?url_ver=Z39.88-2004&rft_val_fmt=info%3Aofi%2Ffmt%3Akev%3Amtx%3Adc&rft.title=Placentophagia%3A+A+biobehavioral+enigma+(or+De+gustibus+non+disputandum+est)&rft.creator=Kristal%2C+Mark+B.&rft.subject=Behavioral+Neuroscience&rft.subject=Animal+Behavior&rft.subject=Behavioral+Biology&rft.subject=Ethology&rft.subject=Comparative+Psychology&rft.subject=Physiological+Psychology&rft.subject=Psychobiology&rft.description=Although+ingestion+of+the+afterbirth+during+delivery+is+a+reliable+component+of+parturitional+behavior+of+mothers+in+most+mammalian+species%2C+we+know+almost+nothing+of+the+direct+causes+or+consequences+of+the+act.+Traditional+explanations+of+placentophagia%2C+such+as+general+or+specific+hunger%2C+are+discussed+and+evaluated+in+light+of+recent+experimental+results.+Next%2C+research+is+reviewed+which+has+attempted+to+distinguish+between+placentophagia+as+a+maternal+behavior+and+placentophagia+as+an+ingestive+behavior.+Finally%2C+consequences+of+the+behavior%2C+which+may+also+be+viewed+as+ultimate+causes+in+an+evolutionary+sense%2C+are+considered%2C+such+as+the+possibility+of+beneficial+effects+on+maternal+behavior+or+reproductive+competence%2C+on+protection+against+predators%2C+and+on+immunological+protection+afforded+either+the+mother+or+the+young.&rft.date=1980&rft.type=Journal+(Paginated)&rft.type=PeerReviewed&rft.format=text%2Fhtml&rft.identifier=http%3A%2F%2Fcogprints.org%2F757%2F1%2Fgustibus.htm&rft.identifier=++Kristal%2C+Mark+B.++(1980)+Placentophagia%3A+A+biobehavioral+enigma+(or+De+gustibus+non+disputandum+est).++%5BJournal+(Paginated)%5D+++++&rft.relation=http%3A%2F%2Fcogprints.org%2F757%2F