Evolutionary origins The narrower, pointy nose of Europeans was proposed to have evolved to adapt to the cold, dry climate so that the cold air could be warmed up and moistened through the nasal passage before it reaches the lungs.
Nose shape investigated
As far back as the 1800s, Arthur Thomson – a British anatomist and anthropologist – pointed out that long, thin noses tended to occur in colder, drier regions, whereas shorter, wider noses more often appeared in hotter, more humid areas. This rule is now referred to as Thomson's nose rule.
Small Nose
This being said, the Turkish, Caucasian, Indian, Persian and Far Eastern races are characterized by smaller noses than those of the European or African populations.
It could have something to do with how humans evolved to live in certain climates, a new study suggests. In the study, the researchers found that wider noses are more commonly found among people living in warm and humid climates, and narrower noses are more commonly found among people in cold and dry climates.
In the past, anthropologists have suggested that some Europeans' relatively narrower nose is an adaptation to the cold, dry environments their ancestors inhabited.
Think of it this way: would it have felt quite so profound if Harry was regularly told, “You have your mother's nose?” However, according to new research, the nose is the part of the face we're most likely to inherit from our parents.
For instance, people of West African, South Asian, and East Asian descent have much larger nasal alae (the wings of the nose) than people of European ancestry. It is also well known that population differences in the nasal index—the width/height of the skull's nasal aperture—are quite substantial.
In total, 64.8% of study participants preferred a smaller nose in women (27.5% found the reduction to 90% of the original size attractive while 37.3% found the reduction to 95% of the original size attractive).
A narrow nose is generally seen as narrow when looking front on at a person's face. Patients complain of a nose that looks too narrow less commonly than a nose that is too wide. Sometimes a nose becomes too narrow after a rhinoplasty procedure. Commonly a narrow nose can also have a narrow internal airway.
Small Nose: While there is no medical definition to classify a smaller nose, individuals who feel their nose is too petite for the overall proportion of their face may seek out augmentation procedures to provide balance. Large Nose: "Big" or wide noses can be hereditary, the result of aging, or caused by trauma.
The Italian nose is unique in its structure as it has a prominent nasal bridge. As one ages, however, the tip of the nose may begin to droop, making it look disproportionately elongated and asymmetrical with other facial features.
Compared with whites, Asians tend to have a smaller amount of nasal cartilage, and the cartilage is much less firm. Asians also tend to have thicker and less pliable skin. These factors contribute to the difficulties of nasal augmentation, especially proper tip projection.
As a rule of thumb, we associate “slender” and “delicate” noses with an appearance of femininity. More prominent and more angular noses tend to be often associated with a more masculine stereotype, as do those with larger bridges.
A Greek nose is often referred to as a straight nose as it is most identifiable by its straight bridge and narrow nostrils. It is a very desirable shaped nose due to its lack of lumps or bumps and is often the nose shape shared by patients with their surgeons when they bring reference photos.
Neither large nor small noses are dominant traits, so a nose's size has little to do with dominance. Two large-nosed parents are likely to produce a large-nosed baby, and two small-nosed parents to produce a small-nosed baby.
The Roman nose is an over-projected nose shape, which is characterized by an outward curvature in the center protruding from the face. The bridge is pronounced and bent or curved. The nose can appear to be hooked because of its prominent bridge.
Nixon Nose
It's one of the least common nose shapes. Basically, it's marked by its straight bridge, which curves at the end with a broader tip. It's a rare nose shape, according to research.
Conclusion: The distribution of nose shape was observed to be genetically determined and follows Mendelian single gene dominant‑recessive pattern with the allele for narrow nose dominant over the allele for broad nose.
Your nose and ears indeed change as you get older, but it isn't that they're growing. Instead, what you're seeing is the effects of skin changes and gravity. Other parts of your body change in the same ways, but your ears and nose are more visible and more noticeable.
Using mathematical modeling, the researchers found that photographs taken at a distance of 12 inches increased nose size by 30% in men and 29% in women compared with photographs taken at an infinite camera distance.
Other Types of Noses
There are many other ethnic nose shapes such as Greek, Persian and Jewish noses. Greek noses typically have a straight bridge without bumps or curves. It is a common reference as many rhinoplasty patients want a straight bridge for a sleek-looking profile.
Middle-Eastern Noses are unique in their shape and form. The noses are often more droopy, longer, and have a profile with significant bump. This shows up as a convexity on their profile. Often Middle-Eastern noses have a weak tip that droops with smiling or any activity.
African-Americans on the other hand have noses with wide or low bridges, flared nostrils, and bulbous nasal tip, while Hispanic noses are often broad and wide with a dropping tip, sometimes with a hump in the dorsum of their nose.