[festus]

But new research has found that it was cavemen who were the first to be lured by flaxen locks. According to the study, north European women evolved blonde hair and blue eyes at the end of the Ice Age to make them stand out from their rivals at a time of fierce competition for scarce males.

I'm throwing the BS flag right here on the basis that, regardless of endless pointy headed archeological babbling, this is just not knowable and depends on endless unprovable suppositions.

[wagglebee]

I'm throwing the BS flag right here on the basis that, regardless of endless pointy headed archeological babbling, this is just not knowable and depends on endless unprovable suppositions.

Of course it's BS. But they had all this research grant money, they had to come up with something.

[gleeaikin]

Why blonds were preferred>

It always amazes me how scientists can be so unaware of knowledge that is well known in other disciplines. In nutritional science (a field where woman are much more common) it is well known that fair skin more readily absorbs vitamin D. Vitamin D is formed in oils on the skin and then absorbed where it aids the growth of strong bones, teeth and a well formed pelvic girdle. Women with good pelvises bear more live young, so it stands to reason that they would multiply and men, noticing this would tend to prefer them as the potential mothers of their children. Once poeple moved into cold climates where they had to wear clothing of some sort, this ability to absorb vitamin D more easily became critically important.

Dark caucasians are found in India and dark negros are found in Africa, where the melanin in the skin prevents excessive vitamin D absorption.