---
abstract: 'Although ingestion of the afterbirth during delivery is a reliable component of parturitional behavior of mothers in most mammalian species, we know almost nothing of the direct causes or consequences of the act. Traditional explanations of placentophagia, such as general or specific hunger, are discussed and evaluated in light of recent experimental results. Next, research is reviewed which has attempted to distinguish between placentophagia as a maternal behavior and placentophagia as an ingestive behavior. Finally, consequences of the behavior, which may also be viewed as ultimate causes in an evolutionary sense, are considered, such as the possibility of beneficial effects on maternal behavior or reproductive competence, on protection against predators, and on immunological protection afforded either the mother or the young.'
altloc: []
chapter: ~
commentary: ~
commref: ~
confdates: ~
conference: ~
confloc: ~
contact_email: ~
creators_id: []
creators_name:
- family: Kristal
given: Mark B.
honourific: ''
lineage: ''
date: 1980
date_type: published
datestamp: 1998-11-19
department: ~
dir: disk0/00/00/07/57
edit_lock_since: ~
edit_lock_until: ~
edit_lock_user: ~
editors_id: []
editors_name: []
eprint_status: archive
eprintid: 757
fileinfo: /style/images/fileicons/text_html.png;/757/1/gustibus.htm
full_text_status: public
importid: ~
institution: ~
isbn: ~
ispublished: pub
issn: ~
item_issues_comment: []
item_issues_count: 0
item_issues_description: []
item_issues_id: []
item_issues_reported_by: []
item_issues_resolved_by: []
item_issues_status: []
item_issues_timestamp: []
item_issues_type: []
keywords: 'Placenta, Placentophagia, Afterbirth, Parturition, Mammals, Maternal behavior, Ingestion, Immunology, Adaptive advantage, Pregnancy, Fetal membranes, Amnion, Amniotic fluid, Birth'
lastmod: 2011-03-11 08:54:16
latitude: ~
longitude: ~
metadata_visibility: show
note: ~
number: 2
pagerange: 141-150
pubdom: FALSE
publication: Neuroscience & Biobehavioral Reviews
publisher: ~
refereed: TRUE
referencetext: ~
relation_type: []
relation_uri: []
reportno: ~
rev_number: 8
series: ~
source: ~
status_changed: 2007-09-12 16:34:03
subjects:
- behav-neuro-sci
- bio-ani-behav
- bio-behav
- bio-etho
- comp-psy
- physio-psy
- psy-bio
succeeds: ~
suggestions: ~
sword_depositor: ~
sword_slug: ~
thesistype: ~
title: 'Placentophagia: A biobehavioral enigma (or De gustibus non disputandum est)'
type: journalp
userid: 88
volume: 4