Zoologists explain moose's mysterious nose

Finally!!! Man, all these years of deep thoughts and long restless nights have finally come to an end.



The peculiar shape and size of a moose's nose produce advantages, zoologists have found.

Bullwinkle's model has nostrils that can be 10 centimetres wide, with a snout that hangs over the lip.


The nose of a moose is unique

The moose's nose differs from its cousins like deer but scientists knew little about why.

To find out, Lawrence Witmer, an anatomy professor at the University of Ohio, and his graduate student Andy Clifford examined the heads of moose roadkill from Canada.

After dissecting the samples and using CT scans to probe internal anatomy, they found specialized muscles and cartilage in the moose's nose.

"These attributes suggest a mechanical function, namely, an elaborated nostril-closing system," they wrote in the April issue of the Journal of Zoology.

Moose are strong swimmers that can plunge 5.5 metres and surface with aquatic plants. The nostril mechanism may help keep out water, the researchers said.




And here I thought it was because they did a lot of cocaine.