According to a study, Elephants have the finest and probably the sharpest sense of smell ever recorded in a particular species. They can recognize all kinds of odors in their environment. This is owing to their nearly 2,000 distinct genes dedicated to the sense of smell.
In fact, it has been estimated that dogs can smell anywhere from 1,000 to 10,000 times better than people.
Skunks are the most famous stink-sprayers, but they're not alone. Some millipedes — creepy crawlers with hundreds of little legs — shoot a nasty liquid out of their bodies when disturbed. Bombardier beetles do too, and their stinky spew can reach boiling temperatures. As if the smell wasn't bad enough!
Animals have far more odor-sensing genes than any other mammal, even dogs. Dogs, most of us think, have the best noses on the planet. But a new study reveals that this honor actually goes to elephants. The power of a mammal's sniffer hinges on the number and type of its olfactory receptor genes.
Beaver = Vanilla
From a scent gland called castor sacs located under its tail, beavers make a molasses-like goo called castoreum that they use to mark their territory. But this goo also smells a lot like vanilla. So much so that it has historically been collected for food flavoring and perfume scents.
Musk deer are among the most endangered species in the region. Scent glands from these deer can fetch thousands of rupees and are used for manufacturing perfume and traditional medicine.
And according to the results, vanilla is the most pleasing smell around, followed by ethyl butyrate, which smells like peaches.
Eagles. All birds of prey have excellent long-distance vision, but eagles stand out. They can see clearly about eight times as far as humans can, allowing them to spot and focus in on a rabbit or other animal at a distance of about two miles.
Both of these lead to the conclusion of a superior olfactory system. In comparison, canines have 872 functional genes and a large olfactory tract. It is known that canine olfactory sensory organs are superior to humans, but now there is research suggesting swine have a superior olfactory system to canines (cite).
Researchers have ferreted out why the binturong, a threatened Southeast Asian mammal also known as the bearcat, smells like popcorn. The culprit is 2-acetyl-1-pyrroline, or 2-AP, the same molecule that gives cooked popcorn its aroma. Researchers led by Christine M. Drea of Duke University and Thomas E.
African elephants use their trunks to smell their surroundings. They have five times more olfactory receptors than humans, and the most of any animal characterized to date. Photo courtesy of Eric Green.
Key takeaway. Dogs sniff people's crotches because of the sweat glands, also known as apocrine glands, that are located there. Sniffing these glands gives a dog information about a person such as their age, sex, mood, and mating probability.
The concentration of an odor in water is measured in parts per million (one odor molecule for every million molecules of H2O). Sharks can smell blood from hundreds of meters away—in concentrations as low as one part per million (ppm).
Dogs will shove their noses into a human's crotch, owner or guest, with no hesitation. While the invasive sniffing can be embarrassing, especially if your dog does it to a visitor, it's their way of saying hello and learning about someone. A dog's nose is a powerful tool.
An expert in Indigenous eye health has said some Aboriginal people in outback Australia have vision that can be more than four times better than non-Indigenous people. They can see things that are four times smaller than what is assumed most people can see, making their vision the best in the world.
Green is considered by some to be the actual rarest eye color in the world, though others would say it's been dethroned by red, violet, and grey eyes. Green eyes don't possess a lot of melanin, which creates a Rayleigh scattering effect: Light gets reflected and scattered by the eyes instead of absorbed by pigment.
If you encounter an aggressive lion, stare him down. But not a leopard; avoid his gaze at all costs. In both cases, back away slowly; don't run.
Gasoline, coffee, glue or wet earth, these addictive smells obsess us. They have the power to send us back to distant memories. If these so particular perfumes matter to us, it is because they possess an emotional power rather extraordinary. The explanation lies in the mechanisms of the sense of smell.
Read more about the chemistry of mercaptan, the world's smelliest substance, on the American Council of Science and Health website.
As mentioned above, the smell of lavender mixed with pumpkin pie was shown to increase arousal in men by 40 percent. However, lavender can stand on its own — the flower's scent has been proven to relax and arouse at the same time, which is a wonderful way to set the mood.
Citrus scents are often cited as some of the most pleasant smells and have been shown to boost energy and reduce stress. This is excellent news for perfume lovers, as citrus scents are frequently used in the top notes of your favourite fragrances.
There are notes and accords particularly indicated to seduce. We think in particular of oriental fragrances that tend to envelop the nose… To invite them to escape and lasciviousness. Vanilla and amber scents, spicy shades or balsamic notes are all ingredients that invite seduction.