
Everyday tasks we may regard as ‘simple’ — for example, knowing the difference between the smell of an orange and a pickle — are actually marvels of evolutionary development, the work of eons. A neuroscience team reports results of experiments that suggest how the mammalian brain distinguishes odors — not just dissimilar ones but, perhaps more importantly, odors that are nearly identical, such as the scents of oranges and tangerines.
http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/2iZfuIV5wLE/150604141820.htm