Mammals use the same underlying system—preserved through evolution—to process smells

Picture a mouse taking rapid, staccato sniffs of a crumb it's found while foraging for food.

Now compare that with a human leaning in for a single, deep inhale to gauge whether a cantaloupe is ripe.

New research from Northwestern University has found that, like humans, mice also can take a single sniff to deliberately probe their environment—something scientists previously did not know. ...