Anatomy of the Nasal Passages in Mammals

Smith, Timothy D.; Eiting, Thomas P.; Bhatnagar, Kunwar P.

doi:10.1002/9781118971758.ch2

Cited by 13 publications

(30 citation statements)

References 108 publications

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“…Specifically, we found that individuals from the Arctic Circle possess superoinferiorly and mediolaterally larger turbinates than those from Equatorial Africa—a finding consistent with our hypothesis that the Arctic sample would exhibit enlarged turbinates to increase the relative mucosal surface areas of their nasal cavities compared to the African sample. Thus, although humans possess relatively simple turbinates compared to most other mammals (Hillenius, ; Smith, Eiting, & Bhatnagar, ), our results indicate that humans follow a similar pattern of geographically‐mediated inferior turbinate morphology that is generally attributed to climatic and thermoregulatory pressures in other mammalian taxa (Green et al, ; Schmidt‐Nielsen et al, ; Van Valkenburgh et al, ; Yokley, ). Accordingly, this study demonstrates that, in addition to the encapsulating bony walls of the nasal cavity (Bastir et al, ; Butaric & Klocke, ; Franciscus, ; Fukase et al, ; Holton et al, ; Maddux et al, ; Noback et al, ; Yokley, ), the inferior nasal turbinates also contribute to an overall pattern of ecogeographic variation within the human nasal complex.…”

Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 51%

Climatic adaptation in human inferior nasal turbinate morphology: Evidence from Arctic and equatorial populations

Marks

Maddux

Butaric

et al. 2019

American J Phys Anthropol

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Objectives: The nasal turbinates directly influence the overall size, shape, and surface area of the nasal passages, and thus contribute to intranasal heat and moisture exchange. However, unlike the encapsulating walls of the nasal cavity, ecogeographic variation in nasal turbinate morphology among humans has not yet been established.Here we investigate variation in inferior nasal turbinate morphology in two populations from climatically extreme environments.Materials and methods: Twenty-three linear measurements of the inferior turbinate, nasal cavity walls, and airway passages were collected from CT scans of indigenous modern human crania from Equatorial Africa (n = 35) and the Arctic Circle (n = 35).MANOVA and ANCOVA were employed to test for predicted regional and sex differences in morphology between the samples.Results: Significant morphological differences were identified between the two regional samples, with no evidence of significant sexual dimorphism or region-sex interaction effect. Individuals from the Arctic Circle possessed superoinferiorly and mediolaterally larger inferior turbinates compared to Equatorial Africans. In conjunction with the surrounding nasal cavity walls, these differences in turbinate morphology produced airway dimensions that were both consistent with functional expectations and more regionally distinct than either skeletal component independently. Conclusion:This study documents the existence of ecogeographic variation in human nasal turbinate morphology reflecting climate-mediated evolutionary demands on intranasal heat and moisture exchange. Humans adapted to cold-dry environments exhibit turbinate morphologies that enhance contact between respired air and nasal mucosa to facilitate respiratory air conditioning. Conversely, humans adapted to hothumid environments exhibit turbinate morphologies that minimize air-to-mucosa contact, likely to minimize airflow resistance and/or facilitate expiratory heat-shedding. K E Y W O R D S conchae, human variation, nose, respiratory tract, thermoregulation

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Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 51%

Climatic adaptation in human inferior nasal turbinate morphology: Evidence from Arctic and equatorial populations

Marks

Maddux

Butaric

et al. 2019

American J Phys Anthropol

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“…D and A therein). The maxilloturbinal itself originates from the inferior margin of the paries nasi (Maier, ; Smith et al, ). In other words, portions of the ethmoturbinal complex in Megaderma develop in an atypically ventral position, very close to the site where the maxilloturbinal forms.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Maxilloturbinal Aids in Nasophonation in Horseshoe Bats (Chiroptera: Rhinolophidae)

