Did monobrows bring any advantages for humans in ancient times or are they just randomly there?
In: Biology
From an evolutionary standpoint, eyebrows help keep debris from entering our eyes, and they provide some shelter from the sun’s rays by attracting light, in the same way as a football (or other outdoor sport) player may smear black greasepaint under their eyes.
From a fashion standpoint, unibrows have historically been considered a sign of beauty throughout much of the ancient and modern world, particularly in the areas between North Africa and Central Asia (especially in places with historic Persian influence), and in some of those places, it is even preferable for women to have moustaches and/or beards.
A monobrow, where eyebrow hair meets across the bridge of the nose, doesn’t have a specific advantage; it’s more about genetic variation in appearance, like hair color or height. Eyebrows in general help protect our eyes from sweat and rain, which was useful for ancient humans. The monobrow is just one of the many looks that come from our genetics, not a trait evolved for a specific benefit.
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