Following the scent of avian olfaction
Malakoff, D.
Science 286(5440): 704-705
1999
ISSN/ISBN: 0036-8075 PMID: 10577227 Document Number: 498475
Part of a special section presenting the central developments recently made in the exciting field of the neuroscience of olfaction. Researchers are gaining greater appreciation of a bird's olfactory ability. Based on studies of bird anatomy, it was generally believed in the 1970s that most birds had little or no sense of smell. Since then, researchers have shown that even birds with relatively small olfactory bulbs--the brain tissue responsible for discriminating smells--can not only sense odors, but also use them to find food, choose quality nesting material, and navigate across vast stretches of unknown terrain. Scientists are realizing that avian olfaction is not some strange minor quirk limited to a few species, says Tim Guilford of Oxford University in the United Kingdom. Such findings not only reveal the major role olfaction plays in bird survival, but could also have practical applications in conservation and farming.