Today, researchers from the University of California have made a groundbreaking discovery: the gene responsible for our sense of smell may have been inherited from Neanderthals. The team studied genetic data from more than 2,500 people and found that a gene called OR7D4 is highly prevalent in modern humans, and is likely to have been passed down from our ancient cousins. This gene is responsible for detecting certain odors, and is especially sensitive to scents found in nature, such as plants and flowers. This could explain why humans have such a keen sense of smell, and why some of us are better at distinguishing subtle scents than others. It’s an exciting finding that could lead to further discoveries in the science of smell.

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source: Phys.org