Odortypes: Nature or Nurture?

Numerous studies have shown that, from mice to men, the bodies of mammals have genetically-determined signature odors, known as odortypes. But we also know that the type of food consumed by an individual can influence body odor. The question is, to what degree can diet alter this olfactory fingerprint? Could a fleeing fugitive throw the hounds off his scent by, say, pausing for a large lunch of garlic and onions?

Not a chance, according to researchers at the Monell Chemical Senses Center in Philadelphia. Using both chemical analysis and specially trained “sensor” mice, the team studied pairs of test mice that differed broadly in genetics, diet, or both. The results indicated that, regardless of what the mice ate, the genetically determined odortypes persisted. Although dietary changes did strongly influence the odor profiles of the individual mice, both urinalysis and the sensor mice could still detect the underlying odortypes. “The findings using this animal model support the proposition that body odors provide a consistent ‘odorprint’ analogous to a fingerprint or DNA sample,” says Monell behavioral biologist Gary Beauchamp, author of the study.