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Is the bitter rejection response always adaptive?

J I Glendinning1

  • 1ARL Division of Neurobiology, University of Arizona, Tucson 85721.

Physiology & Behavior
|December 1, 1994
PubMed
Summary

Mammals

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Area of Science:

  • Mammalian physiology and evolutionary biology.

Background:

  • The bitter rejection response is a defense mechanism against ingesting poisonous foods.
  • This response is assumed to be linked to toxicity, but this link is not always direct.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To examine the relationship between bitterness and toxicity in mammals.
  • To assess the ecological costs and benefits of the bitter rejection response across different mammalian diets.

Main Methods:

  • Analysis of previously published studies on bitterness and toxicity.
  • Comparison of bitter taste thresholds and toxicity levels across 30 mammal species.
  • Examination of tannin-binding salivary proteins in herbivores.

Main Results:

  • Bitter taste thresholds do not consistently correlate with toxicity thresholds.
  • Mammalian bitter taste sensitivity varies with diet: carnivores have lower thresholds than omnivores, grazers, and browsers.
  • Browsing herbivores show adaptations for managing bitter compounds, unlike carnivores.

Conclusions:

  • The adaptiveness of the bitter rejection response depends on the prevalence of bitter, toxic compounds in an animal's diet.
  • Dietary niche influences the evolution of bitter taste sensitivity and poison tolerance.
  • Mammalian bitter taste perception is a complex trait shaped by evolutionary pressures related to diet and survival.

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