He ain’t stinky, he’s my brother
This is just weird. Interesting, but weird…
People can identify the odor of close family members, but they don’t like it, according a researcher who suggests that this helps to prevent incest.
A team led by Tiffany Czilli at Detroit’s Wayne State University carried out an unusual experiment involving 25 families that had at least two children between six and 15, New Scientist reports.
The volunteers slept in the same T-shirt for three consecutive nights so that it was impregnated with their individual smell signature, and they washed using only scent-free soap.
They were then asked to sniff two T-shirts, one worn by a family member and one worn by an outsider.
Both mothers and fathers were able to detect T-shirts that had been worn by their preadolescent offspring, although they could not distinguish between their children.
All the children recognized their father’s smell, but only breast-fed sons and older children, aged nine to 15, recognized their mother’s smell.
Asked which smells they liked, the volunteers said they far preferred the smells of outsiders to those of their own family. Mothers, in particular, said they disliked their children’s smells, while children had “a strong aversion” to dad’s scent.
link sent in my general direction by cybertoad
that is absolutely bizarre, but i believe it…i could distinguish my dad’s smell in a heartbeat if i had to (and not ‘cuz he’s stinky either)…weird about breast-fed sons too…
you’re right, it’s interesting, but WEIRD! LOL
Comment by Lilly | 9/6/2002