• In total there are 6 users online :: 0 registered, 0 hidden and 6 guests (based on users active over the past 60 minutes)
    Most users ever online was 789 on Tue Mar 19, 2024 5:08 am

Ch. 8: Making Scents

#48: May - June 2008 (Non-Fiction)
User avatar
Chris OConnor

1A - OWNER
BookTalk.org Hall of Fame
Posts: 17016
Joined: Sun May 05, 2002 2:43 pm
21
Location: Florida
Has thanked: 3509 times
Been thanked: 1309 times
Gender:
Contact:
United States of America

Ch. 8: Making Scents

Unread post

Ch. 8: Making Scents

Please use this thread for discussing Ch. 8: Making Scents.
User avatar
yodha
Atop the Piled Books
Posts: 36
Joined: Mon Jun 19, 2006 12:09 pm
17
Location: Singapore

Unread post

I was surprised to read that 3% of our DNA is related to olfactory purposes. Though he later explains how the actual importance of smell has decreased for us. However, IIRC in the book he doesn't mention how big a % of the DNA is related to optical purposes. The optics of humans especially can be said to be of increasing importance, so it would be interesting to see the numbers on that.
User avatar
President Camacho

1F - BRONZE CONTRIBUTOR
I Should Be Bronzed
Posts: 1655
Joined: Sat Apr 12, 2008 1:44 pm
15
Location: Hampton, Ga
Has thanked: 246 times
Been thanked: 314 times

Unread post

I remember reading the chapters on scents and vision and thinking exactly the same thing. I think people get this impression because Shubin stresses the percentage of our genome that is devoted to smelling. He mentions it on at least two pages; 144 and 146. That's more than a 1/5 of the chapter devoted to discussing it. I didn't find anything like that for the eye - which should take up way more than the nose. Shouldn't it?

I tried to find something online about this but I couldn't. :(
Post Reply

Return to “Your Inner Fish - by Neil Shubin”