【研究】美女和狐狸之间的确有关联
在古代中国就有把美女比作狐狸精的说法，而近日有科学家发现美女和狐狸在外貌上确实有很多相似。
据英国《每日邮报》报道，剑桥大学的科学家们近日研究发现，美女的脸部特征和家养银狐的脸部特征十分近似：两者都有平滑的脸庞、娇小的鼻子、宽阔的前额和柔软的下巴。同时，这些面部特征也让人感到友善，是人们寻找伴侣时的选择。除此之外，科学家们也发现人们对待自己的子女也会受到这些外貌特征的影响。据俄罗斯科学家的实验发现，父母对长相好看的子女态度更好。从1959年起，前苏联的科学家们就开始驯养银狐。他们试图通过选择性繁育的方式驯养出态度友善的狐狸，而结果发现驯养出的狐狸也具有上述外貌特征。
Angelina really is a foxy lady! Scientists discover that silver foxes share the same facial characteristics as a beautiful womanThey say beauty is in the eye of the beholder, but scientists believe it may be possible to prove whether a lady, or indeed a man, is foxy or not.Researchers have discovered that what makes for a beautiful face in a fox, is similar to the features of an attractive human.
The study found that features seen in farmed foxes - such as flat faces and smaller jaws, as well as a large space between the height of the cranium and face - are the same features that humans find desirable.The research, by the University of Cambridge, also discovered that the presence or absence of such desirable features alters parents’ treatment towards their offspring.
It has long been known that the bone structure of people’s faces determines their beauty and marks them out as a suitable mate.However, scientists are interested in whether the shapes of faces relate to other desirable attributes in a mate, such as fertility, social status and health and now they think a friendly looking face might be an important signifier of good character.
Correlations between some of these attributes and beauty have been established, but scientists have said that as people live closely together, temperament and a friendly outlook are important characteristics in a partner too.Biological anthropologist Irene Elia told The Economist that a suitable experiment had been performed on foxes five decades ago that answers some of the questions.
In 1959, Dmitry Belyaev, tried to breed tamer silver foxes, which could be more easily handled by farmers in the fur trade in Russia.The geneticist found the selective breeding process, with focused on breeding the friendliest animals, created foxes with floppy ears, rounder skulls and flatter faces, with stubbier noses and shorter jaws that crowded their teeth.He looked for foxes that displayed friendly behaviour that was not fearful or aggressive, but calm and eager and sociable.
According to Dr Elia, the link is hormonal and estradiol and serotonin, which regulate behaviour, also dictate some aspects of development.In her research, published in the Quarterly Review of Biology, Dr Elia said in a sociable species such as the human race, people seek out those with friendly faces for partners.
She found that the same features of the foxes – flat faces, a small nose, more delicate jaw and large forehead – are sought after features of a partner for humans.Dr Elia also said the presence of such characteristics in people’s children also plays a role in dictating how they treat their offspring.More than 15 separate studies have shown that mothers treat prettier or more handsome children better than less attractive children, even if they claim they treat them equally.
In the animal kingdom, parents might neglect uglier offspring, resulting in their death, inadvertently making sure ‘beautiful’ features were passed on to the next generation.If the features do indeed indicate an animal is friendlier and more sociable, as they do in foxes, these characteristic would also be passed down the genetic line.
Dr Elia said that in humans, attractive children are largely better adjusted and more popular than less attractive children, according to 33 studies. They are also believed to have higher intelligence and better social skills.One study found that babies just a few days old preferred the faces of classically beautiful people, while another piece of research said people are more beautiful now than in the past, as beauty is evolving.This has reportedly been shown by assessing the beauty of reconstructions of early humans.While the studies seem to back up Dr Elia’s findings, they do not prove it, but her studies suggest facial beauty is not an arbitrary characteristic, but a sign of a good character.
据英国《每日邮报》报道，剑桥大学的科学家们近日研究发现，美女的脸部特征和家养银狐的脸部特征十分近似：两者都有平滑的脸庞、娇小的鼻子、宽阔的前额和柔软的下巴。同时，这些面部特征也让人感到友善，是人们寻找伴侣时的选择。除此之外，科学家们也发现人们对待自己的子女也会受到这些外貌特征的影响。据俄罗斯科学家的实验发现，父母对长相好看的子女态度更好。从1959年起，前苏联的科学家们就开始驯养银狐。他们试图通过选择性繁育的方式驯养出态度友善的狐狸，而结果发现驯养出的狐狸也具有上述外貌特征。
Angelina really is a foxy lady! Scientists discover that silver foxes share the same facial characteristics as a beautiful womanThey say beauty is in the eye of the beholder, but scientists believe it may be possible to prove whether a lady, or indeed a man, is foxy or not.Researchers have discovered that what makes for a beautiful face in a fox, is similar to the features of an attractive human.
The study found that features seen in farmed foxes - such as flat faces and smaller jaws, as well as a large space between the height of the cranium and face - are the same features that humans find desirable.The research, by the University of Cambridge, also discovered that the presence or absence of such desirable features alters parents’ treatment towards their offspring.
It has long been known that the bone structure of people’s faces determines their beauty and marks them out as a suitable mate.However, scientists are interested in whether the shapes of faces relate to other desirable attributes in a mate, such as fertility, social status and health and now they think a friendly looking face might be an important signifier of good character.
Correlations between some of these attributes and beauty have been established, but scientists have said that as people live closely together, temperament and a friendly outlook are important characteristics in a partner too.Biological anthropologist Irene Elia told The Economist that a suitable experiment had been performed on foxes five decades ago that answers some of the questions.
In 1959, Dmitry Belyaev, tried to breed tamer silver foxes, which could be more easily handled by farmers in the fur trade in Russia.The geneticist found the selective breeding process, with focused on breeding the friendliest animals, created foxes with floppy ears, rounder skulls and flatter faces, with stubbier noses and shorter jaws that crowded their teeth.He looked for foxes that displayed friendly behaviour that was not fearful or aggressive, but calm and eager and sociable.
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According to Dr Elia, the link is hormonal and estradiol and serotonin, which regulate behaviour, also dictate some aspects of development.In her research, published in the Quarterly Review of Biology, Dr Elia said in a sociable species such as the human race, people seek out those with friendly faces for partners.
She found that the same features of the foxes – flat faces, a small nose, more delicate jaw and large forehead – are sought after features of a partner for humans.Dr Elia also said the presence of such characteristics in people’s children also plays a role in dictating how they treat their offspring.More than 15 separate studies have shown that mothers treat prettier or more handsome children better than less attractive children, even if they claim they treat them equally.
In the animal kingdom, parents might neglect uglier offspring, resulting in their death, inadvertently making sure ‘beautiful’ features were passed on to the next generation.If the features do indeed indicate an animal is friendlier and more sociable, as they do in foxes, these characteristic would also be passed down the genetic line.
Dr Elia said that in humans, attractive children are largely better adjusted and more popular than less attractive children, according to 33 studies. They are also believed to have higher intelligence and better social skills.One study found that babies just a few days old preferred the faces of classically beautiful people, while another piece of research said people are more beautiful now than in the past, as beauty is evolving.This has reportedly been shown by assessing the beauty of reconstructions of early humans.While the studies seem to back up Dr Elia’s findings, they do not prove it, but her studies suggest facial beauty is not an arbitrary characteristic, but a sign of a good character.
