This means that brow ridges in archaic humans must have had a social function – most likely used to display social dominance as is seen in other primates.įor our species losing the brow ridge probably meant looking less intimidating, but by developing flatter and more vertical foreheads our species could do something very unusual – move our eyebrows in all kinds of subtle and important ways.Īlthough the loss of the brow ridge may have initially been driven by changes in our brain or facial reduction, it subsequently allowed our eyebrows to make many different subtle and friendly gestures to people around us. As when the ridge was taken away there was no effect on the rest of the face when biting. The brow ridges in archaic humans also serve no obvious function in relation to chewing or other practical mechanics – a theory commonly put forward to explain protruding brow ridges. Model of a modern human cranium (left) shown next to a model of an archaic human (Kabwe 1) (right) Author provided It was even famously said that Neanderthals would go unnoticed on a New York subway if only they could wear something like a hat to cover this distinctive feature.
And for scientists, this difference between us and them has been the hardest to explain. But the most obvious difference is that archaic humans possessed a pronounced and very distinctive brow ridge which contrasts with our own flat and vertical foreheads. We all know that ancient species of humans, such as Neanderthals, looked a little bit different from us. As our new research published in Nature Ecology and Evolution suggests, the ability to look either intimidating or friendly is reflected in our bones – at least where the shape of the skulls is concerned.
But it seems our anatomy reflects the importance of getting on with other people as well. We already know that our modern minds often reflect the ways our ancestors needed to work together to survive in the distant evolutionary past.
Eyebrows, we all have them, but what are they actually for? While eyebrows help to prevent debris, sweat, and water from falling into the eye socket, they serve another important function too – and it’s all to do with how they move and human connection.
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