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Re: I feel embarrassed to ask this, but...



Intelligent design.

Dan

Dann Pigdon wrote:
David Marjanovic writes:
They [dogs] sneeze too. Really, nasty, snotty sneezes.

When my nose is really plugged, I don't sneeze. I don't get the reflex, somehow.

Then again, you've evolved a handy set of 'Swiss army knife' fingers of various sizes, and have a relatively short nasal passage (allowing said digits almost complete access). For a dog it's a snort or a sneeze, or nothing. Dogs sometimes get fungal infections that can block a nostril entirely, but there's very little they can do about it without veterinary help (unless they evolve a symbiotic relationship with aye-ayes, which I'll admit is unlikely).
Has anyone ever noticed that in great apes at least, the forefinger always seems to be a good fit for the nostril? I've seen gorillas picking their nose (with gusto), and their big thick forefingers also happen to fit snuggly into their wide nostrils. I suspect a similar correlation between our smallest digits and our ear canals. It's like nature *wants* us to stick our fingers in various cranial orifices.
___________________________________________________________________
Dann Pigdon
GIS / Archaeologist http://geo_cities.com/dannsdinosaurs
Melbourne, Australia http://heretichides.soffiles.com
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