For International Men’s Day 2019 and in line with “No-Shave November”, we have a closer look at the biology of the beard. Read here.

1. The DNA Universe

2. 2
For International Men’s Day 2019 and in line with
“No-Shave November”, we have a closer look at the male beard…
Eurofins Genomics - The DNA Universe
There is always a period when a man with a beard shaves it off. This period
does not last. He returns headlong to his beard.
– Jean Cocteau
The evolution of hair and beards
Why don’t humans have much more
body hair or even fur? Chimpanzees
our closest living relatives certainly
do. And, even though all humans
have facial hair, why do only adult
men grow beards?

3. 3Eurofins Genomics - The DNA Universe
The evolution of hair and beards
There are several hypotheses about the
evolution of human hair and beards such as:
• Less body hair (along with an increase in
sweat glands) as evolutionary advantage
for our ancestors in Africa’s dry savannah
when they migrated out of the cooler
jungle (body-cooling hypothesis).
• Less body hair reduces amount of
ectoparasites such as ticks and lice, thereby
reduced infectious diseases.
Pagel, M. and Bodmer, W. (2003) A naked ape would have fewer parasites. Proc Biol Sci. 270(Suppl 1): 117-9.

4. 4Eurofins Genomics - The DNA Universe
The evolution of hair and beards
What about the male beard?
• Facial hair as an advantage for camouflaging during hunting - beards break
up the outline of the head/face and may allow for blending in with surrounding.
• Beards could represent a structural protection
for neck and face areas during intraspecies
fights for dominance (similar to male lions).
• Beards could signal age and sexual maturity-
long beard indicates good fitness and long
survival, which makes the man more desirable
as partner.
Blanchard, D.C. (2010) Of Lion Manes and Human Beards: Some Unusual Effects of the Interaction between Aggression and Sociality. Front Behav
Neurosci. 3: 45.
Zahavi, A. and Zahavi, A. (1997) The handicap principle: a missing piece of Darwin's puzzle. Oxford University Press. Oxford.

5. 5Eurofins Genomics - The DNA Universe
A 2016 study with more than 8,500 female participants found:
Dixson, B. J. W., Sulikowski, D., Gouda‐Vossos, A., Rantala, M.J., Brooks, R.C. (2016) The masculinity paradox: facial masculinity and beardedness
interact to determine women's ratings of men's facial attractiveness. J Evol Biol. 29(11): 2311-20.
The attractiveness of beards
• Men with beards are preferred by women for long‐
term relationships over men with clean‐shaven faces.
• Men with beards were judged to be more attractive
for long-term relationships.
• Stubbles (5 to 10 days of regrowth after shaving)
were more attractive for short‐term relationships
compared to full beards.
Beards (secondary sexual trait) are linked to
signalling of social dominance and age, and
indicate successful competition with other males for
resources.
Beards could conceal masculine facial shapes that
are perceived as less attractive for long‐term
relationships.

6. 6Eurofins Genomics - The DNA Universe
Beards are the source of antibiotics…
at least in hospitals. In a study with more than 400
hospital staff members, it was found that:
• Men with beards were about three times less likely
to be colonised by methicillin-resistant
Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) on their cheeks
compared to clean-shaven men.
Potentially caused by micro-abrasions during
shaving that support colonisation and proliferation
of bacteria.
Wakeam, E., Hernandez, R.A., Rivera Morales, D., Finlayson, S.R., Klompas, M., Zinner, M.J. (2014) Bacterial ecology of hospital workers' facial
hair: a cross-sectional study. J Hosp Infect. 87(1): 63-7.
The protection of health by beards
MRSA is resistant to
many currently used
antibiotics and repre-
sents a dangerous
source of nosocomial
infections (origin in
hospital).
Scanning electron micrograph of a human
neutrophil ingesting MRSA (purple).

7. 7Eurofins Genomics - The DNA Universe
Should men who work in health care or in a lab that handles microbes
grow beards?
Not necessarily!
• The study showed that, overall, microbial colonisation and proliferation on
the facial skin of men with or without facial hair is quite similar.
• Only certain species such as MRSA are less frequent on facial skin of
bearded men.
Wakeam, E., Hernandez, R.A., Rivera Morales, D., Finlayson, S.R., Klompas, M., Zinner, M.J. (2014) Bacterial ecology of hospital workers' facial
hair: a cross-sectional study. J Hosp Infect. 87(1): 63-7.
The protection of health by beards
S. aureus

8. 8Eurofins Genomics - The DNA Universe
How to embrace “No-Shave November”
1. Get beard oil
2. Grow a magnificent beard
3. Enjoy International Men’s Day
Bonus:
• Beards protect the skin beneath and block a high amount of UV radiation.
• Did you know that the fear of beards is called pogonophobia?
Parisi, A.V., Turnbull, D.J., Downs, N., Smith, D. (2012) Dosimetric investigation of the solar erythemal UV radiation protection provided by beards
and moustaches. Radiat Prot Dosim. 150 (3): 278-82.
Embracing the beard

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