Amniotic Sac as Space Suit

The most fundamental innovation is the evolution of another fluid-filled sac, the amnion. in which the embryo floats. Amniotic fluid has roughly the same composition as seawater, so that in a very real sense, the amnion is the continuation of the original fish or amphibian eggs together with its microenvironment, just as a space suit contains an astronaut and a fluid that mimics the earth's atmosphere. All of the rest of the amniote egg is add-on technology that is also required for life in a...

 The Importance of Smell and Taste in Infant Development

Olfactory recognition may also be the first step toward human bonding and attachment. As we've seen, newborns quickly learn and prefer the scent of their own mother or other caretaker. Nursing babies clearly have the richest olfactory experience, being bathed several times a day in the odors of their mother's milk and areolar secretions. Nonetheless, bottle-fed babies also can learn their parents' scents rather rapidly, depending on the amount and closeness of their contact. After the breast,...