# why do we have sinuses? **URL:** \ **Category:** Cecil's Columns/Staff Reports\ **Created:** [June 17, 2011, 3:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-we-have-sinuses/585844 "2011-06-17T15:46:54Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 7\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![abandaman](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/a183cd/32.png) [@abandaman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/abandaman)\ **Post date:** [June 17, 2011, 3:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-we-have-sinuses/585844/1 "2011-06-17T15:46:54Z")
genetically speaking our body’s have the ability to evolve into most any shape[over vast time frames] sinuses cavity’s simply give us a place to develop blow holes or gills _ETA: Link to column: [Why do we have sinuses? - The Straight Dope](http://www.straightdope.com/columns/read/526/why-do-we-have-sinuses)_ ---
**Author:** ![John\_W.Kennedy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/john_w.kennedy/32/1031_2.png) [@John\_W.Kennedy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/John_W.Kennedy)\ **Post date:** [June 17, 2011, 9:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-we-have-sinuses/585844/2 "2011-06-17T21:02:34Z")
Neither cats nor giraffes are a very strong argument against the resonance theory. Cats’ voices are more piercing than loud, and there is no special reason for giraffes to lose their sinuses merely because they are silent, unless sinuses have of themselves negative survival worth that must be somehow outweighed. ---
**Author:** ![Powers](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/edb3f5/32.png) [@Powers](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Powers)\ **Post date:** [June 18, 2011, 1:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-we-have-sinuses/585844/3 "2011-06-18T01:33:09Z")
> [@John\_W.Kennedy](#): > > unless sinuses have of themselves negative survival worth that must be somehow outweighed. Sinuses are easily infected. Powers &8^] ---
**Author:** ![ZenBeam](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/3ab097/32.png) [@ZenBeam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ZenBeam)\ **Post date:** [June 18, 2011, 3:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-we-have-sinuses/585844/4 "2011-06-18T15:11:41Z")
> [@abandaman](#): > > genetically speaking our body’s have the ability to evolve into most any shape[over vast time frames] sinuses cavity’s simply give us a place to develop blow holes or gills Are you saying we have sinuses now so that if, in the future, it would be beneficial to evolve blow holes or gills, we’d be better prepared to evolve them? Because that’s not how evolution works. ---
**Author:** ![John\_W.Kennedy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/john_w.kennedy/32/1031_2.png) [@John\_W.Kennedy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/John_W.Kennedy)\ **Post date:** [June 19, 2011, 3:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-we-have-sinuses/585844/5 "2011-06-19T03:22:12Z")
> [@Powers](#): > > Sinuses are easily infected. Yes, that’s true. But seeing that we are speaking of giraffes, does that overbalance the weight advantage? (Remember, the reason that sinuses originally evolved does not have to be the reason that they haven’t evolved away.) And, now that I remember it, giraffes aren’t silent, anyway. They do not vocalize as often as many animals, but they do vocalize. ---
**Author:** ![Irishman](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/b487fb/32.png) [@Irishman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Irishman)\ **Post date:** [June 19, 2011, 6:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-we-have-sinuses/585844/6 "2011-06-19T06:20:23Z")
Oh come now. Of course giraffes are silent. Have you ever heard a giraffe? Of course not. QED. 😃 (Giraffe posting in 3…2…1…) ---
**Author:** ![Powers](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/edb3f5/32.png) [@Powers](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Powers)\ **Post date:** [June 21, 2011, 4:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-we-have-sinuses/585844/7 "2011-06-21T16:11:00Z")
> [@John\_W.Kennedy](#): > > Yes, that’s true. But seeing that we are speaking of giraffes, does that overbalance the weight advantage? I don’t know. I was merely addressing the question of whether there was a negative survival factor. Powers &8^]