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Okay, but can birds smell? · Okay, But... Birds

• 0:00
  And
• 0:00
  I
• 0:00
  got
• 0:00
  back
• 0:00
  to
• 0:01
  the
• 0:01
  lab
• 0:01
  and
• 0:01
  I
• 0:01
  started
• 0:01
  to
• 0:02
  open
• 0:02
  the
• 0:02
  bag
• 0:02
  to
• 0:02
  take
• 0:03
  the
• 0:03
  bird
• 0:03
  out,
• 0:03
  and
• 0:03
  I
• 0:03
  got
• 0:04
  this
• 0:04
  overwhelming
• 0:05
  fresh
• 0:05
  bakery
• 0:06
  scent.
• 0:06
  And
• 0:06
  I
• 0:06
  was
• 0:07
  like,
• 0:07
  who?
• 0:07
  Who
• 0:07
  brought
• 0:07
  cookies
• 0:08
  to
• 0:08
  the
• 0:08
  lab?
• 0:09
  And
• 0:09
  then
• 0:09
  I
• 0:10
  realized
• 0:10
  it
• 0:10
  was
• 0:10
  the
• 0:10
  bird.
• 0:35
  In
• 0:35
  2013,
• 0:35
  I
• 0:36
  found
• 0:36
  myself
• 0:36
  on
• 0:36
  a
• 0:37
  small
• 0:37
  cruise
• 0:37
  ship
• 0:37
  in
• 0:37
  the
• 0:38
  middle
• 0:38
  of
• 0:38
  the
• 0:38
  Atlantic
• 0:38
  Ocean,
• 0:39
  traveling
• 0:39
  from
• 0:39
  Sierra
• 0:40
  Leone,
• 0:40
  Africa,
• 0:40
  to
• 0:41
  Brazil,
• 0:41
  and
• 0:42
  ultimately
• 0:42
  to
• 0:43
  the
• 0:43
  tip
• 0:43
  of
• 0:43
  South
• 0:43
  America.
• 0:44
  Ushuaia,
• 0:44
  Argentina.
• 0:45
  If
• 0:45
  you've
• 0:46
  never
• 0:46
  been
• 0:46
  on
• 0:46
  the
• 0:46
  open
• 0:46
  ocean,
• 0:47
  let
• 0:47
  me
• 0:47
  paint
• 0:47
  you
• 0:47
  a
• 0:48
  picture.
• 0:48
  Ocean,
• 0:49
  wind,
• 0:50
  sky,
• 0:51
  sun.
• 0:51
  Nothing
• 0:52
  else,
• 0:52
  save
• 0:52
  for
• 0:52
  the
• 0:53
  occasional
• 0:53
  seabird.
• 0:54
  But
• 0:54
  in
• 0:54
  the
• 0:54
  equatorial
• 0:55
  ocean,
• 0:55
  that
• 0:55
  was
• 0:55
  a
• 0:55
  rare
• 0:56
  occurrence.
• 0:57
  It's
• 0:57
  disorienting,
• 0:58
  to
• 0:58
  say
• 0:58
  the
• 0:58
  least.
• 0:59
  As
• 0:59
  visual
• 1:00
  organisms,
• 1:00
  humans
• 1:01
  often
• 1:01
  use
• 1:01
  landmarks.
• 1:02
  And
• 1:02
  this
• 1:02
  is
• 1:02
  perhaps
• 1:03
  stating
• 1:03
  the
• 1:03
  obvious.
• 1:03
  There
• 1:04
  are
• 1:04
  none
• 1:04
  of
• 1:04
  those
• 1:04
  in
• 1:04
  the
• 1:05
  open
• 1:05
  ocean.
• 1:06
  Despite
• 1:06
  what
• 1:06
  one
• 1:06
  well
• 1:07
  intentioned
• 1:07
  cruise
• 1:07
  guests
• 1:08
  thought
• 1:08
  and
• 1:08
  asked
• 1:09
  me,
• 1:09
  the
• 1:09
  equator
• 1:09
  is
• 1:10
  not
• 1:10
  a
• 1:10
  visible
• 1:10
  line
• 1:11
  on
• 1:11
  the
• 1:11
  Earth.
• 1:12
  When
• 1:12
  after
• 1:12
  several
• 1:13
  days,
• 1:13
  I
• 1:13
  finally
• 1:13
  spotted
• 1:14
  Ascension
• 1:14
  Island,
• 1:15
  I
• 1:16
  land.
• 1:17
  And
• 1:17
  soon
• 1:17
  after
• 1:18
  spotting
• 1:18
  the
• 1:18
  island,
• 1:18
  I
• 1:18
  spotted
• 1:19
  Ascension
• 1:19
  Island.
• 1:19
  Frigate
• 1:20
  birds
• 1:20
  wheeling
• 1:20
  in
• 1:20
  the
• 1:21
  air
• 1:21
  around
• 1:21
  it.
• 1:22
  This
• 1:22
  endemic
• 1:22
  species
• 1:23
  can
• 1:23
  only
• 1:23
  be
• 1:23
  found
• 1:24
  on
• 1:24
  this
• 1:24
  island,
• 1:24
  one
• 1:25
  of
• 1:25
  the
• 1:25
  most
• 1:25
  isolated
• 1:25
  on
• 1:26
  the
• 1:26
  planet.
• 1:27
  Seabirds
• 1:27
  are
• 1:27
  fascinating.
• 1:28
  Most
• 1:28
  have
• 1:29
  delayed
• 1:29
  reproduction,
• 1:29
  meaning
• 1:30
  they
• 1:30
  do
• 1:30
  not
• 1:30
  start
• 1:30
  breeding
• 1:31
  until
• 1:31
  they
• 1:31
  are
• 1:31
  more
• 1:31
  than
• 1:31
  5
• 1:32
  and
• 1:32
  sometimes
• 1:32
  even
• 1:32
  10
• 1:33
  years
• 1:33
  old.
• 1:34
  During
• 1:34
  the
• 1:34
  time
• 1:34
  between
• 1:35
  fledging
• 1:35
  and
• 1:35
  breeding,
• 1:35
  they
• 1:36
  wander
• 1:36
  the
• 1:36
  world's
• 1:36
  oceans.
• 1:37
  Sometimes,
• 1:38
  in
• 1:38
  the
• 1:38
  case
• 1:38
  of
• 1:38
  various
• 1:39
  albatross
• 1:39
  species
• 1:40
  in
• 1:40
  the
• 1:40
  Southern
• 1:40
  Ocean,
• 1:41
  they
• 1:41
  circumnavigate
• 1:42
  the
• 1:42
  globe
• 1:42
  many
• 1:43
  times.
• 1:43
  Eventually,
• 1:44
  they
• 1:44
  return
• 1:44
  to
• 1:45
  the
• 1:45
  islands
• 1:45
  where
• 1:45
  they
• 1:45
  hatch
• 1:46
  to
• 1:46
  find
• 1:46
  mates
• 1:46
  and
• 1:46
  start
• 1:47
  the
• 1:47
  next
• 1:47
  generation
• 1:48
  doing
• 1:48
  this.
• 1:49
  Getting
• 1:49
  back
• 1:49
  to
• 1:49
  their
• 1:49
  natal
• 1:50
  island
• 1:50
  requires
• 1:51
  them
• 1:51
  to
• 1:51
  navigate
• 1:51
  these
• 1:51
  vast,
• 1:52
  featureless
• 1:53
  oceans.
• 1:54
  But
• 1:54
  to
• 1:54
  seabirds,
• 1:54
  the
• 1:55
  oceans
• 1:55
  are
• 1:55
  full
• 1:55
  of
• 1:56
  landmarks
• 1:56
  that
• 1:56
  are
• 1:56
  invisible
• 1:57
  to
• 1:57
  the
• 1:57
  eyes.
• 1:58
  In
• 1:58
  this
• 1:58
  case,
• 1:58
  the
• 1:58
  nose
• 1:59
  knows
• 2:00
  seabird
• 2:00
  navigation,
• 2:01
  though
• 2:01
  it
• 2:01
  can
• 2:01
  rely
• 2:02
  on
• 2:02
  visual
• 2:02
  landmarks,
• 2:03
  like
• 2:03
  islands
• 2:03
  relies
• 2:04
  heavily
• 2:04
  on
• 2:05
  their
• 2:05
  sense
• 2:05
  of
• 2:05
  smell.
• 2:06
  They
• 2:06
  can
• 2:06
  detect
• 2:06
  upwellings,
• 2:07
  food,
• 2:07
  and,
• 2:07
  yes,
• 2:08
  even
• 2:08
  the
• 2:08
  island
• 2:08
  that
• 2:09
  they
• 2:09
  grew
• 2:09
  up
• 2:09
  on.
• 2:10
  And
• 2:11
  birds
• 2:11
  can
• 2:11
  use
• 2:11
  their
• 2:11
  noses
• 2:12
  for
• 2:12
  much,
• 2:12
  much
• 2:12
  more
• 2:13
  than
• 2:13
  that.
• 2:13
  Way
• 2:13
  more.
• 2:14
  But
• 2:14
  here's
• 2:14
  the
• 2:14
  thing.
• 2:15
  If
• 2:15
  you
• 2:15
  say
• 2:15
  birds
• 2:16
  can
• 2:16
  smell
• 2:16
  at
• 2:16
  a
• 2:16
  dinner
• 2:17
  party,
• 2:17
  someone
• 2:17
  will
• 2:17
  probably
• 2:18
  correct
• 2:18
  you.
• 2:19
  That's
• 2:19
  because
• 2:19
  there's
• 2:20
  a
• 2:20
  deeply
• 2:20
  rooted
• 2:20
  myth
• 2:21
  that
• 2:21
  birds
• 2:21
  have
• 2:21
  virtually
• 2:22
  no
• 2:22
  sense
• 2:22
  of
• 2:22
  smell.
• 2:23
  And
• 2:23
  it's
• 2:23
  been
• 2:23
  repeated
• 2:23
  so
• 2:24
  confidently
• 2:24
  and
• 2:24
  for
• 2:25
  so
• 2:25
  long,
• 2:25
  most
• 2:25
  people
• 2:26
  accept
• 2:26
  it
• 2:26
  as
• 2:26
  fact.
• 2:27
  Which
• 2:27
  brings
• 2:28
  us
• 2:28
  to
• 2:28
  the
• 2:28
  topic
• 2:28
  of
• 2:28
  today's
• 2:29
  episode.
• 2:29
  Okay,
• 2:30
  but
• 2:30
  can
• 2:30
  birds
• 2:30
  smell?
• 2:31
  To
• 2:31
  get
• 2:32
  to
• 2:32
  the
• 2:32
  bottom
• 2:32
  of
• 2:32
  this,
• 2:32
  we'll
• 2:32
  talk
• 2:33
  with
• 2:33
  Dr.
• 2:33
  Danielle
• 2:33
  Whitaker,
• 2:34
  a
• 2:34
  scientist
• 2:34
  at
• 2:35
  Oregon
• 2:35
  State
• 2:35
  University
• 2:36
  and
• 2:36
  author
• 2:36
  of
• 2:36
  the
• 2:37
  Secret
• 2:37
  Perfume
• 2:37
  of
• 2:38
  Uncovering
• 2:38
  the
• 2:39
  Science
• 2:39
  of
• 2:39
  Avian
• 2:40
  Scent.
• 2:40
  Danielle
• 2:41
  has
• 2:41
  spent
• 2:41
  her
• 2:41
  Career
• 2:42
  studying
• 2:42
  chemical
• 2:43
  communication
• 2:43
  in
• 2:43
  birds,
• 2:44
  among
• 2:44
  other
• 2:44
  things.
• 2:45
  And
• 2:45
  her
• 2:45
  work
• 2:45
  on
• 2:45
  a
• 2:45
  little
• 2:46
  gray
• 2:46
  bird
• 2:46
  most
• 2:46
  of
• 2:47
  us
• 2:47
  have
• 2:47
  seen
• 2:47
  at
• 2:47
  our
• 2:47
  feeders
• 2:48
  has
• 2:48
  helped
• 2:48
  overturn
• 2:49
  two
• 2:49
  centuries
• 2:49
  of
• 2:50
  scientific
• 2:50
  substance.
• 2:51
  We'll
• 2:51
  trace
• 2:51
  the
• 2:52
  surprisingly
• 2:52
  recent
• 2:52
  history
• 2:53
  of
• 2:53
  a
• 2:53
  myth
• 2:53
  that
• 2:53
  refused
• 2:54
  to
• 2:54
  die,
• 2:54
  Explore
• 2:55
  what
• 2:55
  birds
• 2:55
  are
• 2:56
  actually
• 2:56
  broadcasting
• 2:57
  through
• 2:57
  their
• 2:57
  scent,
• 2:58
  and
• 2:58
  ask
• 2:58
  what
• 2:58
  happens
• 2:59
  when
• 2:59
  you
• 2:59
  start
• 2:59
  paying
• 2:59
  attention
• 3:00
  to
• 3:00
  a
• 3:00
  communication
• 3:01
  channel
• 3:01
  that
• 3:01
  science
• 3:01
  ignored
• 3:02
  for
• 3:02
  200
• 3:02
  years?
• 3:03
  Because
• 3:03
  as
• 3:04
  it
• 3:04
  turns
• 3:04
  out,
• 3:04
  every
• 3:05
  bird
• 3:05
  you've
• 3:05
  ever
• 3:05
  watched
• 3:06
  was
• 3:06
  also
• 3:06
  wearing
• 3:06
  perfume.
• 3:07
  You
• 3:07
  just
• 3:08
  couldn't
• 3:08
  tell.
• 3:08
  Stay
• 3:09
  tuned.
• 3:15
  Welcome
• 3:15
  back,
• 3:16
  everyone.
• 3:16
  I'm
• 3:16
  really
• 3:16
  excited
• 3:17
  to
• 3:17
  have
• 3:17
  Danielle
• 3:17
  with
• 3:18
  us
• 3:18
  today
• 3:18
  to
• 3:18
  dive
• 3:18
  into
• 3:19
  the
• 3:19
  myth
• 3:20
  about
• 3:20
  birds
• 3:20
  not
• 3:21
  being
• 3:21
  able
• 3:21
  to
• 3:21
  smell
• 3:22
  and
• 3:22
  what
• 3:22
  they
• 3:22
  actually
• 3:23
  use
• 3:23
  their
• 3:23
  sense
• 3:23
  of
• 3:23
  smell
• 3:23
  for.
• 3:24
  So
• 3:24
  thanks
• 3:24
  for
• 3:24
  joining
• 3:25
  us,
• 3:25
  Danielle.
• 3:26
  Sure.
• 3:26
  Thank
• 3:26
  you
• 3:26
  so
• 3:26
  much
• 3:27
  for
• 3:27
  inviting
• 3:27
  me.
• 3:28
  Of
• 3:28
  course,
• 3:28
  most
• 3:28
  people
• 3:29
  assume
• 3:29
  birds
• 3:29
  do
• 3:30
  not
• 3:30
  have
• 3:30
  a
• 3:30
  sense
• 3:30
  of
• 3:31
  smell.
• 3:31
  Why
• 3:32
  is
• 3:32
  that
• 3:32
  such
• 3:32
  a
• 3:32
  pervasive
• 3:33
  thing.
• 3:33
  That
• 3:33
  people
• 3:34
  think
• 3:34
  this
• 3:35
  myth
• 3:35
  goes
• 3:35
  back
• 3:35
  a
• 3:36
  long
• 3:36
  way?
• 3:36
  This
• 3:37
  is
• 3:37
  actually
• 3:37
  the
• 3:37
  200
• 3:38
  year
• 3:38
  anniversary
• 3:39
  of
• 3:39
  this
• 3:39
  myth.
• 3:39
  Oh,
• 3:40
  man.
• 3:41
  It's
• 3:41
  been
• 3:42
  quoted
• 3:43
  over
• 3:43
  and
• 3:43
  over
• 3:43
  for
• 3:44
  decades
• 3:45
  without
• 3:45
  any
• 3:45
  attribution.
• 3:46
  A
• 3:47
  while
• 3:47
  back,
• 3:47
  I
• 3:47
  tracked
• 3:48
  it
• 3:48
  down
• 3:48
  to
• 3:48
  its
• 3:48
  source.
• 3:49
  It's
• 3:49
  actually
• 3:49
  John
• 3:49
  James
• 3:50
  Audubon.
• 3:50
  Oh,
• 3:51
  really?
• 3:51
  He
• 3:51
  published
• 3:52
  a
• 3:52
  paper
• 3:52
  in
• 3:52
  1826.
• 3:54
  And
• 3:54
  I'm
• 3:54
  going
• 3:54
  to
• 3:54
  read
• 3:54
  you
• 3:54
  the
• 3:54
  title.
• 3:55
  Okay.
• 3:56
  Account
• 3:56
  of
• 3:56
  the
• 3:56
  Habits
• 3:57
  of
• 3:57
  the
• 3:57
  Turkey
• 3:57
  Buzzard,
• 3:58
  Particularly
• 3:58
  with
• 3:59
  the
• 3:59
  view
• 3:59
  of
• 3:59
  exploding.
• 4:00
  The
• 4:00
  opinion
• 4:00
  generally
• 4:01
  entertained
• 4:01
  of
• 4:01
  its
• 4:02
  extraordinary
• 4:02
  power
• 4:03
  of
• 4:03
  smelling.
• 4:04
  Exploding.
• 4:05
  All
• 4:05
  right.
• 4:05
  How
• 4:05
  did
• 4:05
  he
• 4:05
  explode
• 4:06
  it?
• 4:07
  Such
• 4:07
  a
• 4:07
  weird
• 4:07
  title.
• 4:08
  So
• 4:09
  you
• 4:09
  can
• 4:09
  tell
• 4:09
  from
• 4:09
  the
• 4:09
  title
• 4:10
  he
• 4:10
  had
• 4:10
  a
• 4:10
  little
• 4:10
  bit
• 4:11
  of
• 4:11
  a
• 4:11
  bias
• 4:11
  going
• 4:11
  in.
