A change in the diet of early humans may have played a key role in the evolution of our modern sense of smell, a new study has suggested. A team of geneticists have discovered a genetic mutation which leaves some people unable to detect a pungent odour produced by pigs occurred after humans left Africa tens of thousands of years ago. The researchers say a chance mutation in early human populations in Asia may have left some people unable to smell androstenone and allowed our ancestors to domesticate pigs as a rich source of meat. Their work is also helping scientists to reconstruct how ancient human species like Neanderthals and the Denisovans – an extinct human ancestor that lived in Siberia – would have perceived the world through their noses.Scientists analysed genomes of 45 populations for smell receptor OR7D4This receptor detects the foul smell of androstenone, a pig sex hormonePeople in the northern hemisphere had a form that is unable to detect itResearchers believe this may have allowed humans to domesticate pigs
They found forms of an odour receptor called _ which can detect a specific smell called androstenone tend to be found in populations living in Africa.