There are two types of earwax, wet and dry. Wet earwax is common in Africa and Europe, while dry earwax is characteristic of East Asian populations. South and Central Asian populations are half wet and half dry. Native Americans tend to have dry earwax. Recently, the New York Times reports, Japanese researchers have isolated the gene responsible for earwax differentiation. The curious thing is that earwax doesn't seem to be terribly important to human survival:
Since it seems unlikely that having wet or dry earwax could have made much difference to an individual's fitness, the earwax gene may have some other, more important function. Dr. Yoshiura and his colleagues suggest that the gene would have been favored because of its role in sweating.
They write that earwax type and armpit odor are correlated, since populations with dry earwax, such as those of East Asia, tend to sweat less and have little or no body odor, while the wet earwax populations of Africa and Europe sweat more and so may have more body odor. Several Asian features, like small nostrils, are conjectured to be adaptations to the cold. Less sweating, the Japanese authors suggest, may be another adaptation to the cold in which the ancestors of East Asian peoples are thought to have lived.
I still think the Earwax Chronicles would be a good blog name. Or Band name. Whatever.
Posted by: JWebb | January 31, 2006 at 10:03 PM
Have the attempted to confirm that by testing the Inuit?
Posted by: Rob. B | January 31, 2006 at 10:22 PM
Armpit odor is not a function of sweat alone, heavy sweaters may not produce any odor. This fellow needs to look at bacterial levels in the armpit and how the stink increase as flora develop then drops off once the counter stench bacteria battle it out with stench baring bacteria Some central Asians overwhelming smell of goat and various spices coming out of every pore of their body makes me wonder who the brave sole was who stuck his nose in their pits. How did he define wet versus dry earwax? Is it wet if it sticks to the end of your bic pen when you are bored at your desk? Is it dry if you bend over to bite your hamburger and a chunk falls on the bun? I need answers or I will not sleep tonight.
Posted by: Alois Brunner | November 02, 2007 at 09:23 AM
What about Australians?
Posted by: Jonathan | November 03, 2007 at 11:25 PM