The finding that red also has an advantage in human sporting events does not surprise her, adding that the idea of the study is very clever.

Hill and Barton got the idea for their study out of a mutual interest in the evolution of sexual signals in primates-red seems to be the color, across species, that signals male dominance and testos-terone levels, Barton said.

For example, studies by Setchell, the Cambridge primate researcher, show that dominant male mandrills have increased red coloration in their faces and rumps. Another study by other scientists shows that red plastic rings experimentally placed on the legs of male zebra finches increase the birdsdominance.

Barton said he and Hill speculated some speculated that there might be a similar effect in humans. And if so, it could be apparent in sporting contests.

The pair say their results indicate that sexual selection may have influenced the evolution of humans response to color.

Setchell, the primatologist, agrees. As Hill and Barton say, humans redden when we are angry and pale when were scared. These are very important signals to other individuals, she said.

The advantage of red may be intuitively known, judging from the prevalence of red uniforms in sports -though it is clearly not very widely appreciated, on a conscious level at least, Barton said.

He adds that the finding of reds advantage might have implications for regulations that govern sporting attire. In the Olympic matches he surveyed for the new study, for example, it is possible some medal winners may have reached the pedestal with an unintended advantage.

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