The ability to respond quickly to odors is important for virtually all animals. But for pollinating insects that travel at high speeds, being able to react quickly to odor molecules is crucial. A moth’s sense of smell, for instance, is comparable to that of a dog — which means it vastly outperforms humans. But as our own innovation continues to introduce novel scents into the atmosphere, some scientists have started to wonder how our machines, and their pollutants, are affecting these insects’ abilities to located nectar-rich flowers. Now, a new study, published today in Science, demonstrates that fumes from cars not only compete with flowers, but also alter the way moths decode a flower’s scent. And this effect may be powerful enough to...
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