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It's true that male birds are often more colorful than females, but that's not particularly true for mammals, which humans are. Sexual dimorphism in mammals usually means that the male is bigger and possibly has some other display with his hair, fur, or horns. Manes on lions, antlers and horns on many kinds of hooved animals, wide jowls on a tomcat, a silverback on an alpha gorilla. Sexual dimorphism in male humans is recognizable in facial and body hair, as well as a generally larger body structure than a woman's. Painting yourself as brightly as a bird is irrelevant.
Yes. Mammals generally have poorer colour vision than birds so it is reasonable that this plays into their mating attraction styles.
This is a bit off-topic but I'd thought I'd throw it in.
Human beings generally have 3 types of receptors (cone cells) in our eyes whose combination lets us detect the range of colours. We are actually one of the mammals that have better colour vision. Primates such as monkeys generally also have 3 types of receptor too.
Humans can be born missing one or two types of receptor and be partially or fully "colour blind". But there are more men than women that are colour blind (for reasons being that the genes for it are linked to the sex chromosome).
Additionally, some people think that a very small percentage of women actually are born with an extra type of receptor (so, 4 in total) that lets them see more colour variations (it is thought so but this is not proven for sure).
This could be one reason why in our culture, being obsessed with colour is associated with females more than males (though social constructs no doubt play into this idea).
Most birds have 4 types of receptors that can detect colour, so they can see more a colour range than us, and more than for mammals in general.
The majority of mammals, for example, dogs, have 2 types and can see less colour types than us.
Sea mammals, like whales and dolphins have fully monochromatic vision -- they only have 1 type of receptor which makes them truly colour-blind. But for them, other senses are more important.
Also, for many animals that are active at night (such as cats), the ability to see clearer in the darkness is more important that the ability to see colours in bright daylight.
As well, the reason why among the mammals, primates like monkeys have good colour vision is thought to be related to climbing trees, being visual creatures, the way birds are, and being able to pick out/notice brightly coloured plants/fruits to eat (again, funny thing how even the word fruitiness is associated with being gay/feminine in our culture. ).
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Still, at the end of the day, what does it matter what the animals do?
They're not the ones typing on this forum, reading posts, going to work, earning money and doing all the things humans do.
This got me thinking. Male birds are full of bright colors to attract the opposite sex. A lot of mens clothes are bright colors but this thread is about guys painting their nails so the question here is: What if males didnt want to paint their nails bright colors but rather softer tones or pastels if you will. Would you still use the "colorful male bird" argument to justify it?
This got me thinking. Male birds are full of bright colors to attract the opposite sex. A lot of mens clothes are bright colors but this thread is about guys painting their nails so the question here is: What if males didnt want to paint their nails bright colors but rather softer tones or pastels if you will. Would you still use the "colorful male bird" argument to justify it?
Yes, in that it shows that the creater was, well creative...just for the sake of being creative...
I mean the creator could of just as well made the male peacock a dull brownish grey tone...that would of worked...
Or the Toucan bird...
With it's colorful beak...it's beak could just as well be all black, and it would still adapt and survive...
Or flowers, or coral fish...
Most of those fish your looking at are male...brightly colored males...
And why?
What I'm saying is in nature, color and vibrance seems to not be a gender thing...it crosses all spectrums...and even use to in the human world amongst many cultures...just read some old national geographic magazines...
But what I'm saying is...the urge to be creative, vibrant, and yes even beautiful, doesn't just lie within females...
Rather instead many males have just learned to 'supress' that side of themselves in this modern day industrialize enviornment...
As things were to hard to worry about such petty stuff by the men...
But as society takes on a more recreational tone, with massive surplus of food, water, lighting ect ect...
The need for men to walk around grunting to survive and attract a mate is deminishing...at least for the middle class...
I mean in the hood, and certain boroughs, and other rough areas, the men still do indeed grunt...at least on the surface...
So back to your 'needing justification' question...
One really doesn't need justification to be artsy...for it's an impulse that resides within us all...
Well now that youve said something.....No. We're going to make it a point to keep it going until Christian Bale starts wearing hot pink nail polish with little bats airbrushed on.
T & S, thanks for all that but I think you misunderstood my question. Lets say you decided to paint your nails. You went out and someone stopped you and asked why theyre painted. You say, "Well male animals have bright flashy colors so why cant us men?" The person says "Well yeah but animals have bright red and royal blue. Youre wearing soft pink. That doesnt really count as a bright color". Now what do you say to them? I mean they would have a point.
But what I'm saying is...the urge to be creative, vibrant, and yes even beautiful, doesn't just lie within females...
One really doesn't need justification to be artsy...for it's an impulse that resides within us all...
Agreed! But I don't know that nail polish is a creative or artsy activity/
fashion statement, just like I don't think tattoos really express individuality (i.e. all the Asian letter ones). I think it takes more for me to be impressed with someone's artistic nature or creativity than just painting nails 9after all, our non-artistic, non-creative grandmas can wear nail polish).
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