Body odour: Telling smells 14/9/05. By Chrissie Giles Human body odour is distinctive, albeit not always pleasant. It appears to be influenced by our genes and may even affect our chances of mating.

Working with the Twin Research and Genetic Epidemiology Unit at St Thomas' Hospital in London, Craig Roberts has been exploring the genetic basis of human body odour. A possible hereditary element to body odour was suggested by Francis Galton as long ago as the 1870s.

Roberts and colleagues found that human sniffers could match identical twins (but not non-identical twins) by smell better than expected by chance, even if the twins lived apart.

These results suggest a link between genetic inheritance and body odour. Might this have any reproductive or evolutionary significance? Other research from Roberts and colleagues in the Czech Republic suggest that it could.

They found that women's body odour preferences changed during their menstrual cycle – when in the fertile phase they tend to prefer men who score highly on a psychological test of dominance. The authors suggest this could reflect an evolved preference for males with high-quality genes. Together, the two studies emphasise the potential importance of odour in shaping human social and reproductive behaviour.

Further reading

Roberts SC et al. Body odor similarity in noncohabiting twins. Chem Senses 2005;30(8):651–6. Abstract

Havlicek J et al. Women's preference for dominant male odour: effects of menstrual cycle and relationship status. Biology Letters 2005;1(3):256-9.