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Human pheromones

Communication through body odour

Nature volume 392, pages 126–127 (1998)Cite this article

Human communication is dominated by auditory and visual information. In contrast, many animals use smell to communicate — both immediate and long-term effects of chemical signals have been documented within many species, from yeasts to mammals. This contrast raises two questions. Are humans well-equipped for broadcasting and receiving social chemical messages? And do we communicate through such messages? A study reported by Stern and McClintock1 on page 177 of this issue suggests that the answer to both of these questions is ‘yes’.

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Figure 1: Phases of the menstrual cycle for the women participating in Stern and MoClintock's study1.

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  1. the Department of Psychology, Bar-Ilan University, Ramat-Gan, 52900, Israel

    Aron Weller

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  1. Aron Weller
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Weller, A. Communication through body odour. Nature 392, 126–127 (1998). https://doi.org/10.1038/32283

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