Why do we have the dimple between the upper lip and the nose called the philtrum?

It’s called the philtrum (Greek philtron, from philein, “to love; to kiss”); also known as the “infranasal depression.


mmmmuuuuuaaaaahhhhhh.

Apparently it aids in speech pronunciation and facial expressions. But of course the superstitious crowd have some interesting explanations as well: http://www.readingfaces.com/rf_features.asp?SubareaID=105 copy

fascinating link, Aiming!

Biologically, it has no purpose at all. It's one of the merger-lines,
known as "raphes", that occur throughout the body. When an embryo is developing in the womb, the right and left sides are merged at various points on the
body, leaving a raphe at the meeting point. Other raphes can be found on the middle of the tongue, in the dent under the point of your chin, and other, far more personal parts of your body.
Source: WHEN DID WILD POODLES ROAM THE EARTH? By David Feldman

There is an old wives’ tale has it that the philtrum is a mark left by an angel’s finger at the moment of a baby’s birth.