Curtis

Smith

Bhatnagar

et al. 2018

The Anatomical Record

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Horseshoe bats (Family Rhinolophidae) show an impressive array of morphological traits associated with use of high duty cycle echolocation calls that they emit via their nostrils (nasophonation). Delicate maxilloturbinal bones inside the nasal fossa of horseshoe bats have a unique elongated strand-like shape unknown in other mammals. Maxilloturbinal strands also vary considerably in length and cross-sectional shape. In other mammals, maxilloturbinals help direct respired air and prevent respiratory heat and water loss. We investigated whether strandshaped maxilloturbinals in horseshoe bats perform a similar function to those of other mammals, or whether they were shaped for a role in nasophonation. Using histology, we studied the mucosa of the nasal fossa in Rhinolophus lepidus, which we compared with Hipposideros lankadiva (Hipposideridae) and Megaderma lyra (Megadermatidae). Using micro-CT scans of 30 horseshoe bat species, we quantified maxilloturbinal surface area and skull shape within a phylogenetic context. Histological results showed horseshoe bat maxilloturbinals are covered in a thin, poorly vascularized, sparsely ciliated mucosa poorly suited for preventing respiratory heat and water loss. Maxilloturbinal surface area was correlated with basicranial width, but exceptionally long and dorsoventrally flat maxilloturbinals did not show enhanced surface area for heat and moisture exchange. Skull shape variation appears to be driven by structures linked to nasophonation, including maxilloturbinals. Resting echolocation call frequency better predicted skull shape than did skull size, and was specifically correlated with dimensions of the rostral inflations, palate, and maxilloturbinals. These traits appear to form a morphological complex, indicating a nasophonatory role for the strand-shaped rhinolophid maxilloturbinals. Anat Rec, 303:110-128, 2020.

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“…The degree of internal nasal complexity was touted as a fundamental difference between anthropoids and tarsiers (with their reduced ethmoturbinal array) and strepsirrhines by Cave (). This difference emerges prenatally, when most strepsirrhines form a compliment of turbinals that resembles many other mammals, such as tree shrews and rodents (Negus, ; Maier, ; Smith et al, ). In anthropoids and tarsiers, the absence of more posterior turbinals is notable in the interorbital region, indicating a link between ocular encroachment toward the midline and reduction of nasal capsular cartilage that forms the ethmoid bone (Cartmill, ).…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Ontogeny and Microanatomy of the Nasal Turbinals in Lemuriformes

Smith

Martell

Rossie

et al. 2016

The Anatomical Record

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The nasal cavity of strepsirrhine primates (lemurs and lorises) has the most primitive arrangement of extant primates. In nocturnal species, the numerous turbinals of the ethmoid bear a large surface area of olfactory mucosa (OM). In this study, we examine turbinal development in four genera of diurnal or cathemeral lemuriformes. In addition, we examined an age series of each genus to detect whether structures bearing OM as opposed to respiratory mucosa (RM) develop differently, as has been observed in nocturnal strepsirrhines. In adults, the maxilloturbinal is covered by highly vascular respiratory mucosa throughout its entire length, with large sinusoidal vessels in the lamina propria; any parts of other turbinals that closely borders the maxilloturbinal has a similar mucosa. Posteriorly, the most vascular RM is restricted in the nasopharyngeal duct, which becomes partitioned from the dorsal olfactory region. A comparison of newborns to adults reveals that the first ethmoturbinal increases more in length in the parts that are covered with RM than OM, which supports the idea that ethmoturbinals can specialize in more than one function. Finally, we observe that the regions of turbinals that are ultimately covered with RM develop more accessory lamellae or additional surface area of existing scrolls compared to the regions covered with OM. Because such outgrowths of bone develop postnatally and without cartilaginous precursors, we hypothesize that the complexity of olfactory lamellae within the ethmoturbinal complex is primarily established at birth, while respiratory lamellae become elaborated due to the epigenetic influence of respiratory physiology. Anat Rec, 299:1492-1510, 2016. © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

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Anatomy of the Nasal Passages in Mammals

Cited by 13 publications

References 108 publications

Climatic adaptation in human inferior nasal turbinate morphology: Evidence from Arctic and equatorial populations

Climatic adaptation in human inferior nasal turbinate morphology: Evidence from Arctic and equatorial populations

Maxilloturbinal Aids in Nasophonation in Horseshoe Bats (Chiroptera: Rhinolophidae)

Ontogeny and Microanatomy of the Nasal Turbinals in Lemuriformes

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