• 4:12
  Yeah.
• 4:13
  And
• 4:13
  you
• 4:13
  can
• 4:13
  also
• 4:13
  probably
• 4:14
  infer
• 4:14
  that
• 4:15
  the
• 4:15
  idea
• 4:15
  that
• 4:16
  turkey
• 4:17
  vultures
• 4:17
  use
• 4:17
  their
• 4:18
  sense
• 4:18
  of
• 4:18
  smell
• 4:18
  to
• 4:18
  find
• 4:19
  food
• 4:19
  was
• 4:19
  pretty
• 4:20
  widely
• 4:20
  accepted
• 4:20
  at
• 4:20
  the
• 4:21
  time.
• 4:21
  They
• 4:22
  could.
• 4:23
  They
• 4:23
  would
• 4:23
  be
• 4:23
  seen
• 4:24
  attracted
• 4:25
  to
• 4:25
  the
• 4:25
  scent
• 4:25
  of
• 4:26
  dead
• 4:26
  animals,
• 4:26
  for
• 4:27
  example.
• 4:28
  But
• 4:29
  it
• 4:29
  was
• 4:29
  also
• 4:29
  known
• 4:29
  at
• 4:30
  the
• 4:30
  time
• 4:30
  that
• 4:30
  a
• 4:30
  lot
• 4:30
  of
• 4:31
  birds,
• 4:31
  particularly
• 4:31
  birds
• 4:32
  of
• 4:32
  prey,
• 4:32
  had
• 4:32
  excellent
• 4:33
  eyesight.
• 4:34
  And
• 4:34
  there
• 4:34
  was
• 4:35
  this
• 4:35
  pervasive
• 4:35
  belief
• 4:36
  that
• 4:36
  these
• 4:36
  different
• 4:37
  kinds
• 4:37
  of
• 4:37
  traits
• 4:38
  had
• 4:38
  to
• 4:38
  involve
• 4:39
  a
• 4:39
  trade
• 4:39
  off.
• 4:39
  So
• 4:39
  you
• 4:40
  couldn't
• 4:40
  be
• 4:40
  really
• 4:40
  good
• 4:40
  at
• 4:41
  one
• 4:41
  thing
• 4:42
  without
• 4:42
  losing
• 4:43
  some
• 4:43
  kind
• 4:43
  of
• 4:43
  ability
• 4:44
  in
• 4:44
  another
• 4:44
  thing.
• 4:45
  You
• 4:45
  can
• 4:45
  think
• 4:45
  of
• 4:45
  it
• 4:45
  kind
• 4:46
  of
• 4:46
  like
• 4:47
  when
• 4:47
  you
• 4:47
  have
• 4:47
  a
• 4:48
  certain
• 4:48
  number
• 4:48
  that
• 4:48
  you
• 4:49
  can
• 4:49
  assign
• 4:49
  to
• 4:49
  different
• 4:49
  traits
• 4:50
  in
• 4:50
  Dungeons
• 4:50
  and
• 4:50
  Dragons.
• 4:51
  Right.
• 4:51
  You
• 4:52
  have
• 4:52
  to
• 4:52
  balance
• 4:52
  them
• 4:53
  out
• 4:53
  among
• 4:54
  the
• 4:54
  different.
• 4:55
  And
• 4:55
  so
• 4:56
  he
• 4:56
  said,
• 4:56
  well,
• 4:57
  birds
• 4:57
  have
• 4:57
  a
• 4:57
  great
• 4:57
  sense
• 4:57
  of
• 4:58
  eyesight.
• 4:58
  They
• 4:58
  can't
• 4:59
  possibly
• 4:59
  also
• 4:59
  have
• 5:00
  a
• 5:00
  great
• 5:00
  sense
• 5:00
  of
• 5:00
  smell.
• 5:01
  And
• 5:01
  so
• 5:01
  he
• 5:02
  did
• 5:02
  a
• 5:02
  series
• 5:02
  of,
• 5:03
  I
• 5:03
  think
• 5:03
  we
• 5:03
  can
• 5:03
  all
• 5:03
  agree,
• 5:04
  very
• 5:04
  poorly
• 5:04
  designed
• 5:05
  experiments
• 5:06
  to
• 5:06
  prove
• 5:07
  this.
• 5:08
  My
• 5:08
  favorite
• 5:08
  one
• 5:09
  was
• 5:09
  when
• 5:09
  he
• 5:09
  took
• 5:10
  a
• 5:10
  dead
• 5:10
  pig
• 5:10
  carcass
• 5:11
  and
• 5:11
  put
• 5:11
  it
• 5:12
  underneath
• 5:13
  a
• 5:13
  bush
• 5:14
  and
• 5:14
  waited
• 5:14
  for
• 5:14
  the
• 5:15
  vultures
• 5:15
  to
• 5:15
  show
• 5:15
  up.
• 5:16
  And
• 5:16
  when
• 5:16
  they
• 5:16
  didn't
• 5:17
  come
• 5:17
  down
• 5:17
  and
• 5:17
  feed
• 5:18
  on
• 5:18
  the
• 5:18
  carcass,
• 5:18
  he
• 5:19
  took
• 5:19
  that
• 5:19
  as
• 5:19
  proof
• 5:20
  that
• 5:20
  they
• 5:20
  couldn't
• 5:20
  smell
• 5:20
  it.
• 5:21
  Okay.
• 5:22
  He
• 5:22
  also
• 5:22
  notes
• 5:23
  in
• 5:23
  the
• 5:23
  paper,
• 5:23
  though,
• 5:23
  that
• 5:23
  the
• 5:24
  vultures
• 5:24
  were
• 5:24
  circling
• 5:24
  overhead
• 5:25
  all
• 5:25
  day
• 5:25
  and
• 5:26
  that
• 5:26
  his
• 5:26
  dogs
• 5:26
  kept
• 5:27
  attacking
• 5:27
  the
• 5:27
  carcass.
• 5:28
  So
• 5:28
  I
• 5:28
  think
• 5:28
  there's
• 5:28
  a
• 5:28
  pretty
• 5:29
  obvious
• 5:29
  reason
• 5:29
  why
• 5:30
  they
• 5:30
  weren't
• 5:30
  coming
• 5:30
  down
• 5:31
  to
• 5:31
  feed
• 5:31
  on
• 5:31
  it.
• 5:32
  Yeah,
• 5:32
  I
• 5:32
  rarely
• 5:32
  see
• 5:33
  vultures
• 5:33
  and
• 5:33
  dogs
• 5:34
  sharing
• 5:34
  a
• 5:34
  carcass,
• 5:35
  so
• 5:35
  I'm
• 5:35
  sure
• 5:36
  it's
• 5:36
  so
• 5:36
  funny
• 5:37
  that
• 5:37
  they
• 5:37
  were
• 5:37
  circling
• 5:38
  around.
• 5:38
  But
• 5:38
  he
• 5:38
  didn't
• 5:38
  take
• 5:39
  that
• 5:39
  as
• 5:39
  evidence
• 5:39
  that
• 5:39
  they
• 5:40
  knew
• 5:40
  there
• 5:40
  was
• 5:40
  a
• 5:40
  dead
• 5:40
  thing
• 5:40
  there.
• 5:41
  He
• 5:41
  thought
• 5:41
  they
• 5:41
  needed
• 5:42
  to
• 5:42
  come
• 5:42
  to
• 5:42
  it.
• 5:43
  That's
• 5:43
  pretty
• 5:44
  dumb.
• 5:45
  I
• 5:46
  mean,
• 5:46
  yeah,
• 5:46
  we've
• 5:47
  learned
• 5:47
  since
• 5:47
  then
• 5:47
  that
• 5:47
  birds
• 5:48
  use
• 5:48
  their
• 5:48
  sense
• 5:49
  of
• 5:49
  smell
• 5:49
  for
• 5:49
  lots
• 5:50
  of
• 5:50
  different
• 5:50
  things.
• 5:50
  I
• 5:50
  think,
• 5:51
  like
• 5:51
  the
• 5:51
  vultures.
• 5:52
  I
• 5:52
  mean,
• 5:52
  is
• 5:52
  quite
• 5:53
  widely
• 5:54
  accepted
• 5:54
  now
• 5:54
  that
• 5:55
  vultures
• 5:55
  use
• 5:55
  their
• 5:55
  sense
• 5:56
  of
• 5:56
  smell
• 5:56
  to
• 5:56
  find
• 5:56
  rotting
• 5:57
  food.
• 5:57
  What
• 5:58
  other
• 5:58
  examples
• 5:58
  of
• 5:58
  birds
• 5:59
  that
• 5:59
  use
• 5:59
  their
• 5:59
  sense
• 5:59
  of
• 6:00
  smell
• 6:00
  is
• 6:00
  broadly
• 6:00
  accepted
• 6:01
  versus
• 6:02
  some
• 6:02
  of
• 6:02
  the
• 6:02
  newer
• 6:02
  insights
• 6:03
  into
• 6:04
  what
• 6:04
  birds
• 6:04
  can
• 6:05
  smell
• 6:05
  and
• 6:05
  what
• 6:05
  they
• 6:05
  use
• 6:05
  that
• 6:06
  sense
• 6:06
  of
• 6:06
  smell
• 6:06
  for?
• 6:07
  Yeah,
• 6:08
  great
• 6:08
  question.
• 6:08
  So
• 6:09
  this
• 6:09
  myth
• 6:09
  persisted
• 6:10
  for
• 6:10
  a
• 6:10
  long
• 6:10
  time,
• 6:11
  but
• 6:11
  there
• 6:11
  also
• 6:11
  persisted
• 6:12
  the
• 6:12
  idea
• 6:12
  that
• 6:12
  there
• 6:13
  were
• 6:13
  some
• 6:13
  exceptions
• 6:13
  to
• 6:14
  this
• 6:14
  rule,
• 6:14
  vultures
• 6:15
  being
• 6:15
  a
• 6:16
  primary
• 6:16
  one.
• 6:16
  The
• 6:16
  other
• 6:17
  major
• 6:17
  group
• 6:17
  that
• 6:18
  was
• 6:18
  thought
• 6:18
  to
• 6:18
  be
• 6:18
  an
• 6:18
  exception
• 6:19
  were
• 6:19
  the
• 6:19
  seabirds.
• 6:21
  So
• 6:21
  I
• 6:21
  think
• 6:22
  people
• 6:22
  are
• 6:22
  familiar
• 6:23
  with
• 6:23
  the
• 6:23
  idea
• 6:23
  that
• 6:23
  seabirds
• 6:24
  who
• 6:24
  have
• 6:24
  to
• 6:25
  navigate
• 6:25
  over
• 6:26
  large
• 6:26
  expanses
• 6:26
  of
• 6:27
  water
• 6:27
  with
• 6:28
  no
• 6:28
  visual
• 6:29
  landmarks
• 6:29
  can
• 6:29
  use
• 6:29
  their
• 6:30
  sense
• 6:30
  of
• 6:30
  smell
• 6:31
  to
• 6:31
  navigate.
• 6:31
  They
• 6:32
  also
• 6:32
  use
• 6:32
  their
• 6:32
  sense
• 6:32
  of
• 6:33
  smell
• 6:33
  to
• 6:33
  find
• 6:33
  food,
• 6:34
  since
• 6:34
  they're
• 6:34
  attracted
• 6:35
  to
• 6:35
  things
• 6:35
  like
• 6:36
  fish
• 6:36
  and
• 6:36
  squid
• 6:36
  that
• 6:37
  are
• 6:37
  feeding
• 6:37
  on
• 6:37
  phytoplankton.
• 6:38
  And
• 6:38
  where
• 6:39
  you
• 6:39
  have
• 6:39
  large
• 6:39
  amounts
• 6:39
  of
• 6:40
  phytoplankton
• 6:40
  in
• 6:40
  the
• 6:40
  ocean,
• 6:41
  they
• 6:41
  actually
• 6:41
  give
• 6:41
  off
• 6:42
  a
• 6:42
  chemical
• 6:42
  called
• 6:42
  dimethyl
• 6:43
  sulfide,
• 6:44
  which
• 6:44
  the
• 6:45
  seabirds
• 6:45
  can
• 6:45
  detect
• 6:46
  through
• 6:46
  their
• 6:46
  smell.
• 6:48
  However,
• 6:49
  the
• 6:49
  largest
• 6:49
  class
• 6:50
  of
• 6:50
  birds
• 6:50
  in
• 6:50
  the
• 6:50
  world,
• 6:50
  of
• 6:51
  course,
• 6:51
  is
• 6:51
  passerans,
• 6:52
  or
• 6:52
  the
• 6:52
  songbirds.
• 6:53
  There
• 6:53
  are
• 6:53
  more
• 6:54
  species
• 6:54
  in
• 6:54
  that
• 6:54
  group
• 6:55
  than
• 6:55
  any
• 6:56
  other
• 6:56
  group,
• 6:57
  and
• 6:58
  they
• 6:58
  have
• 6:58
  relatively
• 6:59
  small
• 6:59
  brains.
• 7:00
  I'm
• 7:00
  sure
• 7:00
  we're
• 7:01
  all
• 7:01
  familiar
• 7:01
  with
• 7:01
  the
• 7:01
  term
• 7:01
  bird
• 7:02
  brain
• 7:03
  and
• 7:03
  the
• 7:03
  part
• 7:03
  of
• 7:04
  their
• 7:04
  brain
• 7:04
  that
• 7:04
  is
• 7:05
  dedicated
• 7:05
  to
• 7:06
  olfaction,
• 7:06
  the
• 7:06
  olfactory
• 7:07
  lobe,
• 7:07
  is
• 7:08
  quite
• 7:08
  small
• 7:08
  relative
• 7:09
  to
• 7:09
  the
• 7:09
  rest
• 7:09
  of
• 7:09
  their
• 7:10
  brain,
• 7:10
  and
• 7:10
  so
• 7:12
  it
• 7:12
  was
• 7:13
  widely
• 7:13
  believed
• 7:13
  that
• 7:14
  they
• 7:14
  didn't
• 7:14
  really
• 7:14
  use
• 7:14
  smell.
• 7:15
  Also,
• 7:15
  when
• 7:16
  we
• 7:16
  look
• 7:16
  at
• 7:16
  songbirds,
• 7:16
  we
• 7:17
  associate
• 7:17
  them
• 7:17
  well.
• 7:18
  They're
• 7:18
  called
• 7:18
  songbirds,
• 7:19
  for
• 7:19
  one.
• 7:20
  So
• 7:20
  they
• 7:20
  rely
• 7:21
  on
• 7:22
  elaborate
• 7:23
  songs
• 7:24
  and
• 7:24
  calls
• 7:24
  to
• 7:25
  communicate.
• 7:25
  And
• 7:26
  many
• 7:26
  of
• 7:26
  them
• 7:26
  have
• 7:26
  flashy
• 7:28
  plumage,
• 7:28
  very
• 7:29
  pretty
• 7:29
  feathers
• 7:30
  that
• 7:30
  they
• 7:30
  use
• 7:30
  to
• 7:30
  attract
• 7:30
  each
• 7:31
  Other.
• 7:31
  And
• 7:31
  so
• 7:32
  this
• 7:32
  reliance
• 7:33
  on
• 7:33
  sight
• 7:34
  and
• 7:34
  sound
• 7:35
  made
• 7:35
  it
• 7:35
  easy
• 7:36
  for
• 7:36
  some
• 7:36
  people
• 7:36
  to
• 7:37
  discount
• 7:38
  the
• 7:38
  importance
• 7:39
  of
• 7:39
  smell
• 7:39
  in
• 7:40
  their
• 7:40
  lives.
• 7:40
  Yeah.
• 7:41
  And
• 7:41
  that
• 7:41
  discounting
• 7:41
  the
• 7:41
  importance
• 7:42
  of
• 7:42
  smell,
• 7:42
  it's
• 7:42
  so
• 7:42
  interesting.
• 7:43
  You
• 7:43
  know,
• 7:43
  we
• 7:43
  make
• 7:43
  inferences
• 7:44
  from
• 7:44
  the
• 7:44
  structure
• 7:45
  of
• 7:45
  a
• 7:45
  brain
• 7:45
  about
• 7:46
  what
• 7:46
  senses
• 7:47
  might
• 7:47
  be
• 7:47
  important.
• 7:47
  And
• 7:48
  in
• 7:48
  some
• 7:48
  cases,
• 7:49
  those
• 7:49
  inferences
• 7:49
  seem
• 7:50
  to
• 7:50
  hold,
• 7:50
  but
• 7:50
  in
• 7:50
  this
• 7:51
  case,
• 7:51
  it
• 7:51
  really
• 7:51
  doesn't
• 7:51
  seem
• 7:52
  to
• 7:52
  hold.
• 7:52
  So
• 7:53
  passerines
• 7:53
  do
• 7:54
  have
• 7:54
  a
• 7:54
  sense
• 7:54
  of
• 7:54
  smell,
• 7:55
  and
• 7:55
  they
• 7:55
  use
• 7:55
  it
• 7:55
  for
• 7:55
  some
• 7:55
  really
• 7:56
  interesting
• 7:56
  things.
• 7:57
  Can
• 7:57
  you
• 7:57
  tell
• 7:57
  us
• 7:58
  a
• 7:58
  little
• 7:58
  bit
• 7:58
  about
• 7:58
  what
• 7:58
  you've
• 7:59
  learned
• 7:59
  in
• 7:59
  that
• 7:59
  realm?
• 8:00
  Yeah.
• 8:00
  So
• 8:00
  I
• 8:01
  initially
• 8:01
  became
• 8:01
  interested
• 8:02
  in
• 8:02
  this
• 8:02
  topic
• 8:03
  because
• 8:03
  I
• 8:03
  was
• 8:03
  interested
• 8:04
  in
• 8:04
  how
• 8:04
  birds
• 8:05
  choose
• 8:05
  mates.
