A study some 20 years ago made waves by suggesting that men and women chose mates because they could literally smell the genes of the opposite sex. They were then able to mate, and make a more potent cocktail for any resulting children, with better genes added in.: MHC-dependent mate preferences in humans.

The Royal Society came up with the same conclusions: 

Remarkably, exposure to MHC peptide ligands activated specific brain regions, indicating that humans, despite lacking a functional vomeronasal organ [45], possess the sensory facility to recognize the presence of MHC-associated olfactory cues.

This "vomeronasal organ", part of the nasal chamber, is very interesting.  Even birds use it, a recent study says! It's found only in some mammals, including dogs, and is present in humans very early on, but disappears as the fetus develops. We are making decisions without the physical organs to do so! 

Of course, dogs put us to shame with their amazing sense of smell. PBS says it's 10,000 to 100,000 times as acute as ours. Still, we trek on.

Actually, a recent study in Science says we perform pretty darn well in being able to sniff out odors. In fact, we're about in the middle of the pack in being able to smell!

Like other mammals, humans can distinguish among an incredible number of odors and can even follow outdoor scent trails.

A more recent study, in 2012, says we use both the sniff technique and facial symmetry to make good mate choices. (Symmetry refers to the extent to which one-half of an object (image, organism, etc.) is the same as the other half. Symmetry is considered a quality of beauty across all  cultures.)

A person chooses advantageous genes, whether it be consciously or not, through odor and facial symmetry.

Of course, we kind of knew this. Most of us use the smell sense every single day to make choices. And who hasn't used this to make decisions in romantic relationships, even though some of us don't admit it?

So use the sniff test.

As for me, I admit it - I like the smell of dogs, men, and also, honestly, the smell of money.

Have you made romantic decisions based on smell? Let us know in the comments!

All Rights Reserved. Content including cartoon © Donna Barstow Cartoons 2019.  I upload new cartoons on Facebook, so please follow! Please contact me for usage rights and fees for cartoons in any of your projects or books.

And check out my books: Love Me or Go to Hell: True Love Cartoons, (this cartoon is in that collection!) and What do Women Really Want? Chocolate!

Another cartoon was also about relationships. Are parties a good way to find the one?

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Or maybe weed out the bad boys?

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Ink Blots Cartoons

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It's not rude to smell someone you are interested in...it's imperative! And even when you don't know you are smelling them, you really are!

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