The Scaling of Olfaction: Moths have Relatively More Olfactory Surface Area than Mammals

Synopsis Body size affects nearly every aspect of locomotion and sensing, but little is known of its influence on olfaction. One reason for this missing link is that olfaction differs fundamentally from vision and hearing in that molecules are advected by fluid before depositing on olfactory sensors. This critical role of fluid flow in olfaction leads to complexities and trade-offs. For example, a greater density of hairs and sensory neurons may lead to greater collection, but can also lead to reduced flow through hairs and additional weight and drag due to a larger olfactory organ. In this study, we report the surface area and sensory neuron density in olfactory organs of 95 species of moths and mammals. We find that approximately 12-14% of an olfactory system's surface area is devoted to chemosensors. Furthermore, total olfactory surface area and olfactory sensing surface area scale with body mass to the 0.49 and 0.38 powers, respectively, indicating that moths have a higher proportion of olfactory surface area than mammals. The density of olfactory neurons appears to be near the limit, at 10,000 to 100,000 neurons per square mm across both insects and mammals. This study demonstrates the need for future work detailing how the scaling of olfaction and other senses vary across taxa.

Automated summary

Body size affects the surface area and sensory neuron density of olfactory organs. Moths have a higher proportion of olfactory surface area compared to mammals. The density of olfactory neurons seems to be near the limit in both insects and mammals.