• 8:07
  And
• 8:08
  I've
• 8:08
  really
• 8:08
  studied
• 8:09
  this
• 8:09
  in
• 8:09
  the
• 8:09
  context
• 8:09
  of
• 8:10
  the
• 8:10
  odors
• 8:10
  that
• 8:10
  birds
• 8:11
  produce
• 8:11
  that
• 8:12
  they.
• 8:13
  That
• 8:13
  give
• 8:13
  information
• 8:14
  about
• 8:14
  themselves
• 8:14
  that
• 8:15
  are
• 8:15
  then
• 8:15
  interpreted
• 8:15
  by
• 8:16
  other
• 8:16
  birds.
• 8:18
  I've
• 8:18
  looked
• 8:18
  at
• 8:19
  a
• 8:19
  substance
• 8:19
  called
• 8:20
  preen
• 8:20
  oil,
• 8:20
  or
• 8:20
  europegial
• 8:21
  oil.
• 8:22
  It's
• 8:22
  secreted
• 8:23
  from
• 8:23
  the
• 8:23
  europeal
• 8:24
  gland,
• 8:24
  which
• 8:24
  is
• 8:24
  located
• 8:25
  just
• 8:25
  above
• 8:25
  the
• 8:25
  base
• 8:25
  of
• 8:26
  the
• 8:26
  tail.
• 8:26
  It's
• 8:27
  the
• 8:27
  only
• 8:27
  large
• 8:27
  exocrine
• 8:28
  gland
• 8:28
  that
• 8:28
  birds
• 8:29
  have
• 8:29
  typically.
• 8:30
  And
• 8:30
  it
• 8:30
  secretes
• 8:31
  an
• 8:31
  oil
• 8:31
  that
• 8:31
  birds
• 8:32
  then
• 8:32
  put
• 8:32
  on
• 8:32
  their
• 8:33
  feathers
• 8:33
  to
• 8:33
  help
• 8:33
  protect
• 8:34
  their
• 8:34
  feathers
• 8:34
  from
• 8:34
  exposure
• 8:35
  to
• 8:35
  the
• 8:35
  environment.
• 8:36
  In
• 8:36
  some
• 8:37
  species,
• 8:37
  it
• 8:37
  helps
• 8:37
  with
• 8:37
  waterproofing,
• 8:38
  like
• 8:38
  in
• 8:38
  ducks.
• 8:40
  And
• 8:40
  we
• 8:40
  also
• 8:40
  found
• 8:42
  pretty
• 8:42
  early
• 8:42
  on
• 8:43
  that
• 8:43
  it
• 8:43
  gives
• 8:43
  off
• 8:43
  an
• 8:43
  odor.
• 8:45
  And
• 8:45
  I
• 8:45
  was
• 8:45
  really
• 8:45
  interested
• 8:46
  in
• 8:46
  what
• 8:46
  information
• 8:46
  is
• 8:47
  present
• 8:47
  in
• 8:47
  this
• 8:47
  odor.
• 8:48
  And
• 8:48
  so
• 8:49
  I
• 8:49
  teamed
• 8:49
  up
• 8:49
  with
• 8:49
  a
• 8:49
  pair
• 8:50
  of
• 8:50
  chemists
• 8:51
  at
• 8:51
  Indiana
• 8:52
  University,
• 8:52
  Helena
• 8:53
  Soini
• 8:53
  and
• 8:53
  Mila
• 8:53
  Shnavotny.
• 8:54
  And
• 8:55
  we
• 8:55
  actually
• 8:55
  collaborated
• 8:56
  for
• 8:56
  about
• 8:56
  a
• 8:57
  decade
• 8:58
  trying
• 8:58
  to
• 8:58
  understand
• 8:59
  what
• 9:01
  combination
• 9:01
  of
• 9:02
  these
• 9:02
  odorants
• 9:02
  were
• 9:03
  in
• 9:03
  each
• 9:03
  bird's
• 9:04
  chemical
• 9:04
  profile
• 9:05
  and
• 9:05
  how
• 9:05
  it
• 9:07
  correlated
• 9:08
  with
• 9:08
  their
• 9:08
  own
• 9:09
  biological
• 9:10
  identity,
• 9:11
  I
• 9:11
  guess.
• 9:11
  Guess
• 9:11
  you
• 9:11
  could
• 9:11
  say.
• 9:13
  So.
• 9:13
  Among
• 9:14
  the
• 9:14
  first
• 9:14
  things
• 9:14
  we
• 9:14
  found
• 9:15
  were
• 9:15
  that
• 9:16
  different
• 9:16
  species
• 9:16
  have
• 9:17
  different
• 9:17
  chemical
• 9:17
  signatures
• 9:18
  given
• 9:18
  off
• 9:18
  by
• 9:19
  these
• 9:20
  compounds
• 9:20
  by
• 9:21
  this
• 9:21
  oil.
• 9:22
  That
• 9:22
  within
• 9:23
  a
• 9:23
  species,
• 9:23
  particularly
• 9:24
  in
• 9:24
  the
• 9:24
  breeding
• 9:25
  season,
• 9:25
  males
• 9:26
  and
• 9:26
  females
• 9:26
  are
• 9:26
  different.
• 9:28
  That
• 9:28
  individuals
• 9:29
  have
• 9:30
  repeatable
• 9:31
  and
• 9:31
  recognizable
• 9:32
  signatures
• 9:32
  present
• 9:33
  in
• 9:33
  these
• 9:33
  odors,
• 9:34
  and
• 9:35
  that
• 9:35
  the
• 9:35
  odor
• 9:36
  changes
• 9:36
  depending
• 9:37
  on
• 9:37
  what
• 9:37
  stage
• 9:37
  of
• 9:37
  breeding
• 9:38
  the
• 9:38
  birds
• 9:38
  are
• 9:38
  in.
• 9:39
  Oh,
• 9:39
  cool.
• 9:40
  That's
• 9:40
  all
• 9:41
  so
• 9:41
  fascinating.
• 9:42
  Okay.
• 9:42
  There's
• 9:42
  a
• 9:42
  lot
• 9:42
  I
• 9:43
  want
• 9:43
  to
• 9:43
  ask.
• 9:44
  Can
• 9:44
  we
• 9:44
  detect
• 9:45
  those
• 9:45
  differences?
• 9:46
  I've
• 9:47
  spent
• 9:47
  a
• 9:47
  lot
• 9:47
  of
• 9:47
  time
• 9:48
  sniffing
• 9:48
  birds.
• 9:49
  I
• 9:49
  figured
• 9:50
  I
• 9:51
  can
• 9:51
  tell
• 9:51
  the
• 9:51
  difference
• 9:52
  between
• 9:52
  different
• 9:52
  species,
• 9:53
  but
• 9:54
  those
• 9:54
  individual
• 9:55
  differences
• 9:56
  I'm
• 9:57
  personally
• 9:57
  not
• 9:57
  able
• 9:58
  to
• 9:58
  detect.
• 9:58
  Okay,
• 9:59
  so
• 9:59
  we
• 9:59
  can
• 10:00
  tell
• 10:00
  humans
• 10:01
  can
• 10:01
  detect
• 10:01
  some
• 10:01
  different
• 10:02
  scent
• 10:02
  between
• 10:02
  different
• 10:03
  species
• 10:03
  of
• 10:03
  birds.
• 10:04
  I'd
• 10:04
  be
• 10:04
  really
• 10:04
  curious
• 10:04
  to
• 10:05
  know
• 10:05
  which
• 10:05
  birds
• 10:05
  smell
• 10:05
  the
• 10:05
  best.
• 10:07
  But
• 10:07
  then
• 10:07
  the
• 10:07
  fact
• 10:08
  that
• 10:08
  different
• 10:08
  individuals
• 10:09
  have
• 10:09
  different
• 10:09
  scent
• 10:10
  profiles,
• 10:10
  I
• 10:10
  mean,
• 10:11
  it
• 10:11
  makes
• 10:12
  sense
• 10:12
  in
• 10:12
  that
• 10:13
  different
• 10:13
  people
• 10:13
  have
• 10:14
  different
• 10:14
  smelling
• 10:14
  bo.
• 10:15
  Or
• 10:15
  whatever.
• 10:15
  But
• 10:16
  I
• 10:16
  don't
• 10:17
  know
• 10:17
  why
• 10:17
  it's
• 10:17
  so
• 10:18
  interesting
• 10:18
  to
• 10:19
  think
• 10:19
  about
• 10:19
  it
• 10:19
  in
• 10:19
  the
• 10:19
  context
• 10:19
  of
• 10:20
  birds.
• 10:20
  So
• 10:20
  let's
• 10:20
  start
• 10:20
  with
• 10:21
  which
• 10:21
  birds
• 10:22
  smell
• 10:22
  the
• 10:22
  best
• 10:22
  that
• 10:23
  you've
• 10:23
  smelled.
• 10:24
  My
• 10:24
  personal
• 10:24
  favorite
• 10:25
  is
• 10:25
  the
• 10:25
  brown
• 10:25
  headed
• 10:26
  cowbird.
• 10:28
  They
• 10:28
  smell
• 10:28
  like
• 10:29
  fresh
• 10:29
  baked
• 10:29
  cookies
• 10:30
  to
• 10:30
  me,
• 10:30
  like
• 10:30
  sugar
• 10:31
  cookies.
• 10:32
  Oh,
• 10:32
  man.
• 10:34
  The
• 10:34
  first
• 10:35
  time
• 10:35
  I
• 10:35
  discovered
• 10:35
  this,
• 10:36
  I
• 10:36
  was
• 10:36
  actually
• 10:37
  interested
• 10:37
  in
• 10:38
  whether
• 10:38
  or
• 10:39
  not
• 10:39
  they
• 10:39
  gave
• 10:39
  off
• 10:40
  any
• 10:40
  kind
• 10:40
  of
• 10:40
  odor
• 10:40
  at
• 10:41
  all.
• 10:41
  Brown
• 10:41
  headed
• 10:42
  cowbirds,
• 10:42
  of
• 10:42
  course,
• 10:43
  are
• 10:43
  brood
• 10:43
  parasites.
• 10:44
  They
• 10:44
  lay
• 10:44
  their
• 10:44
  eggs
• 10:45
  in
• 10:45
  other
• 10:45
  species
• 10:46
  nests
• 10:46
  and
• 10:47
  I've
• 10:47
  always
• 10:47
  wondered
• 10:48
  how
• 10:48
  they
• 10:48
  get
• 10:48
  away
• 10:48
  with
• 10:48
  that
• 10:49
  because
• 10:50
  birds
• 10:51
  will
• 10:51
  notice
• 10:51
  if
• 10:52
  something
• 10:52
  does
• 10:52
  smell
• 10:52
  different
• 10:53
  in
• 10:53
  their
• 10:53
  nest.
• 10:53
  I
• 10:53
  did
• 10:53
  an
• 10:54
  experiment
• 10:54
  by
• 10:54
  putting
• 10:55
  preen
• 10:55
  oil
• 10:56
  from
• 10:56
  other
• 10:56
  species
• 10:57
  on
• 10:57
  their
• 10:57
  nest
• 10:57
  and
• 10:57
  it
• 10:57
  did
• 10:58
  affect
• 10:58
  their
• 10:58
  behavior.
• 10:59
  Cool.
• 11:01
  And
• 11:01
  so
• 11:02
  I
• 11:02
  thought,
• 11:02
  well,
• 11:03
  maybe
• 11:03
  brown
• 11:03
  headed
• 11:03
  cowbirds
• 11:04
  don't
• 11:04
  give
• 11:04
  off
• 11:05
  an
• 11:05
  odor.
• 11:06
  And
• 11:06
  so
• 11:06
  I
• 11:06
  captured
• 11:07
  some.
• 11:07
  And
• 11:07
  the
• 11:07
  way
• 11:08
  that
• 11:08
  we
• 11:08
  process
• 11:08
  birds
• 11:09
  in
• 11:10
  the
• 11:10
  field
• 11:10
  is
• 11:10
  you
• 11:10
  put
• 11:10
  them
• 11:11
  in
• 11:11
  a
• 11:11
  little
• 11:11
  brown
• 11:11
  paper
• 11:12
  bag,
• 11:12
  like
• 11:12
  a
• 11:12
  lunch
• 11:12
  bag.
• 11:13
  It
• 11:14
  helps
• 11:14
  keep
• 11:14
  them
• 11:14
  safe,
• 11:14
  it
• 11:14
  lets
• 11:15
  light
• 11:15
  and
• 11:15
  air
• 11:15
  in.
• 11:15
  And
• 11:15
  then
• 11:16
  take
• 11:16
  them
• 11:16
  back
• 11:16
  to
• 11:16
  the
• 11:16
  lab
• 11:17
  for
• 11:17
  like
• 11:17
  all
• 11:17
  the
• 11:17
  measurements
• 11:18
  and
• 11:18
  things
• 11:18
  before
• 11:19
  returning
• 11:19
  them
• 11:20
  to
• 11:20
  the
• 11:20
  site
• 11:20
  where
• 11:20
  you
• 11:21
  release
• 11:21
  them.
• 11:22
  And
• 11:22
  I
• 11:22
  got
• 11:22
  back
• 11:22
  to
• 11:23
  the
• 11:23
  lab
• 11:23
  and
• 11:23
  I
• 11:23
  started
• 11:23
  to
• 11:24
  open
• 11:24
  the
• 11:24
  bag
• 11:24
  to
• 11:24
  take
• 11:25
  the
• 11:25
  bird
• 11:25
  out
• 11:25
  and
• 11:25
  I
• 11:25
  got
• 11:25
  the
• 11:26
  overwhelming
• 11:27
  fresh
• 11:27
  bakery
• 11:28
  scent.
• 11:28
  And
• 11:28
  I
• 11:28
  was
• 11:29
  like,
• 11:29
  who
• 11:29
  brought
• 11:29
  cookies
• 11:30
  to
• 11:30
  the
• 11:30
  lab?
• 11:31
  And
• 11:31
  then
• 11:31
  I
• 11:32
  realized
• 11:32
  it
• 11:32
  was
• 11:32
  the
• 11:32
  bird.
• 11:34
  And
• 11:34
  so
• 11:34
  I've
• 11:34
  since
• 11:35
  found
• 11:35
  that
• 11:37
  most
• 11:37
  birds
• 11:38
  that
• 11:38
  I've
• 11:38
  interacted
• 11:39
  with
• 11:39
  that
• 11:39
  are
• 11:39
  from
• 11:39
  the
• 11:39
  blackbird
• 11:40
  family
• 11:40
  that
• 11:41
  cowbirds
• 11:42
  are
• 11:42
  in
• 11:42
  actually
• 11:42
  do
• 11:43
  have
• 11:43
  kind
• 11:43
  of
• 11:43
  a
• 11:43
  sweet,
• 11:44
  very
• 11:44
  pleasant
• 11:44
  scent.
• 11:45
  Oh,
• 11:45
  that's
• 11:46
  so
• 11:46
  cool.
• 11:46
  Yeah.
• 11:46
  We
• 11:46
  did
• 11:46
  an
• 11:47
  episode
• 11:47
  on
• 11:47
  brood
• 11:47
  parasitism
• 11:48
  a
• 11:48
  few
• 11:48
  weeks
• 11:48
  ago
• 11:49
  and
• 11:49
  we
• 11:50
  took
• 11:50
  down
• 11:50
  the
• 11:50
  idea
• 11:51
  that
• 11:51
  brown
• 11:51
  headed
• 11:52
  cowbirds
• 11:52
  should
• 11:52
  be
• 11:53
  disliked
• 11:53
  or
• 11:53
  maligned.
• 11:54
  And
• 11:54
  so
• 11:54
  here's
• 11:54
  another
• 11:55
  reason
• 11:55
  to
• 11:55
  think
• 11:56
  they're
• 11:56
  very
• 11:56
  cool
• 11:57
  birds.
• 11:57
  They
• 11:58
  smell
• 11:58
  like
• 11:58
  fresh
• 11:58
  baked
• 11:58
  sugar
• 11:59
  cookies.
• 11:59
  So
• 12:00
  if
• 12:00
  you
• 12:00
  ever
• 12:00
  get
• 12:00
  the
• 12:00
  chance
• 12:01
  with
• 12:01
  the
• 12:02
  correct
• 12:02
  permits,
• 12:03
  smell
• 12:03
  one
• 12:04
  that's
• 12:04
  so
• 12:04
  interesting
• 12:05
  to
• 12:05
  these,
• 12:06
  these
• 12:06
  individual
• 12:07
  differences,
• 12:07
  then
• 12:08
  what
• 12:08
  is
• 12:08
  the
• 12:08
  evidence
• 12:09
  that
• 12:09
  mates.
• 12:10
  Can
• 12:10
  detect
• 12:10
  that
• 12:11
  people,
• 12:11
  including
• 12:12
  myself,
• 12:12
  have
• 12:12
  done
• 12:13
  a
• 12:13
  number
• 12:13
  of
• 12:13
  what
• 12:14
  we
• 12:14
  call
• 12:14
  mate
• 12:14
  choice
• 12:15
  experiments
• 12:15
  where
• 12:16
  you
• 12:16
  give
• 12:16
  birds
• 12:17
  a
• 12:17
  choice
• 12:17
  between,
• 12:18
  say
• 12:18
  if
• 12:18
  it's
• 12:18
  a
• 12:19
  male
• 12:19
  bird,
• 12:19
  you
• 12:19
  give
• 12:19
  them
• 12:19
  a
• 12:19
  choice
• 12:19
  between
• 12:20
  two
• 12:20
  females
• 12:20
  or
• 12:21
  vice
• 12:21
  versa,
• 12:22
  trying
• 12:22
  to
• 12:22
  understand
• 12:23
  what
• 12:23
  characteristics
• 12:24
  they're
• 12:24
  looking
• 12:24
  for
• 12:25
  in
• 12:25
  a
• 12:25
  mate.
