In addition, a single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) in this gene is responsible for determination of human earwax type and presence of underarm odour.

The phenotypes expressed by the genotypes include cerumen type (wet or dry ear wax), osmidrosis (odor associated with sweat caused by excessive apocrine secretion), and possibly breast cancer risk, although there is ongoing debate on whether there is a real correlation of the wet ear wax phenotype to breast cancer susceptibility.

[9][10] The GG or GA genotype produces the wet ear wax phenotype (sticky and brown colored) and acrid sweat odor and is the dominant allele.

[8] In some nonhuman mammals, mating signals via release of an odor enhanced by increased apocrine secretion may be a factor in sexual selection.

The mutation emerged approximately 44,000 years ago in a lineage related to the Ust'-Ishim man in the Omsk Oblast of western Siberia.

In East Asia, the derived allele appears approximately 40,000 years ago in Northern China among individuals related to the Tianyuan man.

[11] The gene may have spread as a result of it being a beneficial adaption or through an evolutionary neutral mutation mechanism that went through genetic drift events, or through sexual selection.

[8] As the mutation was already present in the Tianyuan man of Northern China, this suggests the genetic continuity of the variant in East Asia for the last 40,000 years.

[8][16] The amount of volatile organic compounds (VOCs) in ear wax was found to be related to variation in ABCC11 genotype, which in turn is dependent on ethnic origin.

However, VOC levels were not found to vary significantly qualitatively nor quantitatively for most organic compounds by racial group after Bonferroni corrections, suggesting that it does not result in ethnic differences.