According to the National Institutes of Health, olfaction is possibly the oldest sense.
Evidence exists of a rudimentary sense of smell in prokaryotes, single-celled organisms that lived in the Archaean seas 2-3 billion years ago. The scent of nutrients aided the cells’ survival.
kAm|@C6 E92? 2 3:==:@? J62CD 28@[ D:>A=6 46== 2BF2E:4 @C82?:D>D =:?<65 D>6== 2?5 E2DE6[ 2?5 E@52J H6 <?@H E9:D =:?<286 6BF2E6D E@ 7=2G@C] %92E :D 2 D:>A=6 6BF2E:@? H6 42? 2== 46=63C2E6 2E 6249 >62=] (9:=6 @? E96 E9@F89E @7 >62=D 2?5 H2E6C 4C62EFC6D[ D2=>@? FD6 E96:C D6?D6 @7 D>6== E@ ?2G:82E6 324< E@ E96:C 3:CE9A=246 7@C DA2H?:?8]k^Am
kAmpC@F?5 EH@ 9F?5C65 >:==:@? J62CD 28@ E6CC6DEC:2= G6CE63C2E6D 4@F=5 56E64E >:==:@?D @7 @5@C2?ED] x>A@CE2?E=J 7@C 9F>2?D[ @?=J @=724E:@? 6DE23=:D96D 2 5:C64E 4@??64E:@? 36EH66? E96 3C2:? 2?5 :ED 6?G:C@?>6?E] sFC:?8 @FC 42G6 5H6==6C 6C2[ E9:D D6?D6 H2D 6DD6?E:2= E@ DFCG:G:?8 3J A=2J:?8 2 <6J C@=6 :? 32D:4 AC@46DD6D =:<6 ?@FC:D9>6?E 2?5 2G@:5:?8 E9C62ED]k^Am
kAm(9:=6 ?FEC:E:@?[ E2DE6 2?5 2G@:5:?8 52?86C 2C6 2== G6CJ :>A@CE2?E E@ FD[ D46?E 92D 9:DE@C:42==J D6CG65 >2?J @E96C AFCA@D6D]k^Am
kAm%96 !6C7F>6 $@4:6EJ AC@G:56D 2 7C2>6H@C< @7 D@>6 @7 E96 2?4:6?E D46?E 9:DE@CJ 2D 7@==@HD]k^Am
kAmpC@F?5 c[d__ qr :? r9:?2[ E96 FD6 @7 2C@>2E:4 AC@5F4ED 92D 366? 5@4F>6?E65] p3@FE b[___ qr[ 9:6C@8=JA9:4D :? t8JAE:2? E@>3D 4=62C=J :?5:42E6 E96 AC@5F4E:@? @7 A6C7F>6 7@C E96 6?E@>365 AC:6DED 2?5 A92C2@9D] k2 9C67lQ9EEAi^^r2>3C:586]@C8Qmr2>3C:586]@C8k^2m A@:?ED @FE E92E >2?J 4F=EFC6D 92G6 3FC?65 :?46?D6 :? C6=:8:@FD 46C6>@?:6D] x? E96 r2E9@=:4 49FC49[ :?46?D6 :D 3FC?65 5FC:?8 |2DD E@ DJ>3@=:K6 AC2J6CD C:D:?8 E@ 962G6?[ H9:=6 3@E9 w:?5F:D> 2?5 qF559:D> 3FC? :?46?D6 E@ AFC:7J E96 2:C E@ 4C62E6 2 D24C65 2E>@DA96C6]k^Am
kAm(:<:A65:2 AC@G:56D :?7@C>2E:@? C6=2E65 E@ z@5@ H9:49 :D 2 `[___\J62C\@=5 y2A2?6D6 AC24E:46 E92E 92D D92C65 D6G6C2= D:>:=2C:E:6D E@ qF559:D> A2CE:4F=2C=J :? E96:C 6>A92D:D @? >:?57F=?6DD[ D6?D@CJ 2H2C6?6DD 2?5 DA:C:EF2= C67:?6>6?E] %9:D EC25:E:@?2= 46C6>@?J :D 7@4FD65 @? E96 2CE @7 2AAC64:2E:?8 :?46?D6]k^Am
kAmx? E96 |:55=6 62DE6C? 4F=EFC6D[ 7C2?<:?46?D6 2?5 >JCC9 92G6 366? FD65 7@C 46?EFC:6D :? C6=:8:@FD 46C6>@?:6D[ EC25:E:@?2= >65:4:?6 2?5 2D A6C7F>6D] (9@ 4@F=5 7@C86E E96 7C28C2?E 8:7ED 7C@> E96 E9C66 <:?8D E@ E96 ?6H3@C? r9C:DE 49:=5nk^Am
kAmt8JAE:2? AC:6DED @7 E96 b[___ qr 6C2 FE:=:K65 C6D:?D E@ DH66E6? E96 D>6== @7 D24C:7:4:2= @776C:?8D[ 2?5 :E H2D 36=:6G65 E92E 3FC?:?8 @7 :?46?D6 4@??64E65 A6@A=6 H:E9 E96 v@5D 2?5 A=62D65 E96 56:E:6D] {6E’D 36 9@?6DE[ H9J H@F=5 J@F ?@E H2?E E@ A=62D6 E96D6 2==\A@H6C7F= 56:E:6Dnk^Am
kAmq67@C6 =62G:?8 t8JAE[ =6E FD ?@E 7@C86E "F66? r=6@A2EC2 H9@ 72>@FD=J 925 7C28C2?E C@D6 A6E2=D DEC6H? @? E96 7=@@C @7 96C 3@F5@:C =625:?8 E@ 96C 365 E@ 6?E:46 |2C< p?E9@?J] x? 9@H >2?J >@G:6D 92G6 J@F D66? E9:D C@>2?E:4 86DEFC6n %96 ?6IE E:>6 x D66 E9:D D46?6[ x H:== E9:?< @7 r=6@[ 2?5 x 9@A6 J@F H:== 2D H6==]k^Am