• 12:26
  The
• 12:26
  problem
• 12:26
  with
• 12:27
  these
• 12:27
  experiments
• 12:27
  is
• 12:28
  you're
• 12:28
  not
• 12:29
  necessarily
• 12:29
  testing
• 12:30
  what
• 12:30
  you
• 12:30
  think
• 12:30
  you're
• 12:30
  testing
• 12:30
  there.
• 12:31
  This
• 12:31
  is
• 12:31
  not
• 12:31
  a
• 12:31
  natural
• 12:32
  situation.
• 12:35
  They're
• 12:35
  not
• 12:35
  actually
• 12:35
  looking
• 12:36
  to
• 12:36
  mate.
• 12:36
  They're
• 12:37
  being
• 12:37
  watched
• 12:37
  in
• 12:37
  a
• 12:38
  little
• 12:38
  cage,.
• 12:39
  Not
• 12:40
  the
• 12:40
  most
• 12:40
  natural
• 12:41
  setting
• 12:41
  for
• 12:42
  copulation.
• 12:43
  And
• 12:43
  Dating
• 12:43
  and
• 12:43
  all
• 12:44
  of
• 12:44
  that.
• 12:44
  Yeah,
• 12:45
  exactly.
• 12:46
  So
• 12:46
  it's
• 12:46
  a
• 12:46
  little
• 12:46
  bit
• 12:47
  tough.
• 12:48
  Instead
• 12:48
  of
• 12:49
  trying
• 12:49
  to
• 12:49
  come
• 12:49
  at
• 12:49
  this
• 12:49
  a
• 12:50
  different
• 12:50
  angle,
• 12:51
  one
• 12:51
  study
• 12:51
  I
• 12:51
  did
• 12:52
  looked
• 12:52
  at
• 12:52
  which
• 12:52
  birds
• 12:53
  had
• 12:53
  the
• 12:53
  most
• 12:53
  reproductive
• 12:54
  success
• 12:54
  in
• 12:55
  that
• 12:55
  season
• 12:56
  and
• 12:56
  whether
• 12:56
  that
• 12:56
  correlated
• 12:57
  with.
• 12:58
  With
• 12:58
  the
• 12:59
  odor
• 12:59
  that
• 12:59
  they
• 12:59
  gave
• 12:59
  off.
• 13:00
  Now,
• 13:00
  that
• 13:00
  doesn't
• 13:01
  necessarily
• 13:01
  tell
• 13:02
  you
• 13:02
  if
• 13:02
  that
• 13:03
  was
• 13:03
  important
• 13:03
  in
• 13:03
  attracting
• 13:04
  them
• 13:04
  to
• 13:04
  each
• 13:04
  other,
• 13:05
  but
• 13:05
  it
• 13:05
  could
• 13:06
  tell
• 13:06
  you
• 13:06
  something
• 13:06
  about
• 13:07
  the
• 13:07
  biology
• 13:07
  of
• 13:08
  the
• 13:08
  birds
• 13:08
  that
• 13:09
  were
• 13:09
  successful
• 13:10
  there.
• 13:10
  And
• 13:10
  so
• 13:10
  I
• 13:11
  did
• 13:11
  find
• 13:11
  a
• 13:11
  correlation
• 13:11
  with
• 13:12
  certain
• 13:12
  types
• 13:12
  of
• 13:12
  compounds
• 13:13
  and
• 13:13
  their
• 13:13
  prenoil,
• 13:14
  showing
• 13:15
  that
• 13:15
  birds
• 13:15
  who
• 13:15
  had
• 13:16
  the
• 13:16
  most
• 13:16
  surviving
• 13:16
  offspring
• 13:17
  in
• 13:17
  that
• 13:17
  year
• 13:18
  had
• 13:18
  the
• 13:18
  highest
• 13:19
  amount
• 13:19
  of
• 13:19
  certain
• 13:19
  kinds
• 13:20
  of
• 13:20
  compounds.
• 13:21
  Oh,
• 13:21
  cool.
• 13:22
  What
• 13:22
  I
• 13:22
  think
• 13:22
  is
• 13:23
  probably
• 13:23
  going
• 13:23
  on
• 13:24
  is
• 13:24
  that
• 13:24
  when
• 13:25
  birds
• 13:25
  are
• 13:25
  choosing
• 13:26
  a
• 13:26
  mate,
• 13:26
  they're,
• 13:27
  look,
• 13:27
  taking
• 13:27
  in
• 13:27
  all
• 13:28
  the
• 13:28
  information
• 13:28
  and
• 13:28
  trying
• 13:29
  to
• 13:29
  find
• 13:29
  indicators.
• 13:30
  Maybe
• 13:31
  not.
• 13:31
  Well,
• 13:31
  probably
• 13:31
  not
• 13:32
  consciously,
• 13:32
  but
• 13:32
  there's
• 13:33
  indicators
• 13:34
  of
• 13:34
  health
• 13:34
  or
• 13:36
  some
• 13:36
  kind
• 13:36
  of
• 13:37
  other,
• 13:38
  like
• 13:39
  immune
• 13:39
  function
• 13:39
  or
• 13:40
  something
• 13:40
  like
• 13:40
  that.
• 13:41
  We
• 13:41
  have
• 13:41
  found
• 13:42
  that
• 13:42
  a
• 13:43
  lot
• 13:43
  of
• 13:43
  these
• 13:43
  odors
• 13:43
  are
• 13:43
  correlated
• 13:44
  with
• 13:44
  testosterone
• 13:45
  levels
• 13:47
  and
• 13:47
  are
• 13:47
  likely
• 13:48
  correlated
• 13:48
  with
• 13:48
  other
• 13:49
  steroid
• 13:49
  hormones
• 13:49
  like
• 13:50
  estradiol
• 13:50
  and
• 13:50
  progesterone,
• 13:52
  because
• 13:52
  especially
• 13:53
  in
• 13:53
  females,
• 13:53
  they
• 13:54
  correlate
• 13:54
  very
• 13:54
  tightly
• 13:55
  with
• 13:56
  ovulation
• 13:57
  when
• 13:57
  the
• 13:57
  female
• 13:58
  lays
• 13:58
  an
• 13:58
  egg.
• 14:00
  So
• 14:00
  that
• 14:00
  might
• 14:00
  be
• 14:01
  one
• 14:01
  aspect
• 14:01
  of
• 14:01
  the
• 14:02
  information
• 14:02
  they're
• 14:02
  looking
• 14:03
  for.
• 14:03
  Okay.
• 14:04
  Which
• 14:04
  would
• 14:04
  maybe
• 14:04
  help
• 14:05
  with
• 14:05
  coordination
• 14:06
  or
• 14:06
  when
• 14:07
  a
• 14:07
  male
• 14:07
  really
• 14:07
  knows
• 14:08
  it's
• 14:08
  important
• 14:08
  to
• 14:08
  mate,
• 14:08
  guard,
• 14:09
  and
• 14:09
  all
• 14:09
  of
• 14:09
  those
• 14:10
  things.
• 14:10
  Oh,
• 14:11
  that's
• 14:11
  so
• 14:11
  interesting.
• 14:12
  And
• 14:12
  I
• 14:12
  guess
• 14:12
  your
• 14:12
  work
• 14:12
  has
• 14:13
  also
• 14:13
  connected
• 14:13
  smell
• 14:13
  to
• 14:14
  the
• 14:14
  microbiome,
• 14:14
  right?
• 14:15
  I
• 14:15
  don't
• 14:15
  think
• 14:15
  that's
• 14:15
  a
• 14:15
  connection
• 14:16
  people
• 14:16
  would
• 14:17
  necessarily
• 14:17
  make.
• 14:17
  I
• 14:18
  mean,
• 14:18
  people
• 14:18
  probably
• 14:19
  didn't
• 14:19
  know
• 14:19
  that
• 14:19
  birds
• 14:20
  have
• 14:20
  just
• 14:20
  really
• 14:20
  one
• 14:21
  major
• 14:22
  external
• 14:22
  gland
• 14:23
  which
• 14:23
  is
• 14:23
  very
• 14:23
  different
• 14:23
  than
• 14:24
  humans,
• 14:24
  which
• 14:24
  have
• 14:24
  them
• 14:25
  all
• 14:25
  over
• 14:25
  our
• 14:25
  bodies.
• 14:26
  We
• 14:26
  sweat
• 14:27
  all
• 14:27
  over
• 14:27
  the
• 14:27
  place.
• 14:28
  Can
• 14:28
  you
• 14:28
  talk
• 14:28
  a
• 14:28
  little
• 14:28
  bit
• 14:28
  more
• 14:29
  about
• 14:29
  this
• 14:29
  potential
• 14:29
  link
• 14:30
  between
• 14:30
  the
• 14:30
  microbiome
• 14:31
  and
• 14:31
  smell
• 14:31
  and
• 14:32
  what
• 14:32
  that
• 14:32
  might
• 14:33
  mean
• 14:33
  for
• 14:33
  how
• 14:33
  we
• 14:34
  think
• 14:34
  about
• 14:34
  bird
• 14:34
  communication?
• 14:35
  Yeah.
• 14:36
  So
• 14:36
  interestingly,
• 14:36
  most
• 14:37
  of
• 14:37
  the
• 14:37
  smells
• 14:38
  that
• 14:38
  we
• 14:38
  produce
• 14:38
  ourselves,
• 14:39
  that
• 14:39
  we
• 14:39
  consider
• 14:40
  our
• 14:40
  own
• 14:40
  body
• 14:40
  odor,
• 14:41
  is
• 14:41
  not
• 14:41
  produced
• 14:42
  by
• 14:42
  our
• 14:42
  own
• 14:42
  biology.
• 14:43
  So
• 14:43
  you
• 14:43
  mentioned
• 14:44
  sweat.
• 14:45
  What
• 14:45
  we
• 14:45
  know
• 14:45
  of
• 14:46
  as
• 14:46
  armpit
• 14:46
  odor
• 14:47
  is
• 14:47
  not
• 14:47
  produced
• 14:48
  by
• 14:48
  our
• 14:48
  sweat.
• 14:48
  If
• 14:48
  you
• 14:49
  take
• 14:49
  human
• 14:49
  sweat
• 14:50
  that
• 14:50
  is
• 14:52
  sterile,
• 14:52
  it
• 14:53
  has
• 14:53
  no
• 14:53
  odor.
• 14:54
  That
• 14:54
  odor
• 14:55
  is
• 14:55
  produced
• 14:55
  by
• 14:56
  all
• 14:56
  the
• 14:56
  microbiome
• 14:57
  that.
• 14:57
  All
• 14:58
  the.
• 14:58
  All
• 14:58
  the
• 14:58
  microbes
• 14:58
  that
• 14:59
  live
• 14:59
  in
• 14:59
  your
• 14:59
  armpit,
• 15:00
  that
• 15:00
  live
• 15:00
  in
• 15:01
  your
• 15:01
  sweat
• 15:01
  glands.
• 15:02
  And
• 15:02
  so
• 15:02
  this
• 15:02
  is
• 15:03
  common
• 15:03
  to
• 15:04
  all
• 15:04
  animals.
• 15:05
  And
• 15:06
  I
• 15:06
  hadn't
• 15:06
  really
• 15:06
  thought
• 15:06
  about
• 15:07
  that
• 15:07
  when
• 15:07
  I
• 15:07
  first
• 15:08
  started.
• 15:08
  I
• 15:08
  was
• 15:08
  trying.
• 15:09
  People
• 15:09
  would
• 15:09
  ask
• 15:09
  me,
• 15:10
  what
• 15:10
  is
• 15:10
  the
• 15:10
  biochemical
• 15:11
  pathway
• 15:12
  to
• 15:12
  producing
• 15:12
  these
• 15:12
  odors?
• 15:13
  I
• 15:13
  didn't
• 15:14
  have
• 15:14
  even
• 15:14
  a
• 15:15
  hypothesis
• 15:15
  at
• 15:15
  that
• 15:15
  point.
• 15:16
  And
• 15:16
  Then
• 15:17
  I
• 15:17
  met
• 15:19
  someone
• 15:19
  who
• 15:19
  would
• 15:19
  become
• 15:19
  my
• 15:20
  collaborator,
• 15:20
  Kevin
• 15:20
  Tice,
• 15:21
  who
• 15:21
  had
• 15:21
  studied
• 15:22
  hyena
• 15:23
  scent
• 15:23
  pouches
• 15:24
  for
• 15:24
  his
• 15:25
  dissertation
• 15:25
  and
• 15:26
  I
• 15:26
  think
• 15:26
  his
• 15:26
  postdoc
• 15:27
  as
• 15:27
  well.
• 15:28
  And
• 15:29
  so
• 15:29
  hyenas,
• 15:30
  they
• 15:30
  scent
• 15:31
  mark
• 15:32
  very
• 15:32
  prolifically
• 15:34
  and
• 15:35
  they
• 15:35
  have
• 15:35
  this
• 15:35
  scent
• 15:36
  pouch
• 15:36
  that's
• 15:37
  located
• 15:38
  near
• 15:38
  the
• 15:38
  anus
• 15:38
  and
• 15:39
  it
• 15:39
  contains
• 15:40
  this
• 15:40
  yellowish
• 15:41
  green
• 15:41
  paste
• 15:42
  that
• 15:42
  is
• 15:42
  just
• 15:42
  full
• 15:43
  of
• 15:43
  microbes.
• 15:44
  And
• 15:45
  the
• 15:45
  microbes
• 15:45
  are
• 15:46
  actually
• 15:46
  what
• 15:46
  is
• 15:47
  producing
• 15:47
  the
• 15:47
  odors
• 15:48
  that
• 15:49
  the
• 15:49
  hyena
• 15:50
  are
• 15:50
  smelling
• 15:50
  from
• 15:50
  each
• 15:50
  other
• 15:51
  when
• 15:51
  they
• 15:52
  sniff
• 15:52
  those
• 15:52
  scent
• 15:52
  marks.
• 15:53
  And
• 15:53
  so
• 15:53
  Kevin
• 15:53
  asked
• 15:54
  me,
• 15:54
  do
• 15:55
  you
• 15:55
  know
• 15:55
  anything
• 15:55
  about
• 15:55
  the
• 15:56
  microbiome
• 15:57
  of
• 15:57
  the
• 15:57
  urapygeal
• 15:58
  gland?
• 15:58
  And
• 15:59
  that
• 15:59
  just
• 15:59
  kind
• 15:59
  of
• 15:59
  blew
• 16:00
  my
• 16:00
  mind
• 16:00
  right
• 16:00
  there.
• 16:00
  I
• 16:01
  said,
• 16:01
  no,
• 16:01
  let's
• 16:01
  collaborate.
• 16:02
  Yeah.
• 16:04
  And
• 16:04
  so
• 16:05
  we
• 16:05
  started.
• 16:06
  I
• 16:06
  would
• 16:06
  take
• 16:06
  swabs
• 16:08
  from
• 16:08
  the
• 16:08
  preying
• 16:09
  glands
• 16:09
  of
• 16:09
  a
• 16:10
  lot
• 16:10
  of
• 16:10
  different
• 16:10
  birds,
• 16:10
  and
• 16:11
  then
• 16:11
  he
• 16:11
  would
• 16:11
  do
• 16:13
  microbiome
• 16:14
  sequencing
• 16:14
  where
• 16:14
  you
• 16:15
  sequence
• 16:16
  a
• 16:16
  particular
• 16:16
  gene
• 16:17
  in
• 16:17
  your
• 16:18
  whole
• 16:18
  sample.
• 16:18
  And
• 16:18
  then
• 16:19
  you
• 16:19
  can
• 16:19
  computationally
• 16:20
  assign
• 16:21
  those
• 16:21
  sequences
• 16:22
  to
• 16:22
  different
• 16:22
  species
• 16:23
  of
• 16:23
  microbes.
• 16:24
  And
• 16:25
  of
• 16:25
  course,
• 16:25
  they
• 16:26
  have
• 16:27
  a
• 16:27
  very
• 16:27
  rich
• 16:27
  and
• 16:28
  diverse
• 16:28
  microbiome.
• 16:28
  There's
• 16:29
  a
• 16:29
  lot
• 16:29
  of
• 16:29
  microscopic
• 16:30
  things
• 16:30
  living
• 16:31
  in
• 16:31
  those
• 16:31
  glands
• 16:31
  feeding
• 16:32
  off
• 16:32
  of
• 16:32
  that
• 16:32
  pren
• 16:32
  oil.
• 16:33
  And
• 16:34
  so
• 16:34
  we
• 16:34
  narrowed
• 16:34
  it
• 16:34
  down
• 16:35
  to
• 16:35
  look
• 16:35
  for
• 16:36
  known
• 16:36
  odor
• 16:36
  producing
• 16:37
  microbes.
• 16:38
  We
• 16:38
  found
• 16:38
  quite
• 16:38
  a
• 16:39
  few
• 16:39
  of
• 16:39
  those.
• 16:40
  And
• 16:41
  then
• 16:41
  we
• 16:41
  did
• 16:41
  one
• 16:42
  more
• 16:42
  set
• 16:42
  of
• 16:42
  experiments
• 16:43
  where
• 16:43
  we
• 16:43
  actually.
• 16:45
  Well,
• 16:45
  actually
• 16:45
  two
• 16:46
  more
• 16:46
  sets
• 16:46
  of
• 16:46
  experiments.
• 16:46
  One,
• 16:47
  we
• 16:47
  injected
• 16:48
  antibiotics
• 16:49
  directly
• 16:49
  into
• 16:50
  preen
• 16:50
  glands
• 16:51
  and
• 16:52
  looked
• 16:52
  at
• 16:52
  the
• 16:52
  effect
• 16:52
  on
• 16:53
  the
• 16:53
  odor.
• 16:53
  It
• 16:53
  did
• 16:54
  knock
• 16:54
  down
• 16:54
  the
• 16:54
  microbiome
• 16:55
  and
• 16:55
  it
• 16:55
  did
• 16:56
  affect
• 16:56
  the
• 16:56
  bird's
• 16:56
  odor.
