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This from an article published by the BBC, about a research paper published in the American Journal of Primatology:
Capuchin monkeys have what at first glance appears to be an odd habit: they urinate onto their hands then rub their urine over their bodies into their fur.
Now scientists think they know why the monkeys "urine wash" in this way.
A new study shows that the brains of female tufted capuchins become more active when they smell the urine of sexually mature adult males.
That suggests males wash with their urine to signal their availability and attractiveness to females.
Details of the finding are published in the American Journal of Primatology.
The complete BBC article is here:
http://news.bbc.co.uk/earth/hi/earth...00/9404757.stm
LM
Capuchin monkeys have what at first glance appears to be an odd habit: they urinate onto their hands then rub their urine over their bodies into their fur.
Now scientists think they know why the monkeys "urine wash" in this way.
A new study shows that the brains of female tufted capuchins become more active when they smell the urine of sexually mature adult males.
That suggests males wash with their urine to signal their availability and attractiveness to females.
Details of the finding are published in the American Journal of Primatology.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/earth/hi/earth...00/9404757.stm
LM
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