Human Olfaction: It Takes Two Villages

Jonas K Olofsson; Donald A Wilson

doi:10.1016/j.cub.2017.12.016

Human Olfaction: It Takes Two Villages

Curr Biol. 2018 Feb 5;28(3):R108-R110. doi: 10.1016/j.cub.2017.12.016.

Authors

Jonas K Olofsson¹, Donald A Wilson²

Affiliations

¹ Department of Psychology, Stockholm University, Frescati Hagväg 9A, SE-11419 Stockholm, Sweden; Child & Adolescent Psychiatry, New York University School of Medicine, 1 Park Avenue, New York, NY 10016, USA. Electronic address: Jonas.olofsson@psychology.su.se.
² Child & Adolescent Psychiatry, New York University School of Medicine, 1 Park Avenue, New York, NY 10016, USA; Emotional Brain Institute, Nathan Kline Institute for Psychiatric Research, 140 Old Orangeburg Road, Orangeburg, NY 10962, USA. Electronic address: Donald.Wilson@nyumc.org.

PMID: 29408254
DOI: 10.1016/j.cub.2017.12.016

Abstract

Human olfaction is sensitive but poorly encoded by language. A new study comparing horticulturalists and hunter-gatherers suggests that the strength of odor language is dependent on life-style. This work may stimulate olfactory research at the crossroads between biology and culture.

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MeSH terms

Environment
Humans
Language
Life Style
Odorants*
Smell*