I think the answer is that dogs are not the intended pollinator, flies are. Insects and mammals are detecting different chemicals in the same scent, even if it is real rotting meat, and they have different odour receptors that have evolved independently. If the Dracunculus plants have had a mutation that produced a scent which was attractive to mammals in it's evolutionary history, it had not been effective in producing many pollination events and it has not reappeared commonly. Mutations that lead to reproductive success can be passed on to future generations. This means the production of insect attracting chemicals in this case. Andrew McDougall ________________________________ From: pbs <pbs-bounces@lists.ibiblio.org> on behalf of Judy Glattstein <jgglatt@gmail.com> Sent: Friday, 22 July 2016 7:00 AM To: pbs@lists.ibiblio.org Subject: [pbs] Dracunculus and Dogs Some time ago I mentioned something about the rotting meat smell of dracunculus when in bloom and how odd it was that dogs totally ignored it. Someone did offer an explanation but I cannot find it. Anyone? An explanation / theory / suggestion - scientific or otherwise? It's academic, in any case, as after years and years of dracunculus in my garden it failed to show up this year. Judy in New Jersey where summer has definitely arrive, hot and mostly humid _______________________________________________ pbs mailing list pbs@lists.ibiblio.org http://pacificbulbsociety.org/list.php Pacific Bulb Society | List<http://pacificbulbsociety.org/list.php> pacificbulbsociety.org The PBS List is an email discussion of bulbs, sponsored by the Pacific Bulb Society, for people around the world. Although bulbs (defined more broadly to include all ... http://pacificbulbsociety.org/pbswiki/