# Did noses evolve for smelling or for breathing? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [February 25, 2012, 4:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-noses-evolve-for-smelling-or-for-breathing/613919 "2012-02-25T04:30:30Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 10\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![don\_t\_ask](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e68b1a/32.png) [@don\_t\_ask](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/don_t_ask)\ **Post date:** [February 26, 2012, 3:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-noses-evolve-for-smelling-or-for-breathing/613919/21 "2012-02-26T03:38:05Z")
And here I was thinking that the nose evolved to facilitate modern office politics. ---
**Author:** ![JKellyMap](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jkellymap/32/15880_2.png) [@JKellyMap](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JKellyMap)\ **Post date:** [February 26, 2012, 4:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-noses-evolve-for-smelling-or-for-breathing/613919/22 "2012-02-26T04:00:34Z")
> [@Siam\_Sam](#): > > So what’s up with those two lines that come down from the nose? Ask [Phil somebody](http://www.google.com/imgres?imgurl=http://www.hahastop.com/pictures/Philtrum.jpg&imgrefurl=http://www.hahastop.com/pictures/Philtrum.htm&h=560&w=600&sz=53&tbnid=o3rRqOeWIsi2jM:&tbnh=90&tbnw=96&prev=/search%3Fq%3Dphiltrum%26tbm%3Disch%26tbo%3Du&zoom=1&q=philtrum&docid=CqZDCCZm7F-ClM&hl=en&sa=X&ei=h65JT-7SLpGctweZt-DxAg&sqi=2&ved=0CEgQ9QEwBg). He nose. ---
**Author:** ![phreesh](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/9fc29f/32.png) [@phreesh](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/phreesh)\ **Post date:** [February 27, 2012, 7:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-noses-evolve-for-smelling-or-for-breathing/613919/23 "2012-02-27T19:53:57Z")
Somewhat related, but why are the nostrils downward pointing? In the great apes, the nostrils are forward facing, which seems like the more ‘natural’ way for them to be utilized for the intake of oxygen and odors. I’ve read that it’s to facilitate swimming, so water doesn’t [easily] get into your nose, but that seems pretty far-fetched. Is there a factual answer to this? ---
**Author:** ![Speaker\_for\_the\_Dead](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/c77e96/32.png) [@Speaker\_for\_the\_Dead](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Speaker_for_the_Dead)\ **Post date:** [March 2, 2012, 12:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-noses-evolve-for-smelling-or-for-breathing/613919/24 "2012-03-02T00:57:54Z")
Guys, wow. I haven’t been on the SDMB for months and months, and my first thread nets me BOTH the answer I want and an amazing series of puns. I’m sad I ever left! ---
**Author:** ![Zebra](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/c0e974/32.png) [@Zebra](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zebra)\ **Post date:** [March 8, 2012, 4:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-noses-evolve-for-smelling-or-for-breathing/613919/25 "2012-03-08T04:17:51Z")
Moses supposes horse noses are hoses, but Moses supposes erroneously. ---
**Author:** ![Autolycus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/22d042/32.png) [@Autolycus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Autolycus)\ **Post date:** [March 8, 2012, 5:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-noses-evolve-for-smelling-or-for-breathing/613919/26 "2012-03-08T05:29:12Z")
> [@WhyNot](#): > > What selective pressure caused it to be lost in horses, do we know? Sinus pressure? Or what Colibri said. One of the two! ---
**Author:** ![Elendil\_s\_Heir](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/7cd45c/32.png) [@Elendil\_s\_Heir](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Elendil_s_Heir)\ **Post date:** [March 8, 2012, 8:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-noses-evolve-for-smelling-or-for-breathing/613919/27 "2012-03-08T20:30:41Z")
> [@Sunspace](#): > > These puns stink. Then why’d you come sniffing around here? ---
**Author:** ![Chefguy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chefguy/32/138_2.png) [@Chefguy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chefguy)\ **Post date:** [March 9, 2012, 3:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-noses-evolve-for-smelling-or-for-breathing/613919/28 "2012-03-09T03:43:55Z")
> [@Elendil\_s\_Heir](#): > > Then why’d you come sniffing around here? He’s nose it adenoids us. ---
**Author:** ![Tom\_Tildrum](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/e95f7d/32.png) [@Tom\_Tildrum](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tom_Tildrum)\ **Post date:** [March 9, 2012, 3:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-noses-evolve-for-smelling-or-for-breathing/613919/29 "2012-03-09T15:49:18Z")
> [@Colibri](#): > > Whales, for obvious reasons, have developed a separation between the respiratory and digestive systems in order to permit them to breathe and swallow at the same time. And yet they never discovered oral sex… ---
**Author:** ![psychonaut](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/psychonaut/32/4655_2.png) [@psychonaut](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/psychonaut)\ **Post date:** [March 9, 2012, 4:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-noses-evolve-for-smelling-or-for-breathing/613919/30 "2012-03-09T16:18:33Z")
> [@Tom\_Tildrum](#): > > And yet they never discovered oral sex… [On the contrary…](http://www.metro.co.uk/weird/1427-gay-dolphins) [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-noses-evolve-for-smelling-or-for-breathing/613919.md?page=1)