Scientists reveal the reason why some people have got big noses

What can be a source of self-consciousness for some, or a real kink for others, larger-than-average noses don't come out nowhere. According to a new study, our noses are a very distant legacy of our ancestors. Well, some of our ancestors, who weren't Homo sapiens... Find out below!

The Neanderthal nose

Do you know the man with the world's biggest nose? His name is Mehmet Özyürek and his snout measures 8.8 centimetres! Scientists have just found a possibility that Mehmet Özyürek owes his nose to... Neanderthal genes!

Neanderthals became extinct 40,000 years ago, but before they disappeared, our ancestors had the opportunity to mix with them (before slaughtering them). As a result, we have some of their genes, including one that gives us a larger-than-average nose.

Read more:Here's why you should always cover your nose when it's cold outside

What was the point of a large nose?

But why did Neanderthals have such large noses? Once again, it wasn't by chance, and the nose had a real purpose. According to one of the study's authors:

Furthermore, it has long been speculated that nose morphology (in Neanderthals as well as in modern humans) has been the subject of natural selection, particularly as an adaptation to environmental temperature and humidity.

Therefore, it makes sense that different nose shapes are better suited to the different climates our ancestors lived in. A large nose, for example, could make it easier to breathe in certain parts of the world, and to inhale more efficiently before diving, for example.

Read more:According to this study, your love of animals is written in your genes

This article has been translated from Gentside FR.

Sources used:

Nature: Automatic landmarking identifies new loci associated with face morphology and implicates Neanderthal introgression in human nasal shape