Adam's Nose, And The Making Of Humankind

by Michael Stoddart

Overview

This book is about the evolution of the sense of smell, from its bacterial origin 3.4 billion years ago, to today's modern, sophisticated humans with an insatiable appetite for perfumes and fragrances. It explains how smell works and how animals sense the environment. The relationship between sex and smell drives much of animal behaviour, and the significance of the human loss of the vomeronasal organ — a part of the sense of smell in animals that responds to sex smells — is identified as a seminal event in the making of humankind.Humans are far more than animals, however, and Adam's Nose explores incense and perfumes, as well as the odour imagery in art, literature and poetry. It is written for readers interested in what makes us human, and does not presuppose a high level of scientific understanding. The text is comprehensive and provides key references to the relevant scientific literature. The book will appeal to scientists and students in a range of biological disciplines, including human evolution, anthropology, olfactory communication, animal behaviour, perfumery and aromatherapy.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781783265176
Publisher:	Imperial College Press
Publication date:	04/27/2015
Pages:	284
Product dimensions:	6.10(w) x 9.10(h) x 0.70(d)

Table of Contents

About the Author v

Introduction ix

Chapter 1 The Enigma of Smell 1

Chapter 2 An Evolutionary Perspective 11

Chapter 3 How Smell Works 23

Chapter 4 To Catching a Whiff 41

Chapter 5 Making Sense of a Sense 75

Chapter 6 Sex, Smell and 'ADAM' 91

Chapter 7 The Scent of Humankind 119

Chapter 8 Armpit Evolution 143

Chapter 9 Incense and Perfume 163

Chapter 10 Smell and High Culture 193

Chapter 11 Art and Literature 203

Chapter 12 Adam's Nose and the Making of Humankind 221

Index 239