![]() |
![]() |
![]() |
![]() |
![]() |
![]() |
![]() |
![]() |
![]() |
![]() |
. | ![]() |
. |
![]() by Staff Writers London, UK (SPX) Mar 29, 2016
In humans inhaled air is conditioned poorly in the nasal cavity in comparison with primates, such as chimpanzees and macaques, according a recent study published in PLOS Computational Biology. Unlike our protruding external nose, which has little effect on improving air conditioning performance, other hominins (including australopithecines) were endowed with flat nasal features and faculties to improve air conditioning. The study, produced by Dr Takeshi Nishimura from Kyoto University and colleagues, is the first investigation of nasal air conditioning in nonhuman hominoids based on computational fluid dynamics (CFD). The human nasal passage conditions inhaled air in terms of temperature and humidity to match the conditions required in the lung. Insufficient conditioning can damage the tissues in the respiratory system and impair respiratory performance, thereby undermining health and increasing the likelihood of death. Our ancestors, the genus Homo, diversified under the fluctuating climate of the Plio-Pleistocene, to be flat-faced with a short nasal cavity and a protruding external nose, as seen in modern humans. Anatomical variation in nasal region is believed to be evolutionarily sensitive to the ambient atmospheric conditions of a given habitat, but the nasal anatomy of early Homo was not sensitive to the ambient atmosphere conditions. The inhaled air can be fully conditioned subsequently in the pharyngeal cavity, which was lengthened in early Homo. This study highlights the importance of compensating human evolution, as well as adaptive evolution. The diversification of Pleistocene hominins is a major evolutionary event in terms of understanding human evolution. These linked changes in the nasal and pharyngeal regions would in part have contributed to how flat-faced Homo members must have survived fluctuations in climate, before they moved "Out of Africa" in the Early Pleistocene to explore the more severe climates and ecological environments of Eurasia. Research paper: Nishimura T, Mori F, Hanida S, Kumahata K, Ishikawa S, Samarat K, et al. (2016) Impaired Air Conditioning within the Nasal Cavity in Flat-Faced Homo. PLoS Comput Biol 12(3): e1004807.doi:10.1371/journal.pcbi.1004807
Related Links PLOS All About Human Beings and How We Got To Be Here
|
|
The content herein, unless otherwise known to be public domain, are Copyright 1995-2024 - Space Media Network. All websites are published in Australia and are solely subject to Australian law and governed by Fair Use principals for news reporting and research purposes. AFP, UPI and IANS news wire stories are copyright Agence France-Presse, United Press International and Indo-Asia News Service. ESA news reports are copyright European Space Agency. All NASA sourced material is public domain. Additional copyrights may apply in whole or part to other bona fide parties. All articles labeled "by Staff Writers" include reports supplied to Space Media Network by industry news wires, PR agencies, corporate press officers and the like. Such articles are individually curated and edited by Space Media Network staff on the basis of the report's information value to our industry and professional readership. Advertising does not imply endorsement, agreement or approval of any opinions, statements or information provided by Space Media Network on any Web page published or hosted by Space Media Network. General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) Statement Our advertisers use various cookies and the like to deliver the best ad banner available at one time. All network advertising suppliers have GDPR policies (Legitimate Interest) that conform with EU regulations for data collection. By using our websites you consent to cookie based advertising. If you do not agree with this then you must stop using the websites from May 25, 2018. Privacy Statement. Additional information can be found here at About Us. |