Joanna Setchell, a primate researcher at the University of Cambridge in England, has found similar results in nature. Her work with the large African monkeys known as mandrills shows that red coloration gives males an advantage when it comes to mating.
The finding that red also has an advantage in human sporting events does not surprise her, addding 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 primatesred seems to be the color, across species, that signals male dominance and testosterone 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 birds dominance.
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.
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