Jove
Visualize
Contact Us
JoVE
x logofacebook logolinkedin logoyoutube logo
ABOUT JoVE
OverviewLeadershipBlogJoVE Help Center
AUTHORS
Publishing ProcessEditorial BoardScope & PoliciesPeer ReviewFAQSubmit
LIBRARIANS
TestimonialsSubscriptionsAccessResourcesLibrary Advisory BoardFAQ
RESEARCH
JoVE JournalMethods CollectionsJoVE Encyclopedia of ExperimentsArchive
EDUCATION
JoVE CoreJoVE BusinessJoVE Science EducationJoVE Lab ManualFaculty Resource CenterFaculty Site
Terms & Conditions of Use
Privacy Policy
Policies

Related Concept Videos

Olfaction01:25

Olfaction

49.0K
The sense of smell is achieved through the activities of the olfactory system. It starts when an airborne odorant enters the nasal cavity and reaches olfactory epithelium (OE). The OE is protected by a thin layer of mucus, which also serves the purpose of dissolving more complex compounds into simpler chemical odorants. The size of the OE and the density of sensory neurons varies among species; in humans, the OE is only about 9-10 cm2.
The olfactory receptors are embedded in the cilia of the...
49.0K
Special Staining Techniques01:13

Special Staining Techniques

1.3K
Specialized staining techniques play a vital role in microbiology by enabling the visualization of specific bacterial structures that remain undetectable with standard microscopy methods. These techniques not only enhance the structural visualization of bacterial cells but also provide critical insights into their pathogenicity and classification. Additionally, they support diagnostic and research endeavors in microbiology by identifying key bacterial features.Capsule Staining for Virulence...
1.3K
Introduction to Special Senses01:26

Introduction to Special Senses

7.7K
Sensory receptors play an integral part in comprehending our external and internal environments. They receive diverse stimuli, converting them into the nervous system's electrochemical signals. This conversion occurs as the stimulus alters the sensory neuron's cell membrane potential, instigating the generation of an action potential. This action potential is subsequently transmitted to the central nervous system (CNS), which integrates with other sensory data or higher cognitive...
7.7K
Specialized Characteristics of Cardiac Muscles01:27

Specialized Characteristics of Cardiac Muscles

4.3K
The primary role of cardiac muscles is to propel blood throughout the cardiovascular system. The cardiac muscle cells, or cardiomyocytes, exhibit specialized characteristics that allow them to perform this function.
Cardiac muscle cells are smaller than skeletal muscles, averaging 10–20 mm in diameter and 50–100 mm in length. However, they have large energy demands for continuous contraction and relaxation. This energy is almost exclusively derived from aerobic metabolism of energy...
4.3K
Specialized Care Centers and Settings-I01:30

Specialized Care Centers and Settings-I

1.5K
Specialized care settings or centers are situated in convenient locations within the community and offer care to a specific group or population. They consist of daycare facilities, mental health facilities, rural health facilities, educational institutions, industries, shelters for the homeless, and rehabilitation facilities.
Daycare centers
They provide several functions. Some facilities care for healthy newborns and children whose parents work, while others are medically focused and care for...
1.5K
Special Features of Adaptive Immunity01:20

Special Features of Adaptive Immunity

3.5K
The adaptive immune system, a crucial component of the overall immune response, offers a highly specialized defense against pathogens. It involves specific cell types and features, enabling it to combat infections effectively and efficiently.
The primary cell types involved in adaptive immunity are T cells and B cells. Each type has a unique role in defending the body against pathogens. T cells are responsible for cell-mediated immunity. They identify and eliminate infected cells directly,...
3.5K

You might also read

Related Articles

Articles linked to this work by shared authors, journal, and citation graph.

Sort by
Same author

Numerical cognition in speakers of an Amazonian language with exactly twenty number words.

Psychological research·2026
Same author

Associations of forest vs. urban environmental exposure with well-being and nasal microbiome composition: An exploratory pilot study.

