Though we can’t really know what extinct human species perceived or preferred to eat, a new study from MGM's Hiroaki Matsunami and MGM alum Claire de March has figured out a bit more about what Neanderthals and Denisovans might have been able to smell.
Using a technique they developed that allows researchers to test smell sensitivity on odor receptors grown in a lab dish, Matsunami and de March were able to compare the scents-abilities of three kinds of humans. Their work appeared Dec. 28 in the open access journal iScience.
To read the Duke Today article on the research, click here.