As you know, a number of men prefer blondes. But only recently scientists find out that the cave people considered the same way. Although in modern culture, blondes are often ridiculed in jokes, in the report of researchers from St. Andrews University, it is said that blonde hair and blue eyes began to appear in women of Northern Europe even at the end of the ice age, and for a completely definite reason.
Blonde from Vanuatu
Three universities in Japan conducted a detailed study of the genes of people in Europe. It was found that the genetic mutation, which led to the appearance of light hair, occurred about 11,000 years ago. According to the Japanese report, due to the lack of food about 11,000 years ago, men were increasingly forced to go to risky and long-term hunting expeditions. At that time, they usually hunted mammoths, bizons and reindeers. A lot of men's hunters never returned from these expeditions, which led to a banal lack of partners to continue.
Prevalence of people with blond hair in Europe
It is easy to guess that the men who returned were very in demand among women in their settlements. And when a person faces the fact that he needs to choose from several potential partners of "equal value", he will strive to choose the one "which is distinguished from the crowd." Therefore, due to the sudden change in the ratio of the number of women and men, light hair arose as a genetic necessity.
Men attracted women with golden curls and blue eyes, so there were blue-eyed blondes in the area, and then exactly the same children. Before that, all people had brown hair and brown eyes.
North European today has the largest variety of hair colors and eyes, which can be found on the planet. And this, according to the lead author of the study, Canadian anthropologist Peter Frost, is due to the sexual attractiveness of these signs.
Reconstruction of the Statue of the Blonde from Acropolis, OK. 480 BC.
So, the popularity of blondes who allocated from the crowd grew. And from a scientific point of view, this meant a high probability of reproduction. Therefore, it is not surprising that their population began to increase over several generations.
Today in Europe there is more than seven different shades of light hair. But how many times the difference arose for a relatively short period of time in this geographical region. Scientists suggest that various shades of light hair developed in response to a shortage of food in the northern European regions, where women could not collect food for themselves and therefore completely depended on men-hunters.
Goddess Hera, depicted with blond hair
In Northern and Eastern Europe, there is a very large variety of colors of human hair and eyes, and their appearance for a relatively short period of evolution indicates a kind of selection. Of course, we are talking about sexual sign.
Therefore, disputes regarding who "better", blondes or brunettes, obviously not new and are conducted from prehistoric times.
Part of the painting "Annunciation" Leonardo da Vinci with the image of the Blonde Virgin Mary (approximately 1472-1475)
In 2006, researchers from the London University of University found that now men like the photos of brunettes and reds, compared with photographs of blondes.
Professor of Psychology in the London University of Peter Ayon, who headed the study, said that dark hair in present times can be considered a more sexy symbol than light. According to the study, because heterosexual relations did not stand still and developed, men may have launched mental abilities more (which they began to more associate with brunettes), rather than primary physical attraction to blonde.
Portrait of the Hereditary Prince of Poland Sigismund Casimir Vasi (approximately 1644) with characteristic blond hair, darkened with time, which is confirmed by its later images
"As human society develops, what men are expected to be expected from women," Professor Ayon explains. - They are now looking for more intense, equal partnerships, and appearance plays a big role. It is even possible that certain colors of the hair may indicate a person's experience. "
Soon these debates will go to the past. The study of the World Health Organization predicted that the natural blondes are likely to disappear over the next two centuries, since too few people carry into themselves the gene of light hair.