Why Do We Have Two Nostrils?

Nov 042012

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Popular super nerd VSauce has returned to the web for his much anticipated weekly science lesson. For his latest video, he asks the very intriguing question, “Why Do We Have Two Nostrils?“

Having two ears and two eyes serves very real purposes–mainly echo location and depth perception. But is there a scientific reason for why we, and so many other animals, have two nostrils?

Why not one big nostril, just like we have one mouth?

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YenMooo

In case one gets plugged up, we have an extra! Breathing is good!

Anon-U.tk
http://www.facebook.com/people/Skip-Nordenholz/100003613616195 Skip Nordenholz

Because our ancestors used them for stereo smelling, the nostril that detects the smell first is closest to the source. Snakes have forked tongues to smell in stereo.
http://www.greetings4u.net/ Greetings

I like the stereo smelling..
TheDude

While what you have to say is interesting, It is more likely that we have two nostrils due to bilateral symmetry and the way mammals gestate, as opposed to some evolutionary advantage.

Why Do We Have Two Nostrils?

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