Body Odor Similarity in Noncohabiting Twins

Abstract

There is currently considerable interest in biometric approaches using human odor as a marker of disease or genetic individuality. Body odor is also thought to be used during mate choice to select genetically compatible mates. The idea that body odor reveals information about both genetic identity and genetic similarity is most readily tested by examining odor in twin pairs. However, although this idea can be traced back 130 years to Francis Galton in 1875, most studies using dogs fail to control for shared environmental effects associated with cohabitation. Here we show that odors of identical twins (but not dizygotic twins) can be matched by human sniffers at rates better than chance, even when the twins are living apart. In addition, matching frequencies for identical twin odors were not significantly different from those for duplicate odors from the same individual. These results indicate an important genetic influence on body odor and the potential for developing technologies for human odor printing in relation to underlying genotype.

Individual Variation in 3-Methylbutanal: A Putative Link between Human Leukocyte Antigen and Skin Microflora

“…To standardize environmental effects on odor profiles, the volunteers followed an established hygiene regime (Roberts et al, 2005). After 50 min of axillary sampling at room temperature, the fiber was introduced into the GC for sample desorption.…”

Mutual Olfactory Recognition Between Mother and Child

“…Roberts et al, 2008), mothers and children were asked to wear the t-shirts for 2 consecutive nights and bring them back to the nursery on the morning of the third day. As is typical in human odour studies, we asked participants to refrain from eating strong foods (e.g., chilli and other spices, curry, garlic, pepperoni, onion, asparagus, vinegar, cabbage, blue cheese; see Roberts et al, 2005Roberts et al, , 2008. On the evening that odour collection started, before putting the t-shirts on, all mothers and children were required to shower with a non-perfumed soap (Simple TM ) that was provided by the researchers, and were instructed not to use any scented products such as deodorants, colognes, antiperspirants, shower gels, perfumed soaps, or perfumes.…”

Scent Identification in Criminal Investigations and Prosecutions: New Protocol Designs Improve Forensic Reliability

“…The authors observed that their study supported the use of bloodhound evidence in courts because it lent "credibility to the bloodhound's ability to trail and discriminate between various people using genetically derived 150 Harvey and Harvey (2003) (two youngest dogs in the experiment were 10 and 11 months old but within three months they improved to the level of making their finds 100% of the time). See also, Roberts et al (2005) 153 Again, this research was not done in the scent lineup setting, and though indicating that the dogs could distinguish scents individuals left on a trail, the trail itself is a reinforcing factor that is not present in a scent lineup.…”