Neoteny and Youthful Obsession
In human evolution, developmental retardation, or neoteny is a mechanism that contributes to many human-specific features.
what is neoteny?
Neoteny, literally “to stretch youth”. It is a developmental process that occurs more slowly than the subject’s ancestors and causes the retention of juvenile traits in adulthood.
Neoteny plays a functional role in the maturation of the prefrontal cortex and in the acquisition of high cognitive abilities and emotional capacities.
For example, the neotenous human skull (with reference to chimpanzees, a retardation in shape and an increase in size and in the duration of growth) contributed to brain plasticity, language, and culture.
In other words, biological neoteny induces behavioural neoteny.
For example, canine animals (dog or wolf) show different levels of respect and attachment to humans caused by biological neoteny, and that partly explains both the instability of individual differences and the malleability of behaviour during childhood in every social mammal’s offspring.
The Traits of Human Neoteny
The theory begins with the similarities between the adult human skull and the juvenile chimpanzees' skull.
What is commonly considered baby-like facial features such as a wide, round face and small nose, is really just an illusion.
By the time a child reaches 3, the cranium has developed 92% while the jaw only has developed 75%. The round face is merely facial fat, literally, baby fat, and as humans mature, the facial skeletal is, in fact, getting wider.
The nasal bone is actually fully developed during childhood. what makes the nose seem larger and proturding is the development of the cheekbones.
In simpler words, the indication of youth is a small face and small cheekbones on the skeletal level.
See other mammals:
Other indications are a thin skull, small teeth and big eyes.
The body:
Longer limbs are a good indication of neoteny. As seen below, limbs are first to develop then the torso.
The number and thickness of hairs are other indications.
The neoteny barrier:
Humans are more attracted to those who retain infantile characteristics which is a biological imperative derived from the appearance of human babies.
This leads to problems like “cuter” animals getting much more attention for protection than others.
Non-human objects:
In marketing, the concept of neoteny most often deals with anthropomorphic products, to get more cherubic, cuddly, and more childlike.
The promotion of neotenous products and brand characters will develop affective responses and positive attitudes toward consumers.
Similarly, cars with big “eyes” with smooth foreheads signal that there is no threat, and develop a playful relationship with consumers.
Companies design robots to look like cats creating less pushback for stealing jobs or any mistakes they make.
Beauty standard:
Light eye colour, longer limbs, and big eyes follow a similar path of looking youthful. The high titer of testosterone or estrogen required for the maintenance of secondary sexual traits suppresses immune system function making feminine female faces and masculine male faces commonly believed as highly physically attractive.
Although women mature at an earlier age, they do not go on to acquire the toughened skin, coarse body hair, and thyroid cartilage which are common for other primates. The difference in the degree of paedomorphism is one of the few truly decisive human sexual dichotomies.
In other words, looking more feminine is equal to looking more youthful in the eyes of most men.
However, in comparison with other mammals, human mothers need long-term, dependable partnerships to help as they raise the children during the hazardous journey from embryo to maturity.
This might lead to women tending to rank highest kindness, intelligence, and self-confidence. Physical handsomeness and youth, while appreciated, are usually not among the highest mate-choice desiderata.
Recent research also shows women’s preferences for masculine traits correspond with ovulation. Masculine walking gaits and more confident, intersexually competitive male behavioural displays are most highly valued when women are fertile. Other times women might prefer more feminized male faces.
Bing’s opinion:
Particular to humanity, females are strangely the ones who have been forced to compete in appearance, even though they are still the ones with the most exhausting task in reproduction, and with the most to lose. This combination is without known parallel in nature.
Neoteny might be the reason we have developed languages and separates us from animals, and our never-diminished curiosity is what sets us apart from A.I.
