Here ’s a weird affair : a study in 2012 ground that human being are capable to tell whether someone is young or sometime establish on smell alone .
In the study , investigator compile the organic structure odors of dissimilar age group by asking them to wear T - shirts in bed for five night with underarm pads to drench up their travail . These pads were then cut up and lay into jar , which were whiff by lucky volunteers aged between 20 and 30 years old , who were then asked to rate the sweetness of the scent and estimate the donor ’s age .
" This experiment propose that , kin to other fauna , humans are able to discriminate age based on consistence odor , alone , and that this effect is mediated mainly by body odour emit by individuals of previous age , " the team write in theirstudy , adding that " the mechanism behind this effect is not currently be intimate , even in non - human creature " .
The distinct " old person flavour " or " nursing home feeling " is likely cross - ethnical harmonize to the study . It is known askareishuin Japan .
" Elderly people have a observable underarm odor that young hoi polloi consider to be passably neutral and not very unpleasant , " receptive neuroscientist and senior author on the paper , Johan Lundström said in astatement . " This was surprising given the pop conception of old old age odor as disagreeable . However , it is possible that other source of torso olfactory sensation , such as peel or breather , may have unlike character . "
A separatestudyfound that odor - producing component 2 - Nonenal , " an unsaturated aldehyde with an unpleasant greasy and grassy smell , " as well as sure lipide on the skin , increase as people age , suggesting these have a function in that distinct smell .
As for the purpose of producing and being able to detect these smells , Lundström ’s team tentatively intimate it may be to do with finding suitable mates . The team take note that former male insects are preferable to younger insects , with higher reproductive success , likely as it shows they have adaptive qualities which allow them to survive to old age .
" Similar to other animals , " Lundström add , " man can distill signal from body olfactory perception that allow us to key out biologic age , avoid sick individuals , plunk a suitable spouse , and distinguish kin from non - kin . "
More survey is needed to figure out the precise cause of the olfactory sensation , and what advantage it might have for humans .
The chief composition discussed was issue in the journalPLOS One .