• 16:58
  And
• 16:58
  secondly,
• 16:58
  we
• 16:59
  took
• 16:59
  preen
• 16:59
  oil
• 17:00
  and
• 17:00
  then
• 17:00
  just
• 17:01
  cultured
• 17:01
  it
• 17:02
  on
• 17:02
  petri
• 17:03
  dishes
• 17:03
  and
• 17:03
  grew
• 17:04
  microbes
• 17:05
  on
• 17:05
  there
• 17:05
  and
• 17:05
  then
• 17:05
  tested
• 17:06
  whether
• 17:06
  those
• 17:06
  microbes
• 17:07
  gave
• 17:07
  off
• 17:07
  the
• 17:08
  same
• 17:08
  odors
• 17:08
  as
• 17:09
  Junco
• 17:10
  Preen
• 17:10
  oil.
• 17:10
  Junco's
• 17:11
  being
• 17:11
  the
• 17:11
  species
• 17:11
  we
• 17:11
  were
• 17:11
  studying.
• 17:12
  And
• 17:13
  there
• 17:13
  was
• 17:13
  a
• 17:13
  very
• 17:14
  clear
• 17:14
  match.
• 17:18
  People
• 17:19
  have
• 17:19
  often
• 17:19
  asked
• 17:19
  me,
• 17:19
  like,
• 17:20
  why
• 17:20
  would
• 17:20
  you
• 17:20
  study
• 17:22
  such
• 17:22
  a
• 17:22
  boring
• 17:22
  bird?
• 17:25
  I
• 17:25
  know
• 17:25
  it's
• 17:25
  offensive.
• 17:26
  It
• 17:26
  hurts
• 17:27
  my
• 17:27
  heart.
• 17:27
  That
• 17:27
  is
• 17:27
  so
• 17:27
  offensive.
• 17:29
  They
• 17:30
  are
• 17:30
  very
• 17:30
  elegant
• 17:30
  little
• 17:31
  birds
• 17:31
  wearing
• 17:31
  tuxedos.
• 17:32
  I
• 17:32
  love
• 17:32
  Juncos.
• 17:34
  But
• 17:35
  also
• 17:35
  I
• 17:35
  thought
• 17:35
  they
• 17:36
  were
• 17:36
  a
• 17:36
  really
• 17:36
  interesting
• 17:37
  place
• 17:37
  to
• 17:37
  start
• 17:37
  looking
• 17:38
  at
• 17:38
  the
• 17:38
  information
• 17:39
  contained
• 17:39
  in
• 17:39
  odor
• 17:40
  because
• 17:40
  there's
• 17:40
  not
• 17:40
  a
• 17:41
  lot
• 17:41
  of
• 17:41
  sexual
• 17:41
  dimorphism
• 17:42
  between
• 17:42
  these
• 17:42
  birds,
• 17:43
  males
• 17:43
  and
• 17:43
  females.
• 17:44
  To
• 17:45
  most
• 17:45
  humans,
• 17:46
  they
• 17:46
  look
• 17:47
  pretty
• 17:47
  much
• 17:47
  the
• 17:47
  same.
• 17:48
  We
• 17:48
  would
• 17:48
  often
• 17:49
  have
• 17:49
  to
• 17:49
  measure
• 17:49
  the
• 17:50
  amount
• 17:50
  of
• 17:50
  tail
• 17:50
  weight
• 17:51
  in
• 17:51
  their
• 17:51
  tails
• 17:52
  to
• 17:52
  be
• 17:52
  sure
• 17:52
  whether
• 17:53
  we
• 17:53
  had
• 17:53
  a
• 17:53
  male
• 17:53
  or
• 17:53
  female
• 17:54
  if
• 17:54
  they
• 17:54
  weren't
• 17:54
  fully
• 17:55
  in
• 17:55
  breeding
• 17:55
  condition.
• 17:57
  So
• 17:57
  for
• 17:57
  your
• 17:57
  listeners
• 17:58
  who
• 17:58
  might
• 17:58
  not
• 17:58
  know,
• 17:58
  males
• 17:59
  have
• 17:59
  a
• 17:59
  bit
• 17:59
  more
• 18:00
  tail
• 18:00
  white
• 18:00
  and
• 18:01
  those
• 18:01
  outer
• 18:01
  tail
• 18:01
  feathers,
• 18:03
  and
• 18:03
  they
• 18:03
  also
• 18:04
  sometimes
• 18:04
  have
• 18:04
  longer
• 18:05
  wings
• 18:05
  than
• 18:05
  females.
• 18:07
  But
• 18:07
  other
• 18:07
  than
• 18:07
  that,
• 18:08
  they're
• 18:08
  very
• 18:08
  similar.
• 18:10
  So
• 18:10
  if
• 18:11
  the
• 18:11
  birds
• 18:11
  are
• 18:12
  not
• 18:12
  necessarily
• 18:13
  using
• 18:13
  plumage
• 18:13
  ornaments
• 18:14
  as
• 18:14
  an
• 18:14
  attractant,
• 18:15
  I
• 18:15
  was
• 18:16
  thinking
• 18:16
  along
• 18:17
  the
• 18:17
  lines
• 18:17
  of
• 18:17
  maybe
• 18:18
  odor
• 18:18
  would
• 18:18
  be
• 18:18
  more
• 18:18
  important
• 18:19
  in
• 18:19
  the
• 18:19
  species
• 18:20
  than
• 18:20
  in
• 18:21
  a
• 18:21
  species
• 18:22
  that
• 18:22
  has,
• 18:23
  you
• 18:23
  know,
• 18:23
  flashier
• 18:24
  visual
• 18:24
  signals.
• 18:25
  Does
• 18:25
  a
• 18:25
  bird's
• 18:25
  sense
• 18:26
  of
• 18:26
  smell
• 18:26
  work
• 18:26
  any
• 18:27
  differently
• 18:27
  than
• 18:28
  mammals?
• 18:29
  I
• 18:29
  think
• 18:29
  I
• 18:29
  would
• 18:30
  assume
• 18:30
  that
• 18:30
  sense
• 18:31
  of
• 18:31
  smell
• 18:31
  has
• 18:31
  been
• 18:31
  studied
• 18:32
  most
• 18:32
  in
• 18:33
  depth
• 18:33
  in
• 18:33
  mammals
• 18:34
  and
• 18:35
  mice
• 18:35
  and
• 18:36
  model
• 18:36
  systems.
• 18:37
  Do
• 18:38
  we
• 18:39
  know
• 18:39
  if
• 18:39
  it
• 18:39
  compare
• 18:40
  if,
• 18:40
  like,
• 18:40
  the
• 18:40
  sense
• 18:40
  of
• 18:40
  smell
• 18:41
  in
• 18:41
  birds
• 18:41
  is
• 18:41
  comparable
• 18:42
  in
• 18:42
  terms
• 18:42
  of
• 18:42
  just
• 18:43
  the
• 18:43
  way
• 18:43
  it
• 18:43
  works
• 18:43
  to
• 18:44
  what's
• 18:44
  going
• 18:44
  on
• 18:44
  in
• 18:44
  mammals,
• 18:45
  or
• 18:45
  is
• 18:45
  there
• 18:45
  still
• 18:45
  more
• 18:45
  to
• 18:46
  do
• 18:46
  there?
• 18:47
  Overall,
• 18:48
  it
• 18:48
  is
• 18:48
  basically
• 18:48
  the
• 18:49
  same
• 18:49
  system.
• 18:49
  Okay,
• 18:50
  so
• 18:51
  we
• 18:51
  have
• 18:52
  a
• 18:52
  mucous
• 18:52
  lining
• 18:53
  in
• 18:53
  our
• 18:53
  nasal
• 18:54
  passages.
• 18:55
  That's
• 18:55
  the
• 18:55
  olfactory
• 18:56
  epithelium.
• 18:56
  Birds
• 18:57
  have
• 18:57
  the
• 18:57
  same
• 18:57
  thing
• 18:58
  lining
• 18:59
  the
• 18:59
  inside
• 18:59
  of
• 18:59
  their
• 18:59
  nasal
• 19:00
  passages,
• 19:00
  inside
• 19:01
  their
• 19:01
  beaks.
• 19:02
  That
• 19:02
  epithelium
• 19:03
  contains
• 19:04
  hundreds
• 19:05
  of
• 19:05
  different
• 19:06
  olfactory
• 19:07
  receptors.
• 19:08
  So
• 19:08
  these
• 19:08
  are
• 19:08
  proteins
• 19:09
  that
• 19:09
  get
• 19:09
  activated
• 19:10
  when
• 19:10
  they
• 19:11
  encounter
• 19:12
  an
• 19:12
  airborne
• 19:14
  odorant
• 19:14
  that
• 19:14
  matches
• 19:15
  up
• 19:15
  with
• 19:15
  it
• 19:15
  in
• 19:16
  some
• 19:16
  way.
• 19:19
  What's
• 19:19
  different
• 19:19
  here?
• 19:20
  There's
• 19:20
  a
• 19:20
  couple
• 19:20
  of
• 19:20
  things
• 19:21
  that
• 19:21
  are
• 19:21
  different
• 19:21
  between
• 19:22
  birds
• 19:22
  and
• 19:22
  mammals.
• 19:23
  One,
• 19:24
  looking
• 19:24
  at
• 19:24
  these
• 19:24
  receptors,
• 19:25
  if
• 19:25
  you
• 19:25
  look
• 19:25
  at
• 19:26
  the
• 19:26
  DNA
• 19:26
  sequences
• 19:27
  of
• 19:27
  these
• 19:27
  receptors
• 19:28
  and
• 19:28
  the
• 19:28
  evolutionary
• 19:29
  history
• 19:29
  of
• 19:29
  them
• 19:29
  that
• 19:30
  we
• 19:30
  can
• 19:30
  infer
• 19:30
  from
• 19:30
  these
• 19:31
  sequences,
• 19:32
  birds
• 19:32
  have
• 19:32
  actually
• 19:32
  evolved
• 19:33
  a
• 19:33
  whole
• 19:33
  different
• 19:33
  class
• 19:34
  of
• 19:34
  olfactory
• 19:35
  receptors.
• 19:36
  They
• 19:36
  don't
• 19:36
  match
• 19:36
  up
• 19:37
  very
• 19:37
  well
• 19:37
  with
• 19:37
  the
• 19:38
  same
• 19:38
  ones
• 19:38
  that
• 19:38
  mammals
• 19:39
  have.
• 19:41
  They're
• 19:41
  separated
• 19:42
  into
• 19:42
  alpha,
• 19:43
  beta,
• 19:43
  et
• 19:44
  cetera.
• 19:44
  It's
• 19:44
  actually,
• 19:44
  I
• 19:44
  think
• 19:45
  the
• 19:45
  gamma
• 19:45
  group
• 19:46
  in
• 19:46
  birds
• 19:46
  has
• 19:47
  really
• 19:47
  exploded.
• 19:49
  It's
• 19:49
  hard
• 19:50
  to
• 19:50
  draw
• 19:50
  parallels
• 19:51
  between
• 19:53
  what
• 19:53
  exactly
• 19:56
  those
• 19:56
  receptors
• 19:57
  are
• 19:57
  doing.
• 19:57
  It's
• 19:58
  also
• 19:58
  just
• 19:58
  notoriously
• 19:59
  difficult
• 20:00
  in
• 20:00
  any
• 20:01
  species,
• 20:01
  including
• 20:02
  humans,
• 20:02
  to
• 20:02
  understand
• 20:03
  how
• 20:03
  those
• 20:04
  receptors
• 20:04
  actually
• 20:04
  map
• 20:05
  to
• 20:05
  odorants.
• 20:06
  That's
• 20:06
  been
• 20:07
  a
• 20:07
  long
• 20:08
  field
• 20:08
  of
• 20:08
  study
• 20:08
  that
• 20:09
  I
• 20:09
  think
• 20:09
  is
• 20:10
  finally
• 20:10
  starting
• 20:10
  to
• 20:10
  make
• 20:10
  some
• 20:11
  progress.
• 20:11
  I
• 20:11
  saw
• 20:11
  some
• 20:12
  pretty
• 20:12
  interesting
• 20:12
  papers
• 20:13
  in
• 20:13
  the
• 20:13
  last
• 20:13
  couple
• 20:13
  of
• 20:13
  years.
• 20:15
  The
• 20:15
  other
• 20:16
  major
• 20:16
  difference
• 20:16
  between
• 20:16
  birds
• 20:17
  and
• 20:17
  mammals
• 20:17
  is
• 20:17
  birds
• 20:18
  completely
• 20:18
  lack
• 20:19
  something
• 20:19
  called
• 20:19
  a
• 20:20
  vomeronasal
• 20:21
  organ.
• 20:23
  Interestingly,
• 20:24
  so
• 20:24
  do
• 20:24
  humans.
• 20:25
  But
• 20:26
  almost
• 20:26
  all
• 20:27
  other
• 20:27
  mammals
• 20:27
  have
• 20:28
  this.
• 20:28
  So
• 20:29
  if
• 20:29
  you've
• 20:29
  ever
• 20:29
  seen
• 20:29
  a
• 20:30
  dog
• 20:30
  or
• 20:30
  a
• 20:30
  cat
• 20:31
  sniff
• 20:31
  each
• 20:32
  other's
• 20:32
  butts.
• 20:32
  Yeah,
• 20:33
  my
• 20:33
  dog,
• 20:33
  you
• 20:33
  know,
• 20:34
  they're
• 20:34
  not,
• 20:35
  first
• 20:35
  thing
• 20:35
  every
• 20:36
  dog.
• 20:37
  Exactly.
• 20:38
  And
• 20:38
  they're
• 20:38
  not,
• 20:39
  like,
• 20:39
  leaning
• 20:39
  in
• 20:40
  delicately
• 20:40
  from
• 20:40
  a
• 20:40
  respectful
• 20:41
  distance
• 20:41
  to
• 20:42
  get
• 20:42
  a
• 20:42
  sniff.
• 20:42
  They're
• 20:42
  actually
• 20:43
  getting
• 20:43
  their
• 20:43
  nose
• 20:43
  up
• 20:44
  in
• 20:44
  there.
• 20:45
  And
• 20:45
  the
• 20:45
  reason
• 20:46
  for
• 20:46
  that
• 20:46
  and
• 20:46
  the
• 20:46
  reason
• 20:47
  why
• 20:47
  they
• 20:47
  have
• 20:47
  these
• 20:47
  wet
• 20:48
  noses
• 20:48
  is
• 20:48
  that
• 20:48
  they're
• 20:49
  actually
• 20:49
  detecting
• 20:50
  compounds
• 20:50
  that
• 20:50
  are
• 20:51
  not
• 20:51
  airborne,
• 20:51
  but
• 20:52
  that
• 20:52
  are
• 20:52
  actually
• 20:52
  suspended
• 20:53
  in
• 20:53
  liquid.
• 20:53
  And
• 20:54
  they're
• 20:54
  not
• 20:54
  using
• 20:55
  their
• 20:55
  nasal
• 20:56
  olfactory
• 20:56
  receptors
• 20:56
  for
• 20:57
  this,
• 20:57
  they're
• 20:57
  using
• 20:57
  something
• 20:57
  called
• 20:58
  a
• 20:58
  vomeronasal
• 20:59
  organ,
• 21:00
  and
• 21:00
  it's
• 21:00
  located
• 21:01
  in
• 21:02
  the
• 21:02
  palate
• 21:02
  of
• 21:02
  the
• 21:02
  mouth.
• 21:04
  A
• 21:05
  lot
• 21:05
  of
• 21:05
  things
• 21:05
  that
• 21:05
  we
• 21:05
  think
• 21:06
  of
• 21:06
  as
• 21:06
  pheromones
• 21:07
  in
• 21:08
  mammals
• 21:08
  anyway
• 21:08
  are
• 21:09
  these
• 21:10
  kinds
• 21:10
  of
• 21:10
  compounds.
• 21:11
  They're
• 21:11
  not
• 21:11
  being
• 21:11
  detected
• 21:12
  through
• 21:13
  inhaling
• 21:13
  air.
• 21:15
  Humans
• 21:16
  and
• 21:16
  our
• 21:16
  very
• 21:17
  close
• 21:17
  primate
• 21:18
  relatives
• 21:18
  don't
• 21:19
  have
• 21:19
  a
• 21:19
  functioning
• 21:19
  bomb
• 21:20
  or
• 21:20
  nasal
• 21:20
  organ.
• 21:21
  We're
• 21:22
  kind
• 21:22
  of
• 21:22
  unique
• 21:22
  in
• 21:22
  the
• 21:23
  mammalian
• 21:23
  world
• 21:24
  that
• 21:24
  way.
• 21:24
  And
• 21:25
  birds
• 21:25
  lack
• 21:25
  it
• 21:25
  entirely.
• 21:26
  Which
• 21:26
  might
• 21:26
  be
• 21:27
  another
• 21:27
  reason
• 21:27
  why
• 21:27
  it
• 21:27
  was
• 21:28
  thought
• 21:28
  that
• 21:28
  odor
• 21:29
  wasn't
• 21:29
  very
• 21:29
  important
• 21:29
  to
• 21:29
  them.
• 21:30
  Yeah,
• 21:31
  that's
• 21:31
  so
• 21:31
  fascinating.
• 21:32
  I
• 21:32
  guess
• 21:32
  I
• 21:33
  knew
• 21:33
  about
• 21:33
  the
• 21:33
  vomeronasal
• 21:34
  organ.
• 21:34
  I
• 21:34
  didn't
• 21:35
  really
• 21:35
  fully
• 21:35
  understand
• 21:36
  how
• 21:36
  it
• 21:36
  works.
• 21:36
  So
• 21:36
  now
• 21:37
  thank
• 21:37
  you
• 21:37
  for
• 21:37
  shedding
• 21:37
  light
• 21:38
  on
• 21:38
  my
• 21:38
  dog's
• 21:39
  very
• 21:39
  aggressive
• 21:39
  butt
• 21:40
  sniffing
• 21:40
  that
• 21:40
  he
• 21:41
  does
• 21:41
  every
• 21:42
  walk.
