[David]

A.P/R. wrote that ‘Indians and whites are basically the same type of people, Caucasoid, so the differences in smell would have to be a result of their differing diets.’ I must protest. ALL humans are biologically basically ‘the same type of people,’ with far more variation within each ethnic group than between groups. Many variations exist between identifiable groups (‘populations,’ biologists would say). The old combining of all these populations of humans into 3 ‘races’ (such as ‘Caucasoid’) has no biological basis, merely a a social significance. Just like what we like to eat! I would agree with some writers that most of the difference between smells of ethnic groups is due to diet, group fashions or preferences in cosmetics, hygiene customs and so forth, and that there are also differences between individuals that are noticeable primarily by dogs. Since there are surely individual differences (as any dog will tell you), it is not inconceivable to me that there may be some odor differences between family groups and therefore between populations, but our modern social ethnic categories are combinations of so many populations, and so very mixed also (for example, most American ‘blacks’ are partly or mostly ‘white’) that I think it would be hard for a particular odor difference in one small population to spread through and be perceivable throughout a whole socially-defined ethnic group.

User Detail :  

Name : David, Gender : M, Sexual Orientation : Straight, Race : White/Caucasian, Religion : Jewish, Age : 47, City : Berkeley, State : CA, Country : United States, Education level : Over 4 Years of College, Social class : Upper middle class, 

[Author]

Posts