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The marsupial nasal system: A review of its structure, function, and evolutionary significance with a focus on wombats

Julie Old , Amelia Dege, Niamh Le Breton, Kaya Sheehan, Layla Yaghi

Abstract

The nose or snout is an important anatomical structure of mammals. It is responsible for inspiration and expiration of gases into the lungs, temperature regulation, and olfaction, and essential for supporting navigation, foraging and immunological defence in animals. Snouts are also often used to differentiate and classify mammals. This review investigates the critical role of the snout and its accessory structures and how it supports mammalian survival. We use wombats as a specific example, given their iconic status and that extant species are classified based on the appearance of their rhinarium, to identify gaps in our knowledge of the marsupial snout and its function.

AM25023  Accepted 31 August 2025

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