Chemical Signaling
One of the most fascinating studies being done in science these days involves
the methods by which animals communicate and find food. All of us have seen
dogs, cats, and numerous wild animals sniffing trees, piles of grass, and
even rocks. We have also seen animals rolling in certain areas of the ground,
rubbing on trees or posts, and urinating much more frequently than would
be necessary just to relieve their bladders. Just walking your dog, you
will see behavior like this on a regular basis. As the genomes of animals
are studied and the genes identified that do certain things, it becomes obvious
that some very careful planning has gone into providing animals with the
means of finding food, mates, and avoiding conflict.
Most mammals have at least 1,000 genes that are responsible for the development
of just their olfactory systems (those that allow the animal to obtain and
identify odors). Humans have around 300. What that means is that we humans
are limited as to what we can smell and how well we can identify and use
our sense of smell. Many mammals can pick out and identify as many as 500,000
different odors.
One thing this does is to allow the animals to tell who of their species
has been in the area. its age, sex, and even the status of its health. This
helps animals avoid conflict , find water, and cooperate in some ventures
where a combined effort is needed. Another thing it does is help animals
find food. A snake can follow a dying animal across the ground by odors
alone. Finding fruits, grasses, and even roots can be done by the odor they
emit, and those odors can be detected in many cases over a distance of miles.
Humans have other means of communication and the securing of food so these
senses are much less developed, and little brain space is used to process
odor information. For an animal with a brain, the size of a small nut to
have the ability to use and process 500,000 different odors is incredible,
but it works because of its design and integration into its lifestyle. This
design speaks basically of the wisdom and planning of a designer that has
provided for myriads of life forms to exist in a complex and changing environment.
--Reference: "Making Sense of Smells," National Wildlife, October/November, 2001.
--John
N. Clayton
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Does God Exist?, MayJun03.