African elephants have the largest number of genes dedicated to sense of smell of any mammal, according to Japanese scientists.African elephants possess a sense of smell that is likely the strongest ever identified in a single species, according to a study by scientists from the University of Tokyo. Elephants have nearly 2,000 special genes that detect odours in the environment.The rat had the second largest number of smell genes after the elephant. an elephant's sense of smell The study, published in the journal Genome Research, examined the olfactory receptor (OR) range in 13 mammalian species. “The large repertoire of elephant (smell) genes might be attributed to elephants’ heavy reliance on scent in various contexts, including foraging, social communication, and reproduction,” added Dr Niimura African and Asian elephants possess a specific scent gland, called the temporal gland, behind each eye, and male elephants exude an oily secretion during annual mating, which is characterized by increased aggressiveness and elevated levels of testosterone .
Some experts believe that humans have a far greater sense of smell than previously thought but daily showers and fridges, which mask bad odours, have stopped us noticing.
In a recent study published in Genome Research, scientists examining the number of genes associated with an animal's sense of smell found that an elephant's trunk was able to beat even the best known of nature's keenest noses including those of humans, horses, rats and even dogs. If you have ever wondered how an elephant smells, scientists have the answer. Our canine friends only have 811 smell genes, according to the research published in Genome Research.Horses have around 1,000 smell genes. However our upright posture lifted our noses far from the ground where most smells originate, diluting scent molecules in the air. Horses have around 1,000 smell genes, rabbits around 750 and rats about 1,200. Many studies have shown that pheromones emitted from the sweat glands play an important role in physical attraction. It has 1,948 olfactory receptors. Scientists believe our sense of smell is much closer to that of animals than appreciated, but we no longer pay attention because smells are often hidden, meaning that important information is lost. A sense of smell is important to all mammals because it allows them to find food and mates. "Apparently, an elephant's nose is not only long but also superior. Of all animals, the elephant has the best sense of smell. Research has also shown that elephants have well-developed olfactory systems that include large olfactory bulbs and large olfactory areas in the brain. "The functions of these genes are not well known, but they are likely important for the living environment of African elephants," said author Dr Yoshihito Niimura of the University of Tokyo. They've only got a slightly smaller number of smell genes than us humans.Many of you might have these next two animals as pets and you might notice their noses twitching a lot.
• Which animal has the best sense of hearing? Humans in comparison have just under 400 and other primates like chimpanzees, even less. Given the size of their trunks, and how important it is to their survival, it is probably unsurprising that an elephant’s nose is not only the longest in the animal kingdom, but also the most effective. Previously it was estimated that we could smell 10,000 odours but now researchers say it is more like one trillion. Researchers think that primates had much lower numbers of genes compared to other species because over time they've come to rely more on their sense of sight rather than smell.Elephants' sniffers are five times more powerful than people's. Yet smells are still having a greater impact than we realise, warning of danger, triggering memories and even helping us choose a partner. The Japanese scientists examined 13 mammal species in their study.Cows are is third on the list with 1,186 smell genes. Researchers have discovered that African Elephants have the largest number of genes dedicated to smell of any mammal. The guinea pig and rabbit come 7th and 8th on the best-smellers list. And today many smells which still give us hints about rot and poor hygiene are masked behind perfumes, air fresheners and deodorants. It can also be used to avoid predators. In comparison, humans and other primates have a poor sense of smell. The sense of smell evolved over millions of years and our human ancestors would have used it as a tool to spot disease, avoid rotten meat and poisonous plants and sniff out food. These animals can easily detect low concentrations of odor molecules. African Bush Elephant (Sense of Smell) The African bush elephant has the best nose in the whole animal kingdom. It is widely known dogs have a strong sense of smell, but their number of genes is significantly smaller than mice. He further states dogs are best at smelling specific odors such as the scent of humans.
The sense of smell is critical to all mammals, and they use it for sniffing out food, avoiding predators, finding mates and locating their offspring. "Apparently, an elephant's nose is not only long but also superior. Thanks to 2000 powerful sensors in its trunk/sniffer compared to meager around 1000 sensors found in dogs while humans only 400 scent receptors. Or to put it more precisely: Which animal can hear the highest frequencies?