Olfactory sensitivity for sperm-attractant aromatic aldehydes: a comparative study in human subjects and spider monkeys

• Using a three-alternative forced-choice ascendingstaircase procedure, we determined olfactory detectionthresholds in 20 human subjects for seven aromatic aldehydesand compared them to those of four spider monkeystested in parallel using an operant conditioning paradigm.With all seven odorants, both species detected concentrations\1 ppm, and with several odorants single individualsof both species even discriminated concentrations\1 ppbfrom the solvent. No generalizable species differences inolfactory sensitivity were found despite marked differencesin neuroanatomical and genetic features. The acrossodorantpatterns of sensitivity correlated significantlybetween humans and spider monkeys, and both specieswere more sensitive to bourgeonal than to lilial, cyclamal,canthoxal, helional, lyral, and 3-phenylpropanal. No significantcorrelation between presence/absence of an oxygen-containing moiety attached to the benzene ring orpresence/absence of an additional alkyl group next to thefunctional aldehyde group, and olfactory sensitivity wasfound in any of the species. However, the presence of atertiary butyl group in para position (relative to the functionalaldehyde group) combined with a lack of an additionalalkyl group next to the functional aldehyde groupmay be responsible for the finding that both species weremost sensitive to bourgeonal.

Nyckelord

Olfactory detection thresholds

Aromatic aldehydes

Bourgeonal

Sperm attractant

Human subjects

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