They are thought to be the hidden key to attracting the opposite sex. But a leading scientist has claimed that pheromones – the mysterious chemical signals that trigger attraction - do not even exist. Richard Doty at Penn State University’s School of Medicine says that mammals, unlike insects, do not give off chemical signals that other mammals can then pick up. Doty says he does not belive that a single chemical emitted by one mammal can induce a behavioural change in another of the same species. The idea that mysterious chemicals can cause sparks to fly between people who follow their noses even before their hearts has been around since the late 1950s.
Doty, who has written a book called 'The Great Pheromone Myth', is dismissive of the entire concept. ‘The pheromone term seems to have mainly attracted perfume manufacturers and people looking for the fountain of youth,’ he says. ‘It’s just not the way things are. It would be like saying a particular colour is why we choose a mate. That’s just not how relationships are formed.’
He added: ‘It’s an oversimplification of how chemicals work in the environment and how animals are affected by them. (Daily Mail)
