Scent of a man
Androstenone, a testosterone derivative present in sweat and urine, can smell very differently (or not at all) to people depending on a single gene, according to Keller et al (2007). It is, of course, stronger in men's sweat and urine. Some smellers report a "sweet, floral" odor, while others report a more logical "sweaty, urinous" odor, and some can not detect the scent at all. Twin studies two decades ago (e.g. Wysocki & Beauchamp, 1984) implicated a genetic component to this ability, but Keller's study found a strong effect of a single gene. Dorries et al (1989) suggest that most, if not all, children are able to detect androstenone, but that this ability decreases with age, and is more likely to decrease in men. Brand and Millot's review (2001) confirms that many studies find that women are more sensitive to androstenone than men, but that men are more likely to find the smell pleasant.
Because some mammals use androstenone to communicate social signals, many consider the variation in human sensitivity "intriguing." Leslie Vosshall, one of the co-authors of Keller's study, asks "what happens to humans who can't get the signal because they have the nonfunctional copy of the gene? Or the hyperfunctional one? What could be the social and sexual implications of this on one's perception of the smell of fellow humans?" (RU News, 9/16/07)
As I have mentioned with no small amount of embarassment before, I'm a smoker. The fact that I can smell anything amazes and concerns me. In the past, when I have temporarily quit smoking, I've actually found the smells and tastes of the world to be fairly overpowering and largely unpleasant -- however, I recognize that my continued smoking makes me overpowering and unpleasant to a lot of people. *shrug*
I bring this up because, even with my senses dulled by smoking (and possibly by testosterone, but I'm not sure), I still get a very strong sense of "my people" or "not my people" when I meet someone. Traditionally, I've identified it as "they smell right" or "they smell wrong." Discussing this sense, I've encountered other people who say they smell people as "right" or "wrong" -- and they are all women. (Granted, my n is 3 or 4)
Because some mammals use androstenone to communicate social signals, many consider the variation in human sensitivity "intriguing." Leslie Vosshall, one of the co-authors of Keller's study, asks "what happens to humans who can't get the signal because they have the nonfunctional copy of the gene? Or the hyperfunctional one? What could be the social and sexual implications of this on one's perception of the smell of fellow humans?" (RU News, 9/16/07)
As I have mentioned with no small amount of embarassment before, I'm a smoker. The fact that I can smell anything amazes and concerns me. In the past, when I have temporarily quit smoking, I've actually found the smells and tastes of the world to be fairly overpowering and largely unpleasant -- however, I recognize that my continued smoking makes me overpowering and unpleasant to a lot of people. *shrug*
I bring this up because, even with my senses dulled by smoking (and possibly by testosterone, but I'm not sure), I still get a very strong sense of "my people" or "not my people" when I meet someone. Traditionally, I've identified it as "they smell right" or "they smell wrong." Discussing this sense, I've encountered other people who say they smell people as "right" or "wrong" -- and they are all women. (Granted, my n is 3 or 4)