We all know that humans have evolved to aid our basic survival instincts, but when it comes to our sense of smell, we know very little.
Prof. Emma Teeling of University College Dublin is the director of the Centre for Irish Bat Research and is trying to discover the secrets of what we smell and how evolution has affected and shaped the repertoire of our olfactory perceptions.
There are many reasons why we might smell the way we do; it may be in relation to our diet or maybe the various changes which have occurred in our everyday lifestyles over a long period of time that we have adapted to.
In order to carry out the experiment, Emma is studying two species of bat, both of whom share many similarities even though the species diverged approximately 64 million years ago to have different physical and dietary traits. By sequencing thousands of olfactory receptors that have never been investigated before and examining an evolutionary tree, similar characteristics became apparent.
Here is footage from Emma's TedxTalk on 'The secret of the bat genome':
To hear Emma, tune in to Futureproof, this Saturday at 10am for what promises to be a fascinating show!
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