ABSTRACT
Since olfaction is such an important physiological sense in animals other than man, it seems likely that the phylogenetic development of the nose has been influenced by the need to optimize and protect the olfactory organ. The development of the nasal cavity in most mammals, excluding man and some higher apes, is reflected by the demand for its primary function as olfaction. Carnivora, including the Dog and Cat tribes, as well as the herbivora, such as the rodents, have on one hand developed complex nasal cavities with large areas for olfaction. As a result of this distinction in primary function, the anatomy of the nasal cavity in relation to the oral cavity is arranged in such a manner that, while man can breathe both nasally and oronasally, other mammals are obligatory nose breathers, due to the close apposition of the epiglottis to the soft palate.