• 21:46
  Okay.
• 21:46
  So
• 21:46
  one
• 21:46
  of
• 21:47
  the
• 21:47
  earlier
• 21:48
  studies
• 21:49
  on
• 21:49
  seabirds
• 21:50
  and
• 21:50
  their
• 21:51
  use
• 21:51
  of
• 21:51
  smell
• 21:51
  beyond
• 21:52
  the
• 21:52
  context
• 21:53
  of
• 21:53
  navigation
• 21:54
  and
• 21:54
  foraging
• 21:55
  was
• 21:55
  looking
• 21:55
  at
• 21:55
  how
• 21:56
  used
• 21:56
  it
• 21:56
  in
• 21:57
  a
• 21:57
  social
• 21:57
  context.
• 21:57
  Francesco
• 21:58
  Bonadonna,
• 21:59
  who's
• 21:59
  a
• 21:59
  French
• 21:59
  researcher,
• 22:01
  was
• 22:01
  studying
• 22:01
  blue
• 22:02
  petrels.
• 22:02
  And
• 22:03
  these
• 22:03
  are
• 22:04
  arctic
• 22:05
  seabird
• 22:05
  that
• 22:06
  they
• 22:06
  live
• 22:06
  in
• 22:07
  big
• 22:07
  colonies
• 22:08
  and
• 22:08
  they
• 22:08
  spend
• 22:09
  the
• 22:09
  entire
• 22:09
  day
• 22:10
  looking
• 22:11
  for
• 22:11
  food
• 22:11
  over
• 22:12
  the
• 22:12
  ocean.
• 22:12
  And
• 22:12
  then
• 22:12
  they
• 22:12
  come
• 22:13
  back
• 22:13
  at
• 22:14
  night
• 22:14
  in
• 22:14
  the
• 22:14
  dark,
• 22:15
  and
• 22:16
  they
• 22:16
  actually
• 22:16
  build
• 22:16
  their
• 22:16
  nests
• 22:17
  in
• 22:17
  burrows.
• 22:17
  And
• 22:17
  so
• 22:18
  you've
• 22:18
  got
• 22:18
  thousands
• 22:19
  of
• 22:19
  birds
• 22:19
  on
• 22:19
  an
• 22:20
  island
• 22:20
  with
• 22:21
  all
• 22:21
  these
• 22:21
  identical
• 22:21
  little
• 22:22
  burrows.
• 22:22
  It's
• 22:22
  actually
• 22:22
  their
• 22:23
  sense
• 22:23
  of
• 22:23
  smell
• 22:23
  that
• 22:23
  helps
• 22:24
  guide
• 22:24
  them
• 22:24
  to
• 22:25
  the
• 22:25
  correct
• 22:25
  one.
• 22:26
  They
• 22:26
  know
• 22:26
  what
• 22:26
  their
• 22:26
  nest
• 22:26
  smells
• 22:27
  like,
• 22:27
  they
• 22:27
  know
• 22:27
  what
• 22:27
  their
• 22:27
  mate
• 22:28
  smells.
• 22:30
  These
• 22:30
  researchers
• 22:30
  did
• 22:31
  this
• 22:31
  really
• 22:31
  cool
• 22:31
  experiment
• 22:32
  where
• 22:32
  they
• 22:32
  would
• 22:32
  capture
• 22:33
  a
• 22:33
  bird
• 22:33
  and
• 22:34
  this
• 22:34
  would
• 22:34
  be
• 22:34
  a
• 22:34
  known
• 22:35
  bird,
• 22:35
  they
• 22:35
  would
• 22:35
  know
• 22:35
  which
• 22:35
  one
• 22:35
  was
• 22:36
  its
• 22:36
  burrow.
• 22:36
  And
• 22:36
  they
• 22:37
  made
• 22:37
  this
• 22:37
  little
• 22:37
  contraption
• 22:38
  where
• 22:38
  they
• 22:38
  had
• 22:38
  one
• 22:39
  arm
• 22:39
  going
• 22:39
  to
• 22:39
  that
• 22:40
  bird's
• 22:40
  own
• 22:40
  nest
• 22:40
  and
• 22:41
  the
• 22:41
  other
• 22:41
  arm
• 22:41
  going
• 22:42
  to
• 22:42
  a
• 22:42
  different
• 22:42
  nest.
• 22:43
  And
• 22:43
  then
• 22:43
  they
• 22:44
  put
• 22:44
  the
• 22:44
  bird
• 22:44
  in
• 22:44
  a
• 22:44
  little
• 22:45
  box
• 22:45
  that
• 22:45
  connected
• 22:45
  these
• 22:46
  two
• 22:46
  arms
• 22:46
  and
• 22:47
  bird
• 22:47
  always
• 22:47
  knew
• 22:48
  which
• 22:48
  one
• 22:48
  was
• 22:48
  its
• 22:48
  own
• 22:48
  nest
• 22:49
  just
• 22:49
  by
• 22:49
  the
• 22:49
  scent
• 22:50
  alone,
• 22:50
  which
• 22:51
  I'm
• 22:51
  not
• 22:52
  sure
• 22:52
  I
• 22:52
  could
• 22:52
  find
• 22:52
  my
• 22:53
  own
• 22:53
  house
• 22:53
  by
• 22:53
  smell.
• 22:55
  I
• 22:55
  know
• 22:55
  I
• 22:56
  could
• 22:56
  not.
• 22:57
  I
• 22:57
  think
• 22:57
  I
• 22:58
  would
• 22:58
  know
• 22:58
  if
• 22:58
  I
• 22:58
  was
• 22:58
  in
• 22:59
  my
• 22:59
  own
• 22:59
  house
• 23:00
  by
• 23:00
  the
• 23:00
  sense
• 23:00
  of
• 23:00
  smell,
• 23:00
  perhaps.
• 23:01
  But
• 23:01
  even
• 23:01
  that,
• 23:02
  like,
• 23:02
  it
• 23:03
  can
• 23:03
  change
• 23:03
  so
• 23:03
  much.
• 23:03
  I
• 23:04
  feel
• 23:04
  like
• 23:04
  my
• 23:04
  grandma's
• 23:04
  house
• 23:05
  for
• 23:05
  some
• 23:05
  reason
• 23:05
  had
• 23:05
  a
• 23:06
  very
• 23:06
  distinct
• 23:07
  smell.
• 23:07
  She
• 23:08
  was
• 23:08
  not
• 23:08
  a
• 23:08
  hoarder
• 23:09
  by
• 23:09
  any
• 23:09
  means,
• 23:10
  but
• 23:10
  I
• 23:10
  don't
• 23:11
  know,
• 23:11
  the
• 23:11
  house
• 23:11
  smelled
• 23:11
  a
• 23:12
  certain
• 23:12
  way.
• 23:12
  She
• 23:12
  baked
• 23:13
  a
• 23:13
  lot,
• 23:13
  so
• 23:13
  maybe
• 23:13
  it
• 23:13
  was.
• 23:15
  Yeah,
• 23:15
  brown
• 23:15
  headed
• 23:16
  cowbird
• 23:16
  vibes.
• 23:16
  But
• 23:17
  that's
• 23:18
  cool.
• 23:18
  Yeah.
• 23:19
  One
• 23:20
  thing
• 23:20
  I
• 23:20
  wanted
• 23:20
  to
• 23:20
  talk
• 23:21
  about,
• 23:21
  it
• 23:21
  came
• 23:21
  up
• 23:22
  a
• 23:22
  little
• 23:22
  bit
• 23:22
  earlier,
• 23:22
  this
• 23:22
  dimethyl
• 23:23
  sulfide
• 23:24
  scent
• 23:24
  with
• 23:25
  a
• 23:25
  Lot
• 23:25
  of
• 23:25
  seabirds
• 23:26
  using
• 23:26
  that
• 23:26
  to
• 23:26
  detect
• 23:27
  upwellings
• 23:28
  in
• 23:28
  food.
• 23:29
  There's
• 23:29
  an
• 23:29
  interesting
• 23:29
  conservation
• 23:30
  story
• 23:30
  there,
• 23:30
  too,
• 23:31
  I
• 23:31
  believe,
• 23:31
  where
• 23:32
  plastics
• 23:33
  get
• 23:33
  colonized
• 23:34
  by
• 23:35
  microbes
• 23:35
  that
• 23:36
  then
• 23:36
  release
• 23:36
  the
• 23:36
  same
• 23:37
  smell.
• 23:37
  Right.
• 23:37
  Is
• 23:37
  that
• 23:38
  something
• 23:38
  you've
• 23:39
  read
• 23:39
  about?
• 23:40
  I
• 23:40
  was
• 23:40
  not
• 23:41
  aware
• 23:41
  of
• 23:41
  that.
• 23:42
  It
• 23:42
  doesn't
• 23:42
  surprise
• 23:43
  me,
• 23:43
  though.
• 23:43
  Plastics
• 23:44
  are
• 23:44
  terrible.
• 23:44
  Yeah.
• 23:45
  I
• 23:45
  mean,
• 23:45
  so,
• 23:45
  yeah,
• 23:46
  plastics
• 23:46
  are
• 23:46
  terrible.
• 23:46
  Microplastics
• 23:47
  are
• 23:47
  awful.
• 23:48
  But
• 23:48
  a
• 23:48
  lot
• 23:48
  of
• 23:48
  albatross
• 23:49
  feed
• 23:49
  their
• 23:49
  chicks
• 23:50
  plastic
• 23:50
  objects,
• 23:51
  and
• 23:52
  it
• 23:52
  doesn't
• 23:52
  make
• 23:53
  any
• 23:53
  sense
• 23:53
  because
• 23:53
  it
• 23:53
  doesn't
• 23:54
  look
• 23:54
  like
• 23:54
  food,
• 23:54
  like
• 23:55
  a
• 23:55
  lighter
• 23:55
  or
• 23:56
  a.
• 23:57
  Literally
• 23:57
  like
• 23:57
  a
• 23:57
  toothbrush
• 23:58
  or
• 23:58
  whatever.
• 23:59
  You'd
• 23:59
  expect
• 23:59
  that
• 24:00
  a
• 24:00
  sea
• 24:00
  bird
• 24:00
  wouldn't
• 24:00
  be
• 24:01
  like,
• 24:01
  oh,
• 24:01
  that's
• 24:01
  squid.
• 24:02
  But
• 24:02
  apparently
• 24:04
  when
• 24:04
  the
• 24:04
  plastics
• 24:05
  get
• 24:05
  colonized
• 24:06
  by
• 24:06
  these
• 24:06
  microbes,
• 24:07
  which
• 24:07
  we
• 24:07
  were
• 24:07
  just
• 24:08
  talking
• 24:08
  about,
• 24:08
  you
• 24:08
  know,
• 24:08
  microbes
• 24:09
  are
• 24:09
  releasing
• 24:10
  these
• 24:10
  scents
• 24:10
  in
• 24:11
  preen
• 24:11
  glands
• 24:11
  as
• 24:11
  well.
• 24:13
  They
• 24:13
  release
• 24:13
  the
• 24:13
  same
• 24:14
  scent
• 24:14
  as
• 24:14
  actual
• 24:15
  food.
• 24:16
  And
• 24:16
  so
• 24:16
  the
• 24:16
  albatross
• 24:17
  might
• 24:17
  actually
• 24:17
  think
• 24:17
  they're
• 24:18
  feeding
• 24:18
  their
• 24:18
  chicks
• 24:18
  real
• 24:19
  food.
• 24:21
  That's
• 24:21
  fascinating
• 24:22
  and
• 24:22
  horrifying.
• 24:23
  Right?
• 24:24
  I
• 24:24
  know.
• 24:24
  I
• 24:24
  mean,
• 24:24
  it
• 24:24
  explains
• 24:25
  this
• 24:25
  insane
• 24:26
  pattern
• 24:26
  of.
• 24:27
  Of
• 24:27
  chicks.
• 24:27
  And
• 24:27
  for
• 24:27
  folks
• 24:28
  listening,
• 24:28
  the
• 24:28
  albatross
• 24:29
  chicks
• 24:29
  obviously
• 24:29
  can't
• 24:30
  digest
• 24:32
  any
• 24:32
  of
• 24:32
  this
• 24:32
  plastic,
• 24:33
  but
• 24:33
  it
• 24:34
  fills
• 24:34
  up
• 24:34
  their
• 24:34
  gut
• 24:35
  and
• 24:35
  they
• 24:35
  can't
• 24:35
  pass
• 24:36
  it,
• 24:36
  and
• 24:36
  then
• 24:36
  they
• 24:36
  end
• 24:37
  up
• 24:37
  just
• 24:37
  starving
• 24:37
  to
• 24:37
  death.
• 24:38
  And
• 24:38
  you
• 24:38
  get
• 24:38
  these
• 24:38
  carcasses
• 24:39
  with
• 24:39
  dead
• 24:40
  baby
• 24:40
  albatross
• 24:41
  that
• 24:41
  have
• 24:41
  a
• 24:42
  gut
• 24:42
  full
• 24:42
  of
• 24:42
  plastic,
• 24:43
  which
• 24:43
  is
• 24:44
  horrific.
• 24:45
  But
• 24:45
  until
• 24:45
  I
• 24:45
  think
• 24:46
  that
• 24:46
  dimethyl
• 24:46
  sulfide
• 24:47
  finding.
• 24:47
  Dimethyl
• 24:48
  sulfide
• 24:48
  finding.
• 24:50
  It's
• 24:50
  a
• 24:50
  mouthful.
• 24:53
  It
• 24:53
  didn't
• 24:53
  make
• 24:54
  sense
• 24:54
  that
• 24:54
  they
• 24:54
  would
• 24:54
  be
• 24:55
  doing
• 24:55
  that.
• 24:55
  But,
• 24:55
  yeah,
• 24:56
  if
• 24:56
  they're
• 24:56
  relying
• 24:56
  so
• 24:57
  much
• 24:57
  on
• 24:57
  their
• 24:57
  sense
• 24:57
  of
• 24:57
  smell,
• 24:57
  like
• 24:58
  we've
• 24:58
  been
• 24:58
  talking
• 24:58
  about,
• 24:58
  it
• 24:59
  makes
• 24:59
  a
• 24:59
  lot
• 24:59
  more
• 24:59
  sense
• 24:59
  and
• 25:00
  is
• 25:00
  disturbing.
• 25:01
  Yeah,
• 25:02
  yeah,
• 25:05
  that's
• 25:05
  a
• 25:05
  dark
• 25:05
  one,
• 25:06
  but
• 25:07
  important
• 25:08
  to
• 25:08
  put
• 25:08
  out
• 25:09
  there.
• 25:09
  But
• 25:09
  can
• 25:09
  you.
• 25:10
  I
• 25:10
  guess,
• 25:10
  like,
• 25:11
  it'd
• 25:11
  be
• 25:11
  fun
• 25:12
  to
• 25:12
  talk
• 25:12
  more
• 25:12
  about
• 25:12
  your
• 25:12
  work.
• 25:13
  Like,
• 25:13
  when
• 25:13
  you
• 25:13
  were.
• 25:14
  When
• 25:15
  you
• 25:15
  started,
• 25:15
  what
• 25:16
  was
• 25:16
  something
• 25:16
  you
• 25:16
  ended
• 25:17
  up
• 25:17
  finding
• 25:17
  that
• 25:17
  you
• 25:18
  didn't
• 25:18
  anticipate
• 25:18
  or.
• 25:19
  Or
• 25:19
  was
• 25:20
  there
• 25:20
  a
• 25:20
  moment
• 25:20
  that
• 25:21
  you
• 25:21
  were
• 25:21
  like,
• 25:21
  oh,
• 25:22
  man,
• 25:22
  this
• 25:22
  really
• 25:22
  is
• 25:23
  a
• 25:23
  really
• 25:23
  exciting
• 25:24
  direction
• 25:24
  of
• 25:24
  research
• 25:25
  to
• 25:25
  be
• 25:25
  pursuing.
• 25:27
  So
• 25:28
  when
• 25:28
  I
• 25:28
  first
• 25:28
  got
• 25:28
  the
• 25:29
  idea
• 25:29
  that
• 25:30
  scent
• 25:31
  might
• 25:31
  be
• 25:31
  important
• 25:31
  in
• 25:31
  mate
• 25:32
  choice,
• 25:32
  this
• 25:33
  was
• 25:33
  when.
• 25:35
  So
• 25:35
  my
• 25:35
  chemistry
• 25:36
  collaborators
• 25:36
  and
• 25:37
  another
• 25:37
  member
• 25:37
  of
• 25:37
  the
• 25:38
  lab
• 25:38
  had
• 25:38
  looked
• 25:38
  at
• 25:39
  whether
• 25:39
  there
• 25:40
  was
• 25:40
  a
• 25:40
  difference
• 25:41
  in
• 25:41
  the
• 25:42
  amount
• 25:42
  of
• 25:42
  odorants
• 25:43
  that
• 25:43
  Junco
• 25:43
  prenoil
• 25:44
  produced
• 25:44
  when
• 25:44
  they
• 25:45
  were
• 25:45
  in
• 25:45
  breeding
• 25:45
  condition
• 25:45
  versus
• 25:46
  when
• 25:46
  they
• 25:46
  were
• 25:46
  not
• 25:46
  in
• 25:47
  breeding
• 25:47
  condition.
• 25:48
  The
• 25:48
  reason
• 25:48
  they
• 25:49
  were
• 25:49
  studying
• 25:49
  that
• 25:49
  this
• 25:49
  is
• 25:49
  because
• 25:50
  there's
• 25:50
  this
• 25:50
  species
• 25:51
  of
• 25:52
  bird
• 25:52
  called
• 25:52
  the
• 25:52
  red
• 25:53
  knot.
• 25:54
  It's
• 25:54
  a
• 25:54
  shorebird.
