Majid, Asifa orcid.org/0000-0003-0132-216X and Kruspe, Nicole (2018) Hunter-Gatherer Olfaction Is Special. Current Biology. e2. pp. 409-413. ISSN 0960-9822
Abstract
People struggle to name odors [1-4]. This has been attributed to a diminution of olfaction in trade-off to vision [5-10]. This presumption has been challenged recently by data from the hunter-gatherer Jahai who, unlike English speakers, find odors as easy to name as colors [4]. Is the superior olfactory performance among the Jahai because of their ecology (tropical rainforest), their language family (Aslian), or because of their subsistence (they are hunter-gatherers)? We provide novel evidence from the hunter-gatherer Semaq Beri and the non-hunter-gatherer (swidden-horticulturalist) Semelai that subsistence is the critical factor. Semaq Beri and Semelai speakers-who speak closely related languages and live in the tropical rainforest of the Malay Peninsula-took part in a controlled odor- and color-naming experiment. The swidden-horticulturalist Semelai found odors much more difficult to name than colors, replicating the typical Western finding. But for the hunter-gatherer Semaq Beri odor naming was as easy as color naming, suggesting that hunter-gatherer olfactory cognition is special.
Metadata
Item Type: | Article |
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Authors/Creators: |
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Copyright, Publisher and Additional Information: | © 2017 The Author(s). |
Keywords: | Journal Article,horticulturalist,Austroasiatic,cognition,Semelai,culture,hunter-gatherer,olfaction,language,Semaq Beri,Aslian |
Dates: |
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Institution: | The University of York |
Academic Units: | The University of York > Faculty of Sciences (York) > Psychology (York) |
Depositing User: | Pure (York) |
Date Deposited: | 27 Sep 2018 11:10 |
Last Modified: | 17 Dec 2024 00:11 |
Published Version: | https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cub.2017.12.014 |
Status: | Published |
Refereed: | Yes |
Identification Number: | 10.1016/j.cub.2017.12.014 |
Related URLs: | |
Open Archives Initiative ID (OAI ID): | oai:eprints.whiterose.ac.uk:136310 |
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