The main sex hormone of man would have been the protagonist of our species becoming civilized thanks to a general drop in testosterone in our ancestors, according to a study by the University of Utah (USA).
High levels of testosterone have been associated with a higher level of aggressiveness , a high level of competitiveness, and little or no empathy with others. This hormone, which is more palpably found in men, also leaves a physical mark , specifically in the shape of our skull. Thus, the researchers analyzed a total of 1,400 skulls, from pieces more than 80,000 years old to 20th century skulls , with a variety of 30 different ethnicities, to investigate the shape of the face and the superciliary arch of the head.
Experts noted that from ancient to modern, the trend seemed to be clear: skulls had a shortened upper face and a smaller brow bone , obvious signs of decreased testosterone.
” Busier and less prominent eyebrows, rounder heads … all of these changes may be directly related to the levels of testosterone acting on the skeleton,” says study co-author Steven Churchill.
The study, which has been published in the journal Current Anthropology , puts to the table the possible theory that when the human race reached considerable population levels and was forced to work as a team as a way to obtain more and better resources , this could having led to that general drop in testosterone levels that led to the transformation of the human being into a more sociable and civilized being.
