• cynar@lemmy.world
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    19 days ago

    I’d also be fascinated if we figured out a way to do it

    I personally suspect it’s not common in the animal kingdom. It’s quite likely a defense against leprosy, a disease that is most dangerous in larger society type communities, without outside predators (to pick off the sick).

    That theory might be wrong however. Its distribution would tell us a lot about what it defends against.

    • Neondragon25@piefed.social
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      18 days ago

      I’ll throw in, probably for death and disease. many other animals have heightened smell, so humans had to evolve a different “sense” for that.