Benoist Schaal
General information
Research Director
DOCC– Development of Olfactory Communication and Cognition
benoist.schaal@u-bourgogne.fr
Job
Senior Researcher (emeritus), CNRS
• Habilitation, Université Claude Bernard, Lyon
• PhD neuroscience, Université de Franche-Comté, Besançon
• M.A. Social and cultural anthropology, Université de Strasbourg
• M.S. Neurobiology and biology of behavior, Université de Strasbourg
• PhD neuroscience, Université de Franche-Comté, Besançon
• M.A. Social and cultural anthropology, Université de Strasbourg
• M.S. Neurobiology and biology of behavior, Université de Strasbourg
Activities
Research theme
My research interests include: the early development of behavior and cognition through comparative approaches combining ethology, experimental psychology and neuroscience; fetal, neonatal and infantile emergence of perception, action and consciousness; maternal/parental effects which determine predispositions and initial learning, and their interaction in the expression of preferences and emotions; the functions of olfaction in multisensory cognition (of conspecifics, food, and the environment) and communication in various mammals; sensory continuities facilitating adaptative responsiveness to typical and atypical discontinuities of development (birth, weaning, exposure to novelty, separations, etc.); evolutionary and cross-cultural psychology of infant↔parent relationships; behavioural endocrinology of dominance and aggressiveness; the cognitive anthropology of nature (ethnobotany, ethnozoology) and the phenomena of sensory acculturation.
Scientific approach
behavior, psychophysiology, electrophysiology
Supervision
Aknowledgements
• 2001-2009, Director, Center for Taste, Smell and Eating Behavior, Dijon, France.
• 2008-2011, Co-director, Dijon-Dresden European Laboratory for Taste and Smell (DDELTAS).
• 2008-2011, Co-director, Dijon-Dresden European Laboratory for Taste and Smell (DDELTAS).
Key words
Development, chemoreception, olfaction, cognition, emotion, chemical communication (pheromones), adaptation, preferences (social, dietary, environmental), fetus-newborn, child.
Important publications
• Schaal B. (1988). Olfaction in infants and children: developmental and functional perspectives. Chemical Senses, 13, 145-190.
• Schaal B, Marlier L, Soussignan R. (2000). Human foetuses learn odours from their pregnant mother's diet. Chemical Senses, 25, 729-737.
• Schaal B, Coureaud G, Langlois D, Ginies C, Sémon E, Perrier G. (2003). Chemical and behavioural characterization of the mammary pheromone of the rabbit. Nature, 424, 68-72.
• Coureaud G, Montigny D, Moncomble AS, Patris B, Schaal B. (2006). A pheromone that promotes instantaneous learning in the newborn brain. Current Biology, 19, 1956-1961.
• Delaunay M, Soussignan R, Patris B, Marlier L, Schaal B (2010). Long lasting memory for an odor acquired at mother’s breast. Developmental Science, 13, 849-863.
• Seigneuric A, Durand K, Jiang T, Baudouin JY, Schaal B. (2011). The nose tells it to the eyes: crossmodal associations between olfaction and vision. Perception, 39, 1541-1554.
• Schaal B., Al Aïn S. (2014). Chemical signals ‘selected for’ newborns in mammals. Animal Behaviour, 97, 289-299.
• Schaal B, Saxton TK, Loos H, Soussignan R, Durand K. (2020). Olfaction scaffolds the developing human from neonate to adolescent and beyond. Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society B: 375: 20190261.
• Ustun B., Reissland, N., Covey, J., Schaal B., Blissett J. (2022). Flavour sensing in utero and emerging discriminative behaviours in the human fetus. Psychological Science, 33(10), 1651-1663.
• Klaey-Tassone M., Soussignan R, Durand D, Le Roy S, Damon F, Patris B, Sagot P, Villière A, Fillonneau C, Prost C, Schaal B (2024). Testing detectability, attractivity, hedonic specificity, extractability and robustness of an odor factor conveyed in human colostrum. Toward an olfactory bioassay for human neonates, Developmental Psychobiology, 66(3), e22474.
• Schaal B, Marlier L, Soussignan R. (2000). Human foetuses learn odours from their pregnant mother's diet. Chemical Senses, 25, 729-737.
• Schaal B, Coureaud G, Langlois D, Ginies C, Sémon E, Perrier G. (2003). Chemical and behavioural characterization of the mammary pheromone of the rabbit. Nature, 424, 68-72.
• Coureaud G, Montigny D, Moncomble AS, Patris B, Schaal B. (2006). A pheromone that promotes instantaneous learning in the newborn brain. Current Biology, 19, 1956-1961.
• Delaunay M, Soussignan R, Patris B, Marlier L, Schaal B (2010). Long lasting memory for an odor acquired at mother’s breast. Developmental Science, 13, 849-863.
• Seigneuric A, Durand K, Jiang T, Baudouin JY, Schaal B. (2011). The nose tells it to the eyes: crossmodal associations between olfaction and vision. Perception, 39, 1541-1554.
• Schaal B., Al Aïn S. (2014). Chemical signals ‘selected for’ newborns in mammals. Animal Behaviour, 97, 289-299.
• Schaal B, Saxton TK, Loos H, Soussignan R, Durand K. (2020). Olfaction scaffolds the developing human from neonate to adolescent and beyond. Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society B: 375: 20190261.
• Ustun B., Reissland, N., Covey, J., Schaal B., Blissett J. (2022). Flavour sensing in utero and emerging discriminative behaviours in the human fetus. Psychological Science, 33(10), 1651-1663.
• Klaey-Tassone M., Soussignan R, Durand D, Le Roy S, Damon F, Patris B, Sagot P, Villière A, Fillonneau C, Prost C, Schaal B (2024). Testing detectability, attractivity, hedonic specificity, extractability and robustness of an odor factor conveyed in human colostrum. Toward an olfactory bioassay for human neonates, Developmental Psychobiology, 66(3), e22474.