Hunter-gatherer olfaction is special
(2018) In Current Biology 28(3). p.2-413- Abstract
- People struggle to name odors [1–4]. This has been attributed to a diminution of olfaction in trade-off to vision [5–10]. This presumption has been challenged recently by data from the hunter-gatherer Jahai who, unlike English speakers, find odors as easy to name as colors [4]. Is the superior olfactory performance among the Jahai because of their ecology (tropical rainforest), their language family (Aslian), or because of their subsistence (they are hunter-gatherers)? We provide novel evidence from the hunter-gatherer Semaq Beri and the non-hunter-gatherer (swidden-horticulturalist) Semelai that subsistence is the critical factor. Semaq Beri and Semelai speakers—who speak closely related languages and live in the tropical rainforest of... (More)
- People struggle to name odors [1–4]. This has been attributed to a diminution of olfaction in trade-off to vision [5–10]. This presumption has been challenged recently by data from the hunter-gatherer Jahai who, unlike English speakers, find odors as easy to name as colors [4]. Is the superior olfactory performance among the Jahai because of their ecology (tropical rainforest), their language family (Aslian), or because of their subsistence (they are hunter-gatherers)? We provide novel evidence from the hunter-gatherer Semaq Beri and the non-hunter-gatherer (swidden-horticulturalist) Semelai that subsistence is the critical factor. Semaq Beri and Semelai speakers—who speak closely related languages and live in the tropical rainforest of the Malay Peninsula—took part in a controlled odor- and color-naming experiment. The swidden-horticulturalist Semelai found odors much more difficult to name than colors, replicating the typical Western finding. But for the hunter-gatherer Semaq Beri odor naming was as easy as color naming, suggesting that hunter-gatherer olfactory cognition is special. (Less)
Please use this url to cite or link to this publication:
https://lup.lub.lu.se/record/b8caf6b6-5ecf-48c1-bb70-bb5258360ccb
- author
- Majid, Asifa and Kruspe, Nicole LU
- organization
- publishing date
- 2018-02
- type
- Contribution to journal
- publication status
- published
- subject
- in
- Current Biology
- volume
- 28
- issue
- 3
- pages
- 2 - 413
- publisher
- Elsevier
- external identifiers
-
- scopus:85040558756
- pmid:29358070
- ISSN
- 1879-0445
- DOI
- 10.1016/j.cub.2017.12.014
- language
- English
- LU publication?
- yes
- id
- b8caf6b6-5ecf-48c1-bb70-bb5258360ccb
- date added to LUP
- 2018-01-18 15:46:06
- date last changed
- 2023-12-02 01:19:29
@article{b8caf6b6-5ecf-48c1-bb70-bb5258360ccb,
abstract = {{People struggle to name odors [1–4]. This has been attributed to a diminution of olfaction in trade-off to vision [5–10]. This presumption has been challenged recently by data from the hunter-gatherer Jahai who, unlike English speakers, find odors as easy to name as colors [4]. Is the superior olfactory performance among the Jahai because of their ecology (tropical rainforest), their language family (Aslian), or because of their subsistence (they are hunter-gatherers)? We provide novel evidence from the hunter-gatherer Semaq Beri and the non-hunter-gatherer (swidden-horticulturalist) Semelai that subsistence is the critical factor. Semaq Beri and Semelai speakers—who speak closely related languages and live in the tropical rainforest of the Malay Peninsula—took part in a controlled odor- and color-naming experiment. The swidden-horticulturalist Semelai found odors much more difficult to name than colors, replicating the typical Western finding. But for the hunter-gatherer Semaq Beri odor naming was as easy as color naming, suggesting that hunter-gatherer olfactory cognition is special.}},
author = {{Majid, Asifa and Kruspe, Nicole}},
issn = {{1879-0445}},
language = {{eng}},
number = {{3}},
pages = {{2--413}},
publisher = {{Elsevier}},
series = {{Current Biology}},
title = {{Hunter-gatherer olfaction is special}},
url = {{http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.cub.2017.12.014}},
doi = {{10.1016/j.cub.2017.12.014}},
volume = {{28}},
year = {{2018}},
}