• 25:55
  And
• 25:55
  a
• 25:56
  different
• 25:57
  researcher
• 25:57
  had
• 25:57
  found
• 25:58
  that
• 25:58
  they
• 25:59
  changed
• 25:59
  the
• 26:00
  components
• 26:01
  of
• 26:01
  their
• 26:02
  preen
• 26:02
  oil
• 26:02
  when
• 26:03
  they
• 26:03
  were
• 26:03
  nesting.
• 26:04
  And
• 26:04
  this
• 26:05
  chemical
• 26:05
  change
• 26:05
  made
• 26:06
  their
• 26:06
  nest
• 26:06
  harder
• 26:07
  to
• 26:07
  detect.
• 26:07
  And
• 26:08
  they
• 26:08
  did
• 26:08
  some
• 26:08
  really
• 26:08
  cool
• 26:08
  studies
• 26:09
  using
• 26:09
  a
• 26:09
  dog
• 26:09
  that
• 26:10
  was
• 26:10
  trained
• 26:10
  to
• 26:10
  go
• 26:10
  look
• 26:11
  for
• 26:11
  their
• 26:11
  nests
• 26:11
  and
• 26:12
  he
• 26:12
  couldn't
• 26:12
  detect
• 26:12
  them
• 26:13
  when
• 26:13
  they
• 26:13
  were
• 26:13
  in
• 26:13
  this
• 26:13
  breeding
• 26:14
  condition.
• 26:15
  Juncos
• 26:15
  nest
• 26:16
  on
• 26:16
  the
• 26:16
  ground.
• 26:17
  They
• 26:17
  don't
• 26:17
  have
• 26:17
  very
• 26:17
  well
• 26:18
  hidden
• 26:18
  nests.
• 26:18
  They're.
• 26:19
  And
• 26:19
  they
• 26:19
  were
• 26:20
  very,
• 26:21
  very
• 26:21
  susceptible
• 26:22
  to
• 26:22
  predators,
• 26:23
  Especially
• 26:24
  things
• 26:24
  like
• 26:24
  chipmunks
• 26:25
  and
• 26:25
  snakes.
• 26:26
  And
• 26:26
  so
• 26:27
  they
• 26:27
  were
• 26:27
  interested
• 26:27
  in
• 26:27
  seeing,
• 26:28
  well,
• 26:28
  maybe
• 26:28
  they're
• 26:28
  trying
• 26:29
  to
• 26:29
  do
• 26:29
  the
• 26:29
  same
• 26:29
  thing
• 26:30
  as
• 26:30
  the
• 26:30
  shorebirds.
• 26:31
  Maybe
• 26:31
  they're
• 26:31
  trying
• 26:31
  to
• 26:31
  camouflage
• 26:32
  the
• 26:32
  scent
• 26:32
  of
• 26:33
  their
• 26:33
  nests.
• 26:34
  And
• 26:34
  what
• 26:34
  they
• 26:34
  found
• 26:34
  was
• 26:35
  the
• 26:35
  exact
• 26:35
  opposite.
• 26:36
  Birds
• 26:36
  in
• 26:36
  non
• 26:36
  breeding
• 26:37
  condition
• 26:37
  produced
• 26:37
  almost
• 26:38
  nothing
• 26:38
  in
• 26:38
  terms
• 26:39
  of
• 26:39
  odor.
• 26:39
  And
• 26:39
  birds
• 26:40
  in
• 26:40
  breeding
• 26:40
  condition
• 26:41
  produced
• 26:41
  a
• 26:41
  ton
• 26:41
  of
• 26:41
  odor.
• 26:43
  And
• 26:43
  so
• 26:44
  I
• 26:44
  immediately
• 26:44
  said,
• 26:44
  wow,
• 26:45
  this
• 26:45
  must
• 26:45
  be
• 26:45
  some
• 26:45
  kind
• 26:45
  of
• 26:45
  matrize
• 26:46
  signal.
• 26:47
  And,
• 26:47
  and
• 26:47
  like
• 26:48
  many
• 26:48
  bird
• 26:49
  researchers,
• 26:49
  my
• 26:49
  first
• 26:50
  thought
• 26:50
  was
• 26:51
  males
• 26:51
  must
• 26:51
  be
• 26:52
  using
• 26:52
  this
• 26:52
  to
• 26:52
  attract
• 26:53
  females.
• 26:55
  And
• 26:56
  we
• 26:56
  tried
• 26:57
  a
• 26:57
  lot
• 26:58
  of
• 26:58
  different
• 26:58
  things.
• 26:58
  We
• 26:58
  did
• 26:58
  find
• 26:59
  a
• 26:59
  difference
• 26:59
  in
• 26:59
  males
• 26:59
  and
• 27:00
  females,
• 27:02
  but
• 27:02
  males
• 27:03
  weren't.
• 27:04
  Females
• 27:04
  really
• 27:04
  weren't
• 27:05
  that
• 27:05
  interested
• 27:05
  in
• 27:05
  male
• 27:06
  odors
• 27:06
  in
• 27:06
  experimental
• 27:07
  behavior
• 27:08
  experiments.
• 27:09
  And
• 27:10
  males
• 27:10
  were
• 27:10
  actually
• 27:10
  more
• 27:11
  interested
• 27:11
  in
• 27:11
  male
• 27:12
  odor
• 27:12
  than
• 27:12
  female
• 27:12
  odor,
• 27:14
  which
• 27:14
  turned
• 27:15
  out
• 27:15
  to
• 27:15
  be
• 27:15
  because
• 27:15
  it
• 27:16
  is
• 27:16
  actually
• 27:16
  correlated
• 27:17
  with
• 27:17
  aggressive
• 27:17
  responses.
• 27:18
  Ah,
• 27:19
  cool.
• 27:20
  But
• 27:20
  over
• 27:20
  time,
• 27:21
  I
• 27:21
  started
• 27:21
  to
• 27:22
  notice
• 27:22
  that
• 27:23
  females
• 27:23
  produced
• 27:24
  larger
• 27:24
  amounts
• 27:25
  of
• 27:25
  these
• 27:25
  compounds
• 27:26
  than
• 27:26
  males
• 27:26
  in
• 27:26
  the
• 27:27
  breeding
• 27:27
  season.
• 27:28
  I
• 27:28
  started
• 27:28
  to
• 27:29
  take
• 27:30
  this
• 27:30
  insight
• 27:31
  and
• 27:31
  look
• 27:31
  at
• 27:31
  other
• 27:31
  species
• 27:32
  that
• 27:32
  other
• 27:32
  people
• 27:33
  had
• 27:33
  studied
• 27:34
  and
• 27:34
  started
• 27:34
  to
• 27:35
  see
• 27:35
  a
• 27:35
  consistent
• 27:35
  pattern.
• 27:38
  I
• 27:38
  teamed
• 27:38
  up
• 27:39
  with
• 27:39
  a
• 27:39
  friend
• 27:39
  and
• 27:40
  collaborator
• 27:40
  of
• 27:40
  mine,
• 27:41
  Julie
• 27:41
  Hagelin,
• 27:42
  who
• 27:43
  studied
• 27:43
  this
• 27:43
  before
• 27:43
  me.
• 27:44
  She
• 27:44
  actually
• 27:44
  looked
• 27:44
  at
• 27:45
  crested
• 27:45
  aucklets.
• 27:46
  It's
• 27:46
  one
• 27:46
  of
• 27:47
  the
• 27:47
  first
• 27:47
  studies
• 27:47
  of,
• 27:48
  of
• 27:49
  seabird
• 27:50
  olfaction.
• 27:51
  And
• 27:52
  we
• 27:52
  did
• 27:52
  this
• 27:52
  review
• 27:52
  of
• 27:53
  everything
• 27:53
  we
• 27:53
  could
• 27:53
  possibly
• 27:54
  find.
• 27:54
  And
• 27:54
  we
• 27:55
  found
• 27:55
  that
• 27:55
  in
• 27:56
  most
• 27:56
  species
• 27:57
  in
• 27:57
  the
• 27:57
  breeding
• 27:58
  season,
• 27:58
  females
• 27:59
  either
• 27:59
  produce
• 28:00
  more
• 28:00
  diverse
• 28:01
  compounds
• 28:01
  in
• 28:01
  their
• 28:02
  odor
• 28:02
  or
• 28:03
  greater
• 28:04
  amounts
• 28:05
  of
• 28:05
  compounds,
• 28:06
  like
• 28:06
  more
• 28:07
  intense
• 28:07
  smells
• 28:08
  than
• 28:08
  males.
• 28:09
  So
• 28:09
  it
• 28:10
  really
• 28:10
  kind
• 28:10
  of
• 28:10
  makes
• 28:11
  you
• 28:11
  stop
• 28:13
  and
• 28:13
  think
• 28:13
  about
• 28:14
  your
• 28:14
  own
• 28:14
  bias.
• 28:14
  Like,
• 28:15
  oh,
• 28:15
  females
• 28:16
  are
• 28:16
  just
• 28:16
  the
• 28:16
  choosers.
• 28:17
  Males
• 28:17
  are
• 28:18
  the
• 28:18
  ones
• 28:18
  that
• 28:19
  are
• 28:19
  out
• 28:19
  there
• 28:19
  showing,
• 28:20
  showing
• 28:20
  off.
• 28:20
  And
• 28:20
  females
• 28:21
  are
• 28:21
  just
• 28:21
  these,
• 28:22
  just
• 28:22
  selecting.
• 28:22
  But
• 28:23
  they're
• 28:23
  actually
• 28:23
  quite
• 28:24
  involved
• 28:24
  in
• 28:24
  communicating
• 28:25
  as
• 28:25
  well.
• 28:26
  And
• 28:26
  it
• 28:27
  could
• 28:27
  be
• 28:27
  communicating
• 28:28
  that
• 28:28
  they're
• 28:28
  in
• 28:28
  breeding
• 28:28
  condition.
• 28:29
  It
• 28:29
  could
• 28:29
  be
• 28:29
  communicating
• 28:30
  that
• 28:30
  they
• 28:31
  have,
• 28:31
  you
• 28:32
  know,
• 28:32
  good
• 28:32
  health,
• 28:32
  a
• 28:33
  good
• 28:33
  immune
• 28:33
  system,
• 28:33
  therefore
• 28:34
  I
• 28:34
  would
• 28:34
  be
• 28:34
  a
• 28:34
  good
• 28:34
  mother
• 28:35
  to
• 28:35
  your
• 28:35
  offspring.
• 28:35
  I
• 28:36
  don't
• 28:36
  know,
• 28:36
  there's
• 28:36
  all
• 28:36
  kinds
• 28:36
  of
• 28:36
  things
• 28:37
  that
• 28:37
  could
• 28:37
  be
• 28:37
  there,
• 28:38
  you
• 28:39
  know,
• 28:39
  And
• 28:39
  I'd
• 28:39
  always
• 28:39
  thought
• 28:39
  of
• 28:40
  myself
• 28:40
  as
• 28:40
  someone
• 28:40
  who
• 28:41
  didn't
• 28:42
  have
• 28:42
  that
• 28:42
  kind
• 28:42
  of
• 28:42
  bias
• 28:43
  in
• 28:43
  my
• 28:43
  behavioral
• 28:44
  research.
• 28:44
  But
• 28:45
  it's
• 28:45
  a
• 28:45
  little
• 28:45
  bit
• 28:45
  of
• 28:46
  a
• 28:46
  shock
• 28:46
  to
• 28:46
  see
• 28:46
  that.
• 28:47
  That
• 28:47
  I
• 28:48
  had
• 28:48
  immediately
• 28:48
  fallen
• 28:49
  into
• 28:49
  that
• 28:49
  trap.
• 28:50
  It's
• 28:50
  amazing
• 28:51
  how
• 28:51
  easy
• 28:51
  it
• 28:51
  is.
• 28:51
  I
• 28:52
  mean,
• 28:52
  based
• 28:52
  on,
• 28:53
  like,
• 28:53
  what
• 28:53
  we
• 28:53
  learn
• 28:54
  going
• 28:54
  through
• 28:55
  university
• 28:55
  and
• 28:56
  as
• 28:56
  graduate
• 28:56
  students.
• 28:57
  Even
• 28:58
  if
• 28:58
  you
• 28:58
  are
• 28:59
  trying.
• 28:59
  Yeah.
• 28:59
  To
• 28:59
  come
• 29:00
  at
• 29:00
  things
• 29:00
  in
• 29:00
  an
• 29:00
  unbiased
• 29:01
  way,
• 29:01
  there's
• 29:02
  just
• 29:02
  this
• 29:02
  whole
• 29:02
  world
• 29:02
  of
• 29:05
  training
• 29:06
  that
• 29:06
  we've
• 29:06
  had
• 29:06
  that
• 29:06
  kind
• 29:06
  of
• 29:07
  reinforces
• 29:07
  some
• 29:07
  of
• 29:07
  those
• 29:08
  biases,
• 29:08
  and
• 29:08
  it's
• 29:09
  hard
• 29:10
  to
• 29:10
  get
• 29:10
  yourself
• 29:10
  out
• 29:10
  of
• 29:10
  them,
• 29:11
  but
• 29:11
  it's
• 29:11
  amazing
• 29:11
  when
• 29:11
  you
• 29:12
  do.
• 29:12
  And
• 29:12
  you
• 29:12
  can
• 29:12
  be
• 29:12
  like,
• 29:12
  oh,
• 29:13
  man.
• 29:14
  One,
• 29:14
  recognize
• 29:14
  that
• 29:15
  the
• 29:15
  bias
• 29:15
  exists,
• 29:15
  but
• 29:15
  two,
• 29:16
  you
• 29:16
  can
• 29:16
  push
• 29:16
  past
• 29:16
  it
• 29:17
  and
• 29:17
  then
• 29:17
  provide
• 29:17
  all
• 29:17
  this
• 29:18
  really
• 29:18
  cool
• 29:18
  new
• 29:18
  information,
• 29:19
  which
• 29:20
  is
• 29:20
  similar
• 29:20
  with
• 29:20
  respect
• 29:21
  to
• 29:21
  the
• 29:21
  importance
• 29:21
  of
• 29:22
  female
• 29:22
  bird
• 29:22
  song.
• 29:23
  One
• 29:23
  of
• 29:23
  our
• 29:23
  earliest
• 29:24
  episodes,
• 29:25
  the
• 29:25
  bs,
• 29:25
  was
• 29:26
  that
• 29:26
  female
• 29:26
  birds
• 29:26
  don't
• 29:27
  sing.
• 29:27
  They
• 29:28
  do,
• 29:28
  and
• 29:28
  it
• 29:28
  matters.
• 29:29
  And
• 29:29
  here
• 29:29
  we
• 29:29
  have
• 29:30
  female
• 29:30
  birds
• 29:31
  producing
• 29:32
  a
• 29:32
  lot
• 29:32
  of
• 29:32
  scent
• 29:32
  that
• 29:33
  probably
• 29:33
  matters
• 29:33
  a
• 29:33
  lot
• 29:34
  for
• 29:34
  mate
• 29:35
  choice
• 29:35
  and
• 29:36
  all
• 29:36
  of
• 29:36
  these
• 29:36
  things.
• 29:37
  Back
• 29:37
  to
• 29:37
  the
• 29:38
  crested
• 29:38
  auklets.
• 29:39
  Have
• 29:39
  you
• 29:39
  ever
• 29:39
  smelt
• 29:39
  one?
• 29:41
  I've
• 29:41
  never
• 29:41
  had
• 29:42
  the
• 29:42
  pleasure
• 29:42
  of
• 29:42
  interacting
• 29:43
  with
• 29:43
  a
• 29:43
  Crestedocolate.
• 29:44
  Oh,
• 29:44
  man,
• 29:44
  me
• 29:44
  neither.
• 29:45
  But
• 29:45
  I
• 29:45
  want
• 29:45
  to.
• 29:46
  I
• 29:46
  really
• 29:46
  want
• 29:47
  to.
• 29:47
  For
• 29:47
  our
• 29:47
  listeners.
• 29:48
  They
• 29:48
  smell.
• 29:49
  And
• 29:49
  you
• 29:49
  can
• 29:50
  correct
• 29:50
  me
• 29:50
  if
• 29:50
  I'm
• 29:50
  wrong,
• 29:50
  but
• 29:50
  I've
• 29:51
  been
• 29:51
  told
• 29:51
  they
• 29:51
  smell
• 29:51
  like
• 29:51
  tangerines.
• 29:53
  That's
• 29:53
  correct.
• 29:54
  Oh,
• 29:54
  my
• 29:54
  gosh.
• 29:54
  And
• 29:55
  they're
• 29:55
  so
• 29:55
  cool
• 29:55
  looking.
• 29:56
  Can
• 29:56
  you
• 29:56
  imagine
• 29:57
  being
• 29:57
  in
• 29:57
  a
• 29:58
  colony
• 29:58
  of
• 29:58
  seabirds
• 29:59
  that
• 29:59
  just
• 29:59
  smell
• 29:59
  like
• 30:00
  tangerines?
• 30:01
  That
• 30:01
  would
• 30:01
  be.
• 30:02
  That
• 30:02
  would
• 30:02
  be
• 30:02
  great.
• 30:03
  That
• 30:03
  would
• 30:03
  be
• 30:03
  great.
• 30:03
  The
• 30:03
  booby
• 30:04
  colonies
• 30:04
  I
• 30:04
  used
• 30:04
  to
• 30:04
  work
• 30:05
  in
• 30:05
  definitely
• 30:05
  did
• 30:05
  not
• 30:05
  smell
• 30:06
  like
• 30:06
  tangerines.
• 30:08
  Neither
• 30:08
  did
• 30:09
  any
• 30:09
  individual
• 30:09
  booby.
• 30:10
  Oh,
• 30:10
  man.
• 30:11
  All
• 30:11
  right,
• 30:11
  we've
• 30:12
  reached
• 30:12
  the
• 30:12
  part
• 30:12
  of
• 30:12
  the
• 30:12
  show
• 30:12
  that
• 30:13
  we
• 30:13
  call
• 30:13
  that's
• 30:13
  BS
• 30:13
  or
• 30:14
  that's
• 30:14
  Bird
• 30:14
  Stuff,
• 30:14
  where
• 30:14
  we
• 30:15
  give
• 30:15
  our
• 30:15
  guests
• 30:15
  an
• 30:15
  opportunity
• 30:16
  to
• 30:16
  debunk
• 30:16
  a
• 30:16
  myth
• 30:17
  that
• 30:17
  ruffles
• 30:17
  their
• 30:17
  feathers.
