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Neotenous features elicit help

Neotenous features both elicits fitness benefits on both mimickers and recipients of the message. From the point of view of the mimicker, the neoteny expression signals appeasement or submissiveness. Thus, extra care will be most likely be administered. On the other hand, the recipient often faces aggression because of the signaled vulnerability. These features also have implications when manifested in adults. The less mature features in an adult signal to outsiders that they should be judged as weak, submissive, helpless, and maybe even feminine. To exemplify how far this idea goes, an example would be that West Point cadets with more mature looking faces were disproportionately rewarded higher ranks at graduation than more “baby-faced”  In Figure 1, the differences can be blatantly seen. The left shows what an adult would look like with strong neotenous features and the right shows what is deemed a mature looking face.

Physical attractiveness- addition to women section

In a solely Westernized study, it was recorded that the high ratio of neurocranial to lower facial features, signified by a small nose and ears, and full lips, is seen as both youthful or neotenous. This interchangeability between neotenous features and youth leads to the idea that male attraction to youth may also apply to females that display exaggerated age-related cues. For example, if a female was much older but retained these “youthful” features, males may find her more favorable over other females who look their age. Beyond the face value of what males find physically attractive, secondary sexual characteristics related to body shape are factored in so adults may be able to recognize other adults from juveniles. In fact a major part of the western cosmetic world is built around capitalizing on enhancing these features. Making eyes and lips appear larger as well as reducing the appearance of any age-related blemishes such as wrinkles or skin discoloration are some of the key target areas of this industry.

Neotenous features have also been loosely linked to providing information about levels of ovarian function, which is another integral part of sexual selection. Both of these factors lead to a fitness advantage because males respond positively. Both of these factors lead to a fitness advantage because males respond positively. However, it was noted that neotenous face structures are not the only thing to be taken into consideration when thinking about attractiveness and mate selection. Once again secondary sex characteristics come into play because they are dominate by the endocrine system and appear only when sexual maturity is reached. The facial features are ever present and may not be the strongest case for sexual selection.

Neoteny and its connection with human specialization features

Neoteny is not a ubiquitous trait of the human phenotype. However, it is still unclear whether or not that all genes in the human brain have a consistent delay in the expression in relation to chimps. Thus, it is difficult to ascertain whether or not there is a uniform shift in development between humans and other primates. Humans reach this neotenous shift once sexual maturity is reached. The real question that is prompted by the Mehmet Somel et al. study, is whether or not human-specific neotonic changes are indicative of human- specific cognitive traits. The tracking of where developmental landmarks occur in humans and other primates is a step towards a better understanding of how neoteny manifests specifically in our species and how it may contribute to our specialized features such as smaller jaws.