by Playfuls Staff |
28th February 2006
We’ve always known that there’s something special about blondes (especially the natural ones). They do have a certain “special effect” on men, but up until now, nobody had done a scientific study on this subject.[more]
However, now, a report from the University of St. Andrews, published this week in Evolution and Human Behavior, says north European women evolved blond hair and blue eyes to make them stand out from their rivals at a time of fierce competition for scarce males, the Sunday Times of London reported.
According to UPI, researchers say it appears blond hair originated in the region because of food shortages 10,000-11,000 years ago. Many men died in long, arduous hunting trips for food, leading to a high ratio of surviving women to men. Lighter hair colors, which started as rare mutations, became popular for breeding, the study said.
Thus, nature’s response was a genetic mutation that produced light- haired, blue-eyed women who stood out from the crowd of brunettes, maximizing their potential of snagging what few men remained.
An analysis of north European genes carried out at three Japanese universities has isolated the date of the genetic mutation that resulted in blond hair to about 11,000 years ago.
However, a study by the World Health Organization found that natural blondes are likely to be extinct within 200 years because there are too few people carrying the blond gene.
Experts say the reason for their demise is that the gene which creates blondes, MC1R, is regressive. This means that for a child to be born blonde, it must have the gene on both sides of the family in the grandparents' generation.
But added to this is the fact that men are now opting for bottled rather than natural blondes, which even further reduces their chances of survival.
But why this whole attraction of men towards blondes? Well, according to icWales,
Dr Lance Workman, an evolutionary psychologist at the University of Glamorgan said blondes send out certain signals which make them more sexually attractive.
He said, "A lot of people in Northern latitudes are often blonde but as they get older their hair gets darker.
"Because years ago we couldn't count or didn't have any concept of ageing we looked for signs of youthfulness and fertility.
"And being blonde is a sign of that, along with signs such as an hour glass figure and a good waist hip ratio.
"It's what is known as sexual selection.
"This male choice is a big driving force in our species. In most other species of mammals the males don't invest in their offspring but with humans, males help to rear them which means they're more choosy about who they mate with."
