Abundant evidence indicates that humans can communicate threat-related information to conspecifics through their body odors. However, prior research has been primarily conducted on Western (WEIRD) samples. In this study, we aimed to investigate whether threat-related information can be transmitted by individuals of East Asian descent who carry a single-nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) 538G → A in the ABCC11 gene, which significantly reduces (noticeable) body odor. To examine this, we recruited 18 self-identified male East Asian AA-homozygotes and 18 self-identified male Western individuals who were carriers of the functional G-allele. We collected samples of their fear-related and neutral body odors. Subsequently, we conducted a double-blind behavioral experiment in which we presented these samples to 69 self-identified female participants of Western Caucasian and East Asian backgrounds. The participants were asked to rate faces that were morphed between expressions of fear and disgust. Notably, despite the 'odorless' phenotypical expression of the ABCC11-mutation in East Asians, their fear odor caused a perceptual fear bias in both East Asian and Caucasian receivers. This finding leaves open the possibility of universal fear chemosignaling. Additionally, we conducted exploratory chemical analysis to gain initial insights into the chemical composition of the body odors presented. In a subsequent pre-registered behavioral study (N = 33), we found that exposure to hexadecanoic acid, an abundant compound in the fear and neutral body odor samples, was sufficient to reproduce the observed behavioral effects. While exploratory, these findings provide insight into how specific chemical components can drive chemical fear communication.

中文翻译：

---

揭示化学恐惧交流的普遍性：来自行为、遗传和化学分析的证据。

大量证据表明，人类可以通过体味向同种人传达与威胁相关的信息。然而，先前的研究主要是针对西方（WEIRD）样本进行的。在这项研究中，我们旨在调查与威胁相关的信息是否可以由携带ABCC11基因中单核苷酸多态性（SNP）538G→A的东亚血统个体传播，该单核苷酸多态性（SNP）538G→A可以显着减少（明显的）体味。为了检验这一点，我们招募了 18 名自认为是功能性 G 等位基因携带者的东亚 AA 纯合子男性和 18 名自认为是功能性 G 等位基因携带者的西方男性个体。我们收集了他们与恐惧相关的和中性的体味样本。随后，我们进行了一项双盲行为实验，将这些样本呈现给 69 名自认为具有西方白人和东亚背景的女性参与者。参与者被要求对恐惧和厌恶表情之间变化的面孔进行评分。值得注意的是，尽管东亚人中 ABCC11 突变的“无气味”表型表达，但他们的恐惧气味导致了东亚人和白种人接受者的感知恐惧偏差。这一发现为普遍的恐惧化学信号传递提供了可能性。此外，我们还进行了探索性化学分析，以初步了解体味的化学成分。在随后的预先注册的行为研究（N = 33）中，我们发现暴露于十六烷酸（恐惧和中性体味样本中丰富的化合物）足以重现观察到的行为效应。虽然是探索性的，但这些发现提供了关于特定化学成分如何驱动化学恐惧交流的见解。