[sidebar]“Estimates show that modern humans have significantly less lean muscle mass than archaic humans and require less oxygen to support that mass,” says lead study author Nathan E. Holton, PhD, an assistant professor in the department of orthodontics at the University of Iowa. “And one of the questions we’ve been interested in addressing is to what degree might energetic requirements, such as oxygen consumption, play in nasal evolution,” he says. So Dr. Holton and his team observed nose size and growth of 38 men and women for over 20 years, starting when participants were 3 years old and ending when they were in their mid-twenties. The results? Men and women have the same nose-body ratio until they hit puberty. Once that happens, male noses start to grow disproportionately. “This pattern mirrors what we see with energetically-relevant variables such as oxygen consumption, caloric intake and energy expenditure,” says Dr. Holton. “Essentially, males have more lean body mass than females which requires more calories to support and therefore more oxygen.” While the study sheds light on the nose-energy connection, more research needs to be done before science can make a direct link. In the meantime, no more poking fun at your man’s nose: He really can’t help it. More from Prevention: Why You Want Teeth Like A Caveman