kAm$92<6DA62C6 HC@E6 23@FE 2 =686?5 @7 r=6@A2EC2 H9@ 925 E96 D2:=D @7 96C 32C86 4@2E65 H:E9 7C28C2?E @:=D 367@C6 96C 56A2CEFC6 E@ 36 H:E9 |2C< p?E9@?J] %96 AFCA@D6 @7 E96 D46?E65 D2:=D H2D 7@C 96C =@G6C E@ 86E 2 H27E @7 96C 367@C6 96C 2CC:G2=] x7 :E C62==J 92AA6?65 :D F?<?@H?j x 9@A6 :E 5:5] %96 8C2?5:@D:EJ @7 7@C6E9@F89E 2=@?6 :D BF:E6 C@>2?E:4] x =:<6 E96 H2J E96 BF66? E9@F89E]k^Am
kAmu2DE 7@CH2C5 E@ `gE9 46?EFCJ tFC@A6[ H96? A6@A=6 5:5 ?@E 32E96 @7E6? 5F6 E@ H2E6C\3@C?6 5:D62D6D DF49 2D 49@=6C2 2?5 5JD6?E6CJ 2?5 E96 36=:67 E92E E96 A=28F6 H2D EC2?D>:EE65 G:2 4@?E2>:?2E65 H2E6C] $@>6 7@=<D 36=:6G65 E92E DH62E 4=62?D65 E96 3@5J >@DE =:<6=J 5F6 E@ E96 D42C4:EJ 2?5 6IA6?D6 @7 4=62? H2E6C]k^Am
kAm!2EC:4< $FD<:?5[ :? 9:D ?@G6= “!6C7F>6[” H9:49 D6E :? uC2?46 5FC:?8 E92E A6C:@5[ HC:E6D[ “%96 A62D2?E DE2?< 2D 5:5 E96 AC:6DE[ E96 2AAC6?E:46 2D 5:5 9:D >2DE6C’D H:76[ E96 H9@=6 @7 E96 2C:DE@4C24J DE2?<[ 6G6? E96 <:?8 9:>D6=7 DE2?<[ DE2?< =:<6 2 C2?< =:@?[ 2?5 E96 BF66? =:<6 2? @=5 8@2E]” k^Am
kAm(6==[ E92E DF>D :E FA[ 2?5 H6 86E E96 A:4EFC6[ @C D9@F=5 x D2J DE2?<n sFC:?8 E9:D A6C:@5 @7 DE2?<[ 2? :?5FDECJ 2?5 FD286D @7 G2C:@FD A=62D2?E D46?ED 56G6=@A65] v=@G6 =62E96C H2D EC62E65 3J A6C7F>6CD H:E9 G2C:@FD 72G@C23=6 D46?ED 2D H6C6 H:8D 2?5 92:C A@>256] |2?J J62CD 28@[ x G:D:E65 2 |65:6G2= 42DE=6 :? xC6=2?5 2?5 =62C?65 7C@> 2 E@FC 8F:56 E92E 32E9D H6C6 :?7C6BF6?E] sF6 E@ E9:D[ =25:6D H@F=5 A:4< 7C28C2?E 96C3D 2?5 7=@H6CD E@ 36 D6H? :? E96 96>D @7 E96:C 5C6DD6D E@ 4@G6C F?A=62D2?E 3@5J @5@CD] %96D6 uC6?49 2?5 xC:D9 6I2>A=6D @7 C6>65:6D E@ @776?D:G6 D46?ED[ 56>@?DEC2E6 E92E H6 2C6 ECF=J D@4:2= 36:?8D]k^Am
kAm%96 23:=:EJ E@ D>6== 3682? H:E9 D:?8=6 46== @C82?:D>D 7@C ?@FC:D9>6?E 2?5 DFCG:G2= AFCA@D6D] %96 D6?D6’D 56G6=@A>6?E :? 9F>2?D :D 566A=J :?E6CEH:?65 H:E9 @FC 4F=EFC2= 36=:67D 2?5 AC24E:46D[ 2D H6== 2D H:E9 >2?J >@C6 :>A@CE2?E 7246ED @7 @FC =:G6D]k^Am
kAm(:E9@FE D>6== H6 H@F=5 36 4@>AC@>:D65 :? >2?J H2JD] pD J@F 8@ E9C@F89 J@FC 52J[ x 9@A6 J@F ?@E:46 9@H @7E6? J@FC D6?D6 @7 D>6== :D FE:=:K65] %96? 36 E92?<7F=]k^Am
kAmk6>m!2EC:4:2 |4|FCCJ =:G6D :? t2E@? 2?5 :D E96 7@C>6C 6I64FE:G6 5:C64E@C @7 (9:E6 |@F?E2:? r@>>F?:EJ w62=E9 r6?E6C]k^6>mk^Am
(0) comments
Welcome to the discussion.
Log In
Keep it Clean. Please avoid obscene, vulgar, lewd, racist or sexually-oriented language.
PLEASE TURN OFF YOUR CAPS LOCK.
Don't Threaten. Threats of harming another person will not be tolerated.
Be Truthful. Don't knowingly lie about anyone or anything.
Be Nice. No racism, sexism or any sort of -ism that is degrading to another person.
Be Proactive. Use the 'Report' link on each comment to let us know of abusive posts.
Share with Us. We'd love to hear eyewitness accounts, the history behind an article.