Is there any point in having 2 separate nostrils? why don’t we just have 1 large intake hole instead of 2? Wouldn’t it be more effective?
In: Biology
Because we inherited that setup from the first fish to crawl on land millions of years ago. Most of the descendants of that creature have inherited that setup and unless there was a big evolutionary pressure to change things, things don’t change.
Fun fact. That fish that crawled on land inherited his setup from an even older fish which had four nostrils. two of those nostrils however wandered inside the mouth over time.
We still have those two extra internal nostrils too and we use them to allow us to taste things by smelling the inside of our mouth (oversimplification).
The nostrils are for warming, humidifying, and filtering the air we breathe. Having two increases the surface area as well as allowing shorter hairs for the filtering process.
It allows for a directional sense, similar to hearing. Having 2 helps determine the origin of a smell, which was a lot more important when we weren’t the apex predator. It’s also helpful come spring time when allergies are bad, maybe one will be clear
Ever wondered why one seems to always be clogged a little? This slows the air down allowing you to smell what is around you while breathing enough air through the other nostril.
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