# @science on Instagram

- **Type:** Image
- **Original URL:** https://www.instagram.com/p/DTQEH6Ej7Oz
- **Gondola URL:** https://gondola.cc/posts/38651280-science-instagram
- **Thumbnail:** https://img.gondola.cc/tr:w-,h-,fo-auto/postThumbnails/6de3128f21.jpg
- **Posted:** 2026-01-08T13:15:16.000+00:00
- **Account Owner:** Science 🧬 (@science) — https://gondola.cc/science

## Caption

Petrichor, the familiar smell after light rain, was named in a 1964 nature journal by Australian researchers. The term combines "petra" (rock) and "ichor" (perfume), though the scent doesn't actually come from the rocks themselves.⁠
⁠
The smell originates from soil microorganisms - microbes, algae, and fungi - which release chemicals that get spritzed into the air like perfume when it rains. Humans, despite not having a particularly strong sense of smell overall, can detect petrichor at an impressive sensitivity of 10 parts per trillion, even more sensitive than sharks detecting blood in the ocean.⁠
⁠
_____⁠
⁠
Different creatures react differently to this scent. Bees are attracted to it during light rain, while fruit flies and certain worms avoid it. Mosquitoes are drawn to it, and humans can detect it best during light rainfall when the chemicals are most active.⁠
⁠
The human attraction to petrichor might be evolutionary, linked to our ancestors' need to find fertile land. The ability to detect this smell could have helped them identify areas where plants would grow successfully, making it a crucial survival skill for finding food sources.⁠
⁠
⁠
⁠
#petrichor #smell #biology #dna #evolution #evolutionary #science

## Stats

- **Views:** 0
- **Likes:** 2,554
- **Shares:** 0
- **Comments:** 18

## Tags

evolution, science, evolutionary, petrichor, dna, biology, smell

---
Copyright (c) Gondola