Question

why do africans have big nostrils?

Answer 1

In Alaskan Inuit and Siberian Buryat populations, a longer, narrower nasal cavity is associated with large maxillary sinuses, and in sub-Saharan African populations, the wider nasal cavity is accompanied by smaller maxillary sinuses.T he sinuses function as a sort of “buffer” to accommodate changes in the nasal cavity and other structures of the face.

Many scientists have assumed these ancient populations were more adapted to cold weather than Homo sapiens are, even those H. sapiens at high latitudes because the Neanderthals were associated with colder and drier conditions during Earth’s glacial periods. Accordingly, a typical Neanderthal’s sinuses were thought to be larger than modern-day humans would be if the human was otherwise a similar size. However, instead of a long, narrow external nose structure, the Neanderthal face most likely had a relatively wide nose, judging from bone morphology.

It could be because narrower nasal passages help to increase the moisture content of the air and warm it – a bonus for those in higher latitudes. “Cold and dry air is not good for our internal airways,”

In the warm, humid climates where humans first evolved, a wide nose would allow more air to be inhaled with less effort. But as anyone who gets frequent nosebleeds and coughs in the winter could attest, colder, drier air is much more irritating to the membranes of the nose and throat. A more narrow nose will cause more “turbulence” as air is inhaled, mixing the air together inside the nostrils to help warm it like a convection oven,

The nose must properly heat and humidify the air that you breathe. In a cold climate, it's advantageous to have a narrower nose. That's so that when a person inhales, more air comes into contact with the mucosal surface of the nose, which provides moisture. The narrow nose maximizes the surface area.