Humans have a functional vomeronasal organ.

the verdict

REFUTED

the evidence says no

Recorded sources

1 source for · 6 against

Counts group repeated records of the same source within each side. They do not measure evidence strength or source independence.

Is it true that humans have a functional vomeronasal organ?

No. Multiple reviews and studies indicate the adult human vomeronasal organ, where present, lacks sensory neurons, nerve connections and functional receptor genes, and is generally regarded as vestigial or non-functional. One older study suggested potential receptor elements but did not demonstrate function.

Verdict: REFUTED · 1 source for, 6 against · Last checked 18 Oct 2026

The private library was unavailable for some searches in this check. Missing library results are not evidence against the claim.

Evidence for · 1

Ultrastructure of the human vomeronasal organ

1991

Get citation

Ultrastructure of the human vomeronasal organ. (1991). doi.org. https://doi.org/10.1016/0960-0760(91)90252-z

Evidence against · 6

Vomeronasal organ - Wikipedia

Get citation

Vomeronasal organ - Wikipedia. (n.d.). en.wikipedia.org. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vomeronasal_organ

See more details

More against · 5

Frontiers | The Vomeronasal Organ: A Neglected Organ

Get citation

Frontiers | The Vomeronasal Organ: A Neglected Organ. (n.d.). frontiersin.org. https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/neuroanatomy/articles/10.3389/fnana.2017.00070/full

A review of the vomeronasal organ in humans: an enigmatic sensory structure

2025

Get citation

Al-kalbani, A. & Musat, G. (2025). A review of the vomeronasal organ in humans: an enigmatic sensory structure. doi.org. https://doi.org/10.2478/rjr-2025-0017

Clinical and histological evidence for the presence of the vomeronasal (Jacobson's) organ in adult humans.

1986

Get citation

Clinical and histological evidence for the presence of the vomeronasal (Jacobson's) organ in adult humans.. (1986). pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/4068105

The human vomeronasal organ. Part II: prenatal development

Get citation

The human vomeronasal organ. Part II: prenatal development. (n.d.). cir.nii.ac.jp. https://doi.org/10.1046/j.1469-7580.2000.19730421.x

The Shrinking Anthropoid Nose, the Human Vomeronasal Organ, and the Language of Anatomical Reduction

Get citation

The Shrinking Anthropoid Nose, the Human Vomeronasal Organ, and the Language of Anatomical Reduction. (n.d.). cir.nii.ac.jp. https://doi.org/10.1002/ar.23035

Receipt History

Anyone with this link can read the claim and its public receipt, including any personal information in that text. Open permanent receipt.

Check your own claim

Challenge the receipt

I have a source that contradicts this verdict I have a source that supports it No source: request a receipt review Requests are recorded for review. This does not start an automatic check or guarantee a response time.

Citation formatting by citeproc-js (Frank Bennett) and the Citation Style Language project. Source and licenses.

This receipt is an automated verdict against our published method · not an opinion about any author or publication.
Terms · Privacy · How verdicts work