A study in the US found that women have a better sense of smell than men.
The study repeatedly exposed men and women to different smells and asked them to identify them. The results showed that women were better able to identify the smells than men.
The female participants of the study detected the smell of benzaldehyde, which has a cherry-almond smell, at progressively much lower concentrations.
In contrast, the male participants were unable to improve the ability to identify the smells, no matter how much they were exposed to them.
Separate tests on pre-reproductive age girls and boys, as well as older men and women (post-menopausal), found no significant differences between genders.
The researchers speculate that female hormones play a role in the findings, by increasing sensitivity to smell based on the amount of exposure to it they have.