[Thu-P1-027] Pheromone-induced odour learning and outstanding detection abilities in the newborn rabbit

Perception of the wide, complex and changing odour environment requires that the olfactory system engages processing mechanisms ensuring efficient detection and discrimination of stimuli ending in specific motor actions and in adaptation. In newborn rabbits detecting and responding to the mammary pheromone (MP) emitted by the mother is crucial for survival, since the MP is a strong releaser of typical head-searching/oral grasping behaviour allowing to locate and orally grasp the maternal nipples during the daily nursing. Strikingly, the MP also functions as a natural reinforcer, i.e. as an unconditioned stimulus able to promote appetitive conditioning to a new odorant (CS) in a single and v…