery is an insect repellent and antifungal property. The remaining plants are simply fragrant.

Since then, scientists have concluded that self-perfume for themselves plays a role in social interaction, alluding to status and increasing sexual attraction. In other words, monkeys do that much the same way people use perfume.

MT