• 30:18
  So,
• 30:18
  Danielle,
• 30:19
  what
• 30:19
  do
• 30:19
  you
• 30:19
  want
• 30:19
  to
• 30:19
  call
• 30:20
  BS
• 30:20
  on?
• 30:20
  Well,
• 30:21
  as
• 30:21
  I
• 30:21
  was
• 30:21
  researching,
• 30:22
  you
• 30:22
  know,
• 30:22
  this
• 30:23
  myth
• 30:23
  that
• 30:23
  birds
• 30:23
  had
• 30:23
  no
• 30:24
  sense
• 30:24
  of
• 30:24
  smell,
• 30:24
  and
• 30:25
  it
• 30:25
  was
• 30:25
  dating
• 30:25
  back
• 30:25
  to
• 30:25
  the
• 30:26
  19th
• 30:26
  century,
• 30:26
  there
• 30:26
  was
• 30:27
  another
• 30:27
  parallel
• 30:27
  myth
• 30:28
  that
• 30:28
  was
• 30:29
  coming
• 30:29
  up
• 30:29
  at
• 30:29
  the
• 30:29
  same
• 30:29
  time,
• 30:30
  and
• 30:30
  it's
• 30:30
  closely
• 30:31
  related,
• 30:31
  and
• 30:31
  it
• 30:31
  really
• 30:32
  bugs
• 30:32
  me.
• 30:32
  It's
• 30:33
  not
• 30:33
  about
• 30:33
  birds,
• 30:33
  though.
• 30:34
  It's
• 30:34
  about
• 30:34
  humans.
• 30:35
  Yeah,
• 30:35
  go
• 30:35
  for
• 30:36
  it.
• 30:37
  So
• 30:38
  we
• 30:38
  also
• 30:39
  tend
• 30:39
  to
• 30:39
  think
• 30:39
  that
• 30:40
  humans
• 30:40
  don't
• 30:40
  have
• 30:40
  a
• 30:40
  very
• 30:41
  good
• 30:41
  sense
• 30:41
  of
• 30:41
  smell,
• 30:42
  and
• 30:42
  this
• 30:42
  dates
• 30:43
  back
• 30:43
  to
• 30:43
  the
• 30:43
  same
• 30:44
  time
• 30:44
  period
• 30:44
  when
• 30:45
  Audubon
• 30:45
  was
• 30:45
  claiming
• 30:46
  that
• 30:46
  birds
• 30:46
  didn't
• 30:47
  have
• 30:47
  a
• 30:47
  sense
• 30:47
  of
• 30:47
  smell.
• 30:48
  And
• 30:48
  it
• 30:49
  comes
• 30:49
  down
• 30:49
  to
• 30:49
  the
• 30:50
  same
• 30:50
  belief
• 30:50
  in
• 30:51
  this
• 30:51
  trade
• 30:51
  off.
• 30:53
  So,
• 30:53
  Paul
• 30:53
  Broca,
• 30:54
  for
• 30:54
  whom
• 30:55
  an
• 30:55
  area
• 30:55
  of
• 30:56
  the
• 30:56
  brain
• 30:56
  is
• 30:56
  named
• 30:57
  Broca's,
• 30:57
  area,
• 30:58
  which
• 30:58
  is
• 30:58
  involved
• 30:58
  in
• 30:58
  language
• 30:59
  processing.
• 30:59
  That's
• 31:00
  not
• 31:00
  relevant
• 31:00
  here.
• 31:00
  But
• 31:02
  he
• 31:02
  was
• 31:02
  studying
• 31:03
  the
• 31:03
  human
• 31:03
  brain,
• 31:03
  and
• 31:03
  he
• 31:03
  noticed
• 31:04
  that
• 31:04
  the
• 31:05
  olfactory
• 31:06
  lobe
• 31:06
  was
• 31:06
  much
• 31:06
  smaller
• 31:07
  in
• 31:07
  humans
• 31:07
  than
• 31:07
  it
• 31:08
  is
• 31:08
  in
• 31:08
  other
• 31:08
  mammals.
• 31:09
  But
• 31:09
  the
• 31:09
  forebrain,
• 31:11
  where
• 31:12
  all
• 31:12
  of
• 31:12
  our
• 31:12
  thinking
• 31:12
  is
• 31:13
  done,
• 31:13
  is
• 31:13
  much
• 31:13
  larger.
• 31:14
  And
• 31:15
  he
• 31:15
  basically
• 31:15
  concluded
• 31:16
  that.
• 31:17
  He
• 31:18
  also
• 31:18
  noted
• 31:18
  that
• 31:19
  humans
• 31:20
  aren't
• 31:21
  led
• 31:21
  by
• 31:21
  their
• 31:21
  smell.
• 31:22
  They're
• 31:22
  not.
• 31:22
  I
• 31:22
  can't
• 31:22
  remember
• 31:22
  the
• 31:23
  phrase
• 31:23
  he
• 31:23
  used,
• 31:23
  like
• 31:23
  odor
• 31:24
  directed.
• 31:25
  Like
• 31:25
  if
• 31:25
  a
• 31:25
  dog
• 31:26
  smells
• 31:26
  something,
• 31:26
  he'll
• 31:26
  go
• 31:27
  after.
• 31:27
  Right.
• 31:27
  But
• 31:27
  we
• 31:27
  are
• 31:28
  not
• 31:28
  compelled
• 31:29
  by
• 31:29
  the
• 31:29
  odors
• 31:29
  that
• 31:30
  we
• 31:30
  detect.
• 31:31
  And
• 31:31
  so
• 31:31
  he
• 31:32
  said,
• 31:32
  no,
• 31:32
  we
• 31:32
  gave
• 31:32
  up
• 31:33
  our
• 31:33
  sense
• 31:33
  of
• 31:33
  smell
• 31:33
  in
• 31:34
  exchange
• 31:34
  for
• 31:34
  free
• 31:35
  will.
• 31:36
  What?
• 31:37
  What?
• 31:38
  Yes.
• 31:38
  That's
• 31:39
  insane.
• 31:39
  It
• 31:40
  is.
• 31:40
  But
• 31:41
  this
• 31:41
  myth
• 31:41
  has
• 31:42
  continued
• 31:42
  to
• 31:42
  persist.
• 31:42
  You'll
• 31:43
  still
• 31:43
  find
• 31:43
  people
• 31:44
  referencing
• 31:44
  the
• 31:45
  idea
• 31:45
  that
• 31:45
  humans
• 31:45
  don't
• 31:46
  really
• 31:46
  have
• 31:46
  a
• 31:46
  very
• 31:46
  good
• 31:47
  sense
• 31:47
  of
• 31:47
  smell
• 31:47
  compared
• 31:48
  to
• 31:48
  other
• 31:48
  mammals.
• 31:49
  But
• 31:49
  there's
• 31:49
  been
• 31:50
  some
• 31:50
  really
• 31:50
  fun
• 31:50
  studies
• 31:51
  where
• 31:51
  they've
• 31:51
  compared,
• 31:52
  like
• 31:52
  in
• 31:52
  a
• 31:53
  competition
• 31:53
  between
• 31:54
  humans
• 31:54
  and
• 31:54
  dogs.
• 31:55
  My
• 31:55
  favorite
• 31:55
  was
• 31:55
  when
• 31:56
  they
• 31:56
  blindfolded
• 31:57
  volunteers
• 31:57
  and
• 31:58
  had
• 31:58
  them
• 32:00
  track
• 32:00
  the
• 32:00
  scent
• 32:01
  of
• 32:01
  chocolate
• 32:01
  that
• 32:02
  they
• 32:02
  had
• 32:02
  dragged
• 32:02
  through
• 32:02
  the
• 32:03
  grass.
• 32:03
  And
• 32:04
  then
• 32:04
  they
• 32:04
  compared.
• 32:05
  They
• 32:05
  blindfolded
• 32:06
  them,
• 32:06
  they
• 32:06
  covered
• 32:06
  up
• 32:06
  their
• 32:06
  hand,
• 32:07
  they
• 32:07
  covered
• 32:07
  up
• 32:07
  all
• 32:07
  their
• 32:07
  other
• 32:08
  senses.
• 32:08
  Basically,
• 32:09
  they
• 32:09
  could
• 32:09
  really
• 32:09
  only
• 32:09
  use
• 32:10
  their
• 32:10
  smell.
• 32:10
  And
• 32:10
  then
• 32:11
  they
• 32:11
  compared,
• 32:11
  like,
• 32:12
  their
• 32:12
  scent
• 32:12
  finding
• 32:12
  behaviors
• 32:13
  and
• 32:13
  the
• 32:13
  path
• 32:13
  they
• 32:14
  took
• 32:14
  and
• 32:14
  their
• 32:14
  accuracy
• 32:15
  to
• 32:16
  a
• 32:16
  dog
• 32:16
  that
• 32:17
  was
• 32:17
  doing
• 32:17
  the
• 32:17
  same
• 32:17
  test
• 32:18
  with
• 32:18
  a
• 32:18
  pheasant
• 32:19
  they
• 32:19
  had
• 32:19
  dragged
• 32:19
  through
• 32:19
  the
• 32:20
  grass.
• 32:20
  And
• 32:20
  it
• 32:20
  was
• 32:20
  remarkably
• 32:21
  similar.
• 32:22
  Really.
• 32:22
  I
• 32:22
  mean,
• 32:23
  I
• 32:23
  do
• 32:24
  sometimes
• 32:24
  feel
• 32:24
  compelled
• 32:25
  by
• 32:25
  my
• 32:25
  sense
• 32:26
  of
• 32:26
  smell.
• 32:26
  Like,
• 32:27
  if
• 32:27
  I'm
• 32:27
  in
• 32:27
  a
• 32:27
  grocery
• 32:28
  store
• 32:28
  and
• 32:29
  I
• 32:29
  smell
• 32:29
  a
• 32:30
  bouquet
• 32:30
  of
• 32:30
  freesia,
• 32:31
  which
• 32:31
  are
• 32:31
  my
• 32:31
  favorite
• 32:32
  smelling
• 32:32
  flower,
• 32:32
  I
• 32:33
  will
• 32:33
  buy
• 32:33
  that.
• 32:33
  I
• 32:34
  don't
• 32:34
  care
• 32:34
  how
• 32:34
  much
• 32:34
  money
• 32:34
  it
• 32:35
  is.
• 32:35
  That's
• 32:35
  not
• 32:35
  even
• 32:36
  in
• 32:36
  a
• 32:36
  food
• 32:36
  context.
• 32:37
  That's
• 32:37
  just
• 32:37
  a
• 32:37
  scent
• 32:38
  memory
• 32:38
  context
• 32:39
  for
• 32:39
  me.
• 32:39
  But
• 32:39
  that's
• 32:40
  a
• 32:40
  great
• 32:40
  one.
• 32:41
  So
• 32:41
  funny
• 32:41
  that.
• 32:42
  Sorry.
• 32:43
  If
• 32:43
  I'm
• 32:43
  at
• 32:43
  the
• 32:43
  Safeway
• 32:44
  at
• 32:44
  4pm,
• 32:44
  that's
• 32:45
  when
• 32:45
  they
• 32:45
  put
• 32:45
  out
• 32:45
  the
• 32:45
  fresh
• 32:45
  baked
• 32:46
  loaves
• 32:46
  of
• 32:46
  French
• 32:46
  bread.
• 32:47
  I'm
• 32:47
  guaranteed
• 32:48
  to
• 32:48
  go
• 32:48
  home
• 32:48
  with
• 32:48
  a
• 32:48
  loaf
• 32:48
  of
• 32:49
  bread
• 32:49
  that
• 32:49
  day.
• 32:49
  Yeah.
• 32:50
  Yeah.
• 32:51
  That's
• 32:51
  awesome.
• 32:52
  We
• 32:52
  gave
• 32:52
  it
• 32:52
  up
• 32:52
  for
• 32:53
  free
• 32:53
  will.
• 32:53
  Absolutely
• 32:54
  not.
• 32:55
  Well,
• 32:55
  thanks
• 32:56
  so
• 32:56
  much
• 32:56
  for
• 32:56
  joining
• 32:56
  us
• 32:57
  today.
• 32:57
  I've
• 32:57
  really
• 32:57
  appreciated
• 32:58
  all
• 32:59
  of
• 32:59
  your
• 32:59
  insights,
• 32:59
  and
• 33:00
  this
• 33:00
  has
• 33:00
  been
• 33:00
  an
• 33:00
  awesome
• 33:00
  conversation.
• 33:01
  So
• 33:01
  thanks
• 33:01
  for
• 33:01
  coming
• 33:02
  to
• 33:02
  the
• 33:02
  podcast.
• 33:03
  Thanks
• 33:03
  so
• 33:03
  much.
• 33:03
  I
• 33:03
  really
• 33:03
  enjoyed
• 33:04
  it.
• 33:04
  Awesome.
• 33:08
  Birds
• 33:09
  are
• 33:09
  dinosaurs.
• 33:09
  And
• 33:10
  around
• 33:10
  here,
• 33:10
  we
• 33:10
  like
• 33:10
  our
• 33:11
  snacks.
• 33:11
  So
• 33:11
  we
• 33:11
  end
• 33:11
  each
• 33:12
  episode
• 33:12
  with
• 33:12
  a
• 33:12
  dinosaur
• 33:13
  nugget.
• 33:13
  Today's
• 33:14
  Nugget.
• 33:14
  For
• 33:14
  200
• 33:15
  years,
• 33:15
  we
• 33:16
  told
• 33:16
  ourselves
• 33:16
  birds
• 33:17
  couldn't
• 33:17
  smell.
• 33:17
  One
• 33:18
  famous
• 33:18
  ornithologist,
• 33:19
  one
• 33:19
  terrible
• 33:20
  experiment
• 33:20
  and
• 33:21
  everyone
• 33:21
  just
• 33:21
  went
• 33:21
  with
• 33:21
  it.
• 33:22
  Turns
• 33:22
  out
• 33:23
  every
• 33:23
  species
• 33:23
  of
• 33:24
  bird
• 33:24
  that's
• 33:24
  ever
• 33:24
  been
• 33:25
  properly
• 33:25
  tested
• 33:25
  can
• 33:26
  smell
• 33:26
  every
• 33:27
  single
• 33:27
  one.
• 33:28
  But
• 33:28
  they're
• 33:28
  not
• 33:28
  just
• 33:28
  smelling
• 33:29
  the
• 33:29
  world
• 33:29
  around
• 33:29
  them.
• 33:30
  They're
• 33:30
  broadcasting
• 33:31
  that
• 33:31
  oil
• 33:32
  birds
• 33:32
  spread
• 33:32
  on
• 33:32
  their
• 33:32
  feathers
• 33:33
  carries
• 33:33
  chemical
• 33:33
  signatures
• 33:34
  that
• 33:34
  say,
• 33:35
  here's
• 33:35
  who
• 33:35
  I
• 33:35
  am,
• 33:35
  here's
• 33:36
  whether
• 33:36
  I'm
• 33:36
  ready
• 33:36
  to
• 33:36
  mate,
• 33:37
  and
• 33:37
  maybe
• 33:37
  even
• 33:38
  here's
• 33:38
  how
• 33:38
  healthy
• 33:38
  I
• 33:38
  am.
• 33:39
  It's
• 33:39
  a
• 33:39
  dating
• 33:40
  profile
• 33:40
  written
• 33:40
  in
• 33:40
  chemistry.
• 33:41
  And
• 33:41
  the
• 33:41
  kicker?
• 33:42
  Those
• 33:42
  scents
• 33:43
  are
• 33:43
  produced
• 33:43
  by
• 33:43
  bacteria
• 33:44
  living
• 33:44
  in
• 33:44
  a
• 33:44
  gland
• 33:45
  above
• 33:45
  the
• 33:45
  tail.
• 33:46
  So
• 33:46
  the
• 33:46
  next
• 33:46
  time
• 33:46
  you
• 33:47
  watch
• 33:47
  a
• 33:47
  bird
• 33:47
  preen
• 33:47
  its
• 33:48
  feathers,
• 33:48
  just
• 33:48
  know
• 33:48
  it's
• 33:49
  not
• 33:49
  just
• 33:49
  grooming,
• 33:50
  it's
• 33:50
  low
• 33:50
  key.
• 33:50
  Putting
• 33:50
  on
• 33:51
  perfume.
• 33:52
  That's
• 33:52
  a
• 33:52
  wrap
• 33:52
  on
• 33:52
  this
• 33:53
  week's
• 33:53
  episode.
• 33:53
  Okay,
• 33:54
  but
• 33:54
  can
• 33:54
  birds
• 33:54
  smell?
• 33:55
  We're
• 33:55
  gaining
• 33:55
  more
• 33:56
  listeners
• 33:56
  every
• 33:56
  week,
• 33:57
  so
• 33:57
  help
• 33:57
  us
• 33:57
  keep
• 33:57
  that
• 33:57
  going
• 33:58
  by
• 33:58
  sharing
• 33:58
  our
• 33:58
  show
• 33:58
  with
• 33:59
  a
• 33:59
  friend.
• 33:59
  End.
• 33:59
  We'll
• 33:59
  catch
• 33:59
  you
• 34:00
  next
• 34:00
  time.
• 34:00
  Byeee.
• 34:06
  Okay,
• 34:07
  But...
• 34:07
  Birds
• 34:07
  is
• 34:08
  hosted
• 34:08
  by
• 34:08
  Scott
• 34:08
  Taylor
• 34:09
  with
• 34:10
  production
• 34:10
  and
• 34:10
  creative
• 34:11
  by
• 34:11
  Zach
• 34:11
  Karl.