Environmental research·2025
Same author

Haptic Compensation in Blind People's Conceptual Representations.

Open mind : discoveries in cognitive science·2025
Same author

Low-certainty modals not future tenses cause increased psychological discounting in English relative to Dutch.

Cognition·2025
Same author

Demographic and geographical determinants of human olfactory perception of 909 individuals inhabiting 16 regions.

iScience·2025
Same author

Gestural and Verbal Evidence of Conceptual Representation Differences in Blind and Sighted Individuals.

Cognitive science·2025

Related Experiment Video

Updated: Feb 15, 2026

Testing Drosophila Olfaction with a Y-maze Assay
06:45

Testing Drosophila Olfaction with a Y-maze Assay

Published on: June 12, 2014

15.7K

Hunter-Gatherer Olfaction Is Special.

Asifa Majid1, Nicole Kruspe2

  • 1Centre for Language Studies, Radboud University, Nijmegen, 6525HT, the Netherlands; Max Planck Institute for Psycholinguistics, Nijmegen, 6500AH, the Netherlands; Donders Institute for Brain, Cognition, and Behaviour, Nijmegen, 6525HR, the Netherlands.

Current Biology : CB
|January 24, 2018
PubMed
Summary
This summary is machine-generated.

Hunter-gatherer subsistence, not environment or language, enhances olfactory naming abilities. This study reveals specialized olfactory cognition in hunter-gatherers, challenging previous assumptions about human olfaction.

Keywords:
AslianAustroasiaticSemaq BeriSemelaicognitionculturehorticulturalisthunter-gathererlanguageolfaction

More Related Videos

Gathering Self-Initiated Rat Behavioral Data to Characterize Post-Stroke Deficits
05:08

Gathering Self-Initiated Rat Behavioral Data to Characterize Post-Stroke Deficits

Published on: March 15, 2024

1.6K
Innovative Adipose Tissue Fractionation for Transforming Fat into Specialized Components
04:36

Innovative Adipose Tissue Fractionation for Transforming Fat into Specialized Components

Published on: July 11, 2025

1.2K

Related Experiment Videos

Last Updated: Feb 15, 2026

Testing Drosophila Olfaction with a Y-maze Assay
06:45

Testing Drosophila Olfaction with a Y-maze Assay

Published on: June 12, 2014

15.7K
Gathering Self-Initiated Rat Behavioral Data to Characterize Post-Stroke Deficits
05:08

Gathering Self-Initiated Rat Behavioral Data to Characterize Post-Stroke Deficits

Published on: March 15, 2024

1.6K
Innovative Adipose Tissue Fractionation for Transforming Fat into Specialized Components
04:36

Innovative Adipose Tissue Fractionation for Transforming Fat into Specialized Components

Published on: July 11, 2025

1.2K

Area of Science:

  • Cognitive Science
  • Anthropology
  • Neuroscience

Background:

  • Humans typically struggle to name odors, often attributed to olfaction diminishing in favor of vision.
  • This view is challenged by hunter-gatherer groups, like the Jahai, who demonstrate superior odor naming capabilities compared to Western populations.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate whether superior olfactory performance in hunter-gatherers is linked to their ecology, language, or subsistence practices.
  • To differentiate the impact of subsistence (hunter-gatherer vs. swidden-horticulturalist) on olfactory cognition.

Main Methods:

  • A controlled odor- and color-naming experiment was conducted with hunter-gatherer Semaq Beri and swidden-horticulturalist Semelai groups in the Malay Peninsula.
  • Participants' ability to name odors and colors was compared between the two groups and against typical Western findings.

Main Results:

  • The swidden-horticulturalist Semelai group exhibited difficulty naming odors, similar to Western populations.
  • The hunter-gatherer Semaq Beri group demonstrated odor naming ease comparable to color naming, indicating specialized olfactory cognition.

Conclusions:

  • Subsistence is the critical factor driving enhanced olfactory naming abilities in certain human populations.
  • Hunter-gatherer subsistence practices appear to foster a unique and specialized form of olfactory cognition.