Here's Why Men Have Bigger Noses

Men possess larger noses than women and researchers have nosed out the reason behind this.  Men have bigger noses because of their lean muscle mass, which demands larger amount of oxygen.

This study was carried out by researchers of the University of Iowa, with Nathan Holton, a biological anthropologist as the lead author.

The researchers found that noses of European males were about 10 percent larger than female noses.

The nose size begins differing in females and males at puberty, around age 11, when boys start developing leaner muscle mass and females develop more  fat mass. Earlier studies have stated that during puberty, the body weight gain in females comprises of 85 percent of fat-free mass, whereas males develop around 95 percent of fat-free mass.

 "This relationship has been discussed in the literature, but this is the first study to examine how the size of the nose relates to body size in males and females in a longitudinal study," Holton said in a statement. "We have shown that as body size increases in males and females during growth, males exhibit a disproportionate increase in nasal size. This follows the same pattern as energetic variables such as oxygenate consumption, basal metabolic rate and daily energy requirements during growth."

It was also found that the present day humans have smaller noses compared to their Neanderthal ancestors. Researchers assume that our ancestors had greater muscle mass compared to the modern humans, hence their body demanded more oxygen and they developed bigger noses to fulfill the need of oxygen.

 "So, in humans, the nose can become small, because our bodies have smaller oxygen requirements than we see in archaic humans," Holton said, noting also that the rib cages and lungs are smaller in modern humans, reinforcing the idea that we don't need as much oxygen to feed our frames as our ancestors. "This all tells us physiologically how modern humans have changed from their ancestors."

The researchers examined the nose size and growth of a small population consisting of 38 participants of European descent. The participants were observed since the age of three till they reached their mid-20s. The researchers found that the nose size is the same in girls and boys from birth till they reach adolescence, then the nose shape and size starts altering.

"Even if the body size is the same," Holton says, "males have larger noses, because more of the body is made up of that expensive tissue. And, it's at puberty that these differences really take off."

This study is also published in the American Journal of Physical Anthropology.