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Hipsters just aping other primates
Academic says beards and tattoos are how males stand out amidst the masses .
The popularity of Ned Kelly beards , and tattoos , within the hipster community may simply be down to the evolution of primates towards ornamental and even aggressive displays of flamboyance , a University of Western Australia researcher reports .
A paper by Dr Cyril Grueter , recently published in the journal Evolution and Human Behaviour , examined the hypothesis that male primates living in larger societal groups develop ways of standing out .
Grueter and his team at UWA ’ s School of Anatomy , Physiology and Human Biology analysed more than 150 species of primates across 45 genera to identify the reasons
behind the evolution of such standout features , known as badges .
Comparing beards groomed by young men to the coloured faces of mandrills , the elongated noses of proboscis monkeys and cheek flanges of orang-utans , Grueter said such badges amongst primates could result in increased sexual attractiveness to females and could be a symptom of competition for attention amongst males . “ In the case of humans , this may also include phenotypic extensions such as body decoration , jewellery and prestige items ,” he said .
“ In large groups where individuals are surrounded by strangers , we need a quick reliable tool to evaluate someone ’ s strength and quality , and that ’ s where these elaborate ornaments come in ,” Grueter explained . “ For example , I teach a group of 900 students , so there is no way of getting to know them on an individual basis – this is where these ornaments come in handy . Males have these flamboyant ornaments and they use them to signal their quality and status to other members in the group .”
Conversely , he added , for those animals living in smaller groups where members are more familiar with one another due to repeated interactions , there is less need “ to signal quality and competitiveness via ornaments ”. n
2015 ATEM / Campus Review Awards launch
Nominations are now open for honours that recognise the leading professionals in the education sector .
The leading lights of tertiary education management will once again have their chance to shine , with the launch of the 2015 ATEM / Campus Review Best Practice awards .
These prestigious awards , in their fourth year , are organised by the Association for Tertiary Education Management ( ATEM ) in partnership with Campus Review . They celebrate excellence in areas such as management , leadership and innovation . ATEM executive director Paul Abela said the awards had become a key in the association ’ s 39 years of work towards “ a culture where professional managers work to partner academics in the education enterprise ”.
“ The awards are there to recognise all the work professionals do in the sector , be they in student administration , student services , marketing , school , colleges and faculties , finance , IT or the myriad other work [ roles that more than 70,000 professionals [ perform ] in the university , TAFE , and private provider sectors ,” Abela said .
“ Professional tertiary education managers have a unique [ role ] because tertiary education is more than an industry ,” he continued . “ It ’ s the foundation of our future .”
The winners will be announced at a ceremony as part of the Tertiary Education Management Conference – featuring special guest former prime minister Julia Gillard – at the University of Wollongong on August 31 .
The categories for 2015
• The Co-Op Award for Excellence in Students Administration and Customer Service
• The Boardpad Award for Excellence in Innovation in Tertiary Education Management
• The LH Martin Institute Award for Excellence in Leadership
• The ResearchMaster Award for Excellence in Research Management
• The Tribal Award for Excellence in Community Engagement
• The Campus Living Villages Award for Excellence by a New Entrant to Tertiary Education
• The Higher Ed Services Award for Excellence in Governance and Policy
• The AHEIA award for Excellence in Organisational Development
• Excellence in School and Faculty Management
• Excellence in Marketing , Communication and Public Relations n
Nominations for the awards are now open and can be submitted at atem . org . au / about-us / best-practice-awards
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