nasal height

But for a long time, Asian noses, which on average have a much flatter nasal bridge, were somewhat befuddling for Franciscus. His research had led him to believe that a more pronounced nasal bridge would be more what you’d expect for the cold, dry conditions of northern Asia. Which is one reason why his most recent thinking downplays the importance of respiratory adaptation as a prime determinant of the external shape of the nose among different groups. The internal nasal cavity appears to be much more important, he says.

“If you look at Asian noses internally they are long and high and narrow, exactly like what you would expect for European populations,” Franciscus says.