Do Humans Communicate Via Pheromones? The Jury Is Still Out

80beats
By Eliza Strickland
Jan 16, 2009 2:02 AMJul 12, 2023 3:08 PM

Newsletter

Sign up for our email newsletter for the latest science news
 

When two people get knocked off their feet by physical chemistry, their friends may offer this standard glib explanation: "It's all about the pheromones." But in fact, 50 years after the term "pheromones" was coined by biologists to refer to the chemical messages passed within many insect and mammal species, researchers still haven't found proof that humans emit or detect such chemicals. In an essay in Nature [subscription required] marking the 50-year milestone, zoologist Tristram Wyatt sums up the state of the research, and reminds the gullible not to buy any love potions that boast of their pheromone content. The first studies took place in 1959, when German researchers discovered a chemical called bombykol that's secreted by female silk moths and that immediately sends males into a mating frenzy. Following that Nobel Prize-winning work, biologists

0 free articles left
Want More? Get unlimited access for as low as $1.99/month

Already a subscriber?

Register or Log In

0 free articlesSubscribe
Discover Magazine Logo
Want more?

Keep reading for as low as $1.99!

Subscribe

Already a subscriber?

Register or Log In

Stay Curious

Sign up for our weekly newsletter and unlock one more article for free.

 

View our Privacy Policy


Want more?
Keep reading for as low as $1.99!


Log In or Register

Already a subscriber?
Find my Subscription

More From Discover
Stay Curious
Join
Our List

Sign up for our weekly science updates.

 
Subscribe
To The Magazine

Save up to 40% off the cover price when you subscribe to Discover magazine.

Copyright © 2025 LabX Media Group