creators_name: Kristal, Mark B. type: journalp datestamp: 1998-11-19 lastmod: 2011-03-11 08:54:16 metadata_visibility: show title: Placentophagia: A biobehavioral enigma (or De gustibus non disputandum est) ispublished: pub subjects: behav-neuro-sci subjects: bio-ani-behav subjects: bio-behav subjects: bio-etho subjects: comp-psy subjects: physio-psy subjects: psy-bio full_text_status: public keywords: Placenta, Placentophagia, Afterbirth, Parturition, Mammals, Maternal behavior, Ingestion, Immunology, Adaptive advantage, Pregnancy, Fetal membranes, Amnion, Amniotic fluid, Birth 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. date: 1980 date_type: published publication: Neuroscience & Biobehavioral Reviews volume: 4 number: 2 pagerange: 141-150 refereed: TRUE citation: Kristal, Mark B. (1980) Placentophagia: A biobehavioral enigma (or De gustibus non disputandum est). [Journal (Paginated)] document_url: http://cogprints.org/757/1/gustibus.htm