# Fingers, Ears and Noses **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [September 30, 2002, 7:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fingers-ears-and-noses/130215 "2002-09-30T07:51:56Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 11\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Jammers](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/a183cd/32.png) [@Jammers](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jammers)\ **Post date:** [September 30, 2002, 7:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fingers-ears-and-noses/130215/1 "2002-09-30T07:51:56Z")
Why do my fingers fit snugly in my nose and ears. Evolution, or just happy coincidence? ---
**Author:** ![Darwins\_Finch](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/darwins_finch/32/20304_2.png) [@Darwins\_Finch](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Darwins_Finch)\ **Post date:** [September 30, 2002, 10:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fingers-ears-and-noses/130215/2 "2002-09-30T10:02:34Z")
Coincidence. Finger size did not evolve to fit within those orifices, nor did said orifices evolve to be just big enough to stick one’s fingers in. ---
**Author:** ![Mangetout](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mangetout/32/19_2.png) [@Mangetout](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mangetout)\ **Post date:** [September 30, 2002, 10:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fingers-ears-and-noses/130215/3 "2002-09-30T10:17:39Z")
Just out of interest, Darwin’s Finch, would you elaborate on the accepted theories regarding the factors controlling sizes of said appendages/orifices? ---
**Author:** ![friedo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/8edcca/32.png) [@friedo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/friedo)\ **Post date:** [September 30, 2002, 12:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fingers-ears-and-noses/130215/4 "2002-09-30T12:41:06Z")
Yeah. Surely being able to pick one’s nose is a significant advantage. I mean, your hunting skills are seriously diminished when you’ve got a booger hanging out. ---
**Author:** ![John\_Kentzel-Griffin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/ccd318/32.png) [@John\_Kentzel-Griffin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/John_Kentzel-Griffin)\ **Post date:** [September 30, 2002, 12:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fingers-ears-and-noses/130215/5 "2002-09-30T12:44:48Z")
Having a booger hanging out would also diminish the chances of mating. ---
**Author:** ![Earthworm\_Jim](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/f07891/32.png) [@Earthworm\_Jim](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Earthworm_Jim)\ **Post date:** [September 30, 2002, 12:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fingers-ears-and-noses/130215/6 "2002-09-30T12:56:02Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by friedo \* > \*\*Yeah. Surely being able to pick one’s nose is a significant advantage. I mean, your hunting skills are seriously diminished when you’ve got a booger hanging out. \*\* Couldn’t some nasal blockage interfere with the sense of smell (not that we have a particularly keen sense of smell anyway…work with me here)? ---
**Author:** ![PurplePerson](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/ec9cab/32.png) [@PurplePerson](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/PurplePerson)\ **Post date:** [September 30, 2002, 1:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fingers-ears-and-noses/130215/7 "2002-09-30T13:03:36Z")
Don’t forget excessive earwax. That is not very appealing, either. We surely need fingers to dig that out and to hear the prey as well. ---
**Author:** ![Mangetout](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mangetout/32/19_2.png) [@Mangetout](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mangetout)\ **Post date:** [September 30, 2002, 1:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fingers-ears-and-noses/130215/8 "2002-09-30T13:34:11Z")
You’re more likely to push earwax back _in_ than dig it out to any useful degree. ---
**Author:** ![PurplePerson](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/ec9cab/32.png) [@PurplePerson](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/PurplePerson)\ **Post date:** [September 30, 2002, 1:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fingers-ears-and-noses/130215/9 "2002-09-30T13:52:34Z")
Oh. Then maybe we are meant to push it back in so we don’t hear out mates. ---
**Author:** ![Jammers](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/a183cd/32.png) [@Jammers](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jammers)\ **Post date:** [September 30, 2002, 2:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fingers-ears-and-noses/130215/10 "2002-09-30T14:04:54Z")
You can shape your fingernail into a curve, thus producing a “scoop” effect. Perhaps this will be a significant feature of our more evolved successors ---
**Author:** ![lieu](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/c2a13f/32.png) [@lieu](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lieu)\ **Post date:** [September 30, 2002, 2:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fingers-ears-and-noses/130215/11 "2002-09-30T14:06:28Z")
I thought that’s why gorillas had such large nostrils.