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The secret of whether a woman is expecting a boy or a girl may lie in her scent.

Research shows that lemur mothers-to-be carrying male babies smell differently to those carrying girls.

The study, published in the Royal Society journal Biology Letters, is the first to make such a link.

The researchers swabbed 12 ring-tailed lemurs (pictured) to come up with their amazing findings

And the US researchers say the same could be true in people.

The scientists from Duke University in North Carolina swabbed 12 ring-tailed lemurs before and during pregnancy.

Chemical analysis showed that the hundreds of ingredients behind the musky smell mellowed during pregnancy.

And the biggest change occurred in those who went on to have male babies.

It is thought that 'dramatic' differences in the mother-to-be's hormones affected the mother's scent.

Chemical analysis showed the hundreds of ingredients behind the musky smell mellowed during pregnancy

It isn't known why lemurs carrying males make simpler odours.

But it may be a way of conserving energy because male pregnancies tend to take more out of the body.

Asked whether the same might apply in women, researcher Christine Drea said: 'There has been a study showing that women's scent changes with pregnancy, but the authors did not address the issue of foetal sex and scent.

'Also unknown is whether others would actually be able to detect the changes.

'But, in broad strokes, yes, there is reason to believe that there may be similar mechanisms across primates, including humans.'

Duke University scientists say the same difference in the smell of pregant females could be true in people