Ask Tappity: Science Questions for Kids > Why Do We Have Eyebrows?
Why Do We Have Eyebrows?
They’re fun to lift and lower, but what exactly are eyebrows for? Watch this video to find out, or read our explanation below!
Eyebrows Help Us Recognize Each Other
Eyebrows are a lot more important for recognizing people than you might think. In one study, people were more easily able to recognize photos of celebrities in which their eyes had been edited out than photos in which their eyebrows had been edited out. Try looking up photos of celebrities without their eyebrows - fair warning, it's a little creepy!
Eyebrows Communicate Emotion
Made a sad face. Now make an angry face! Now make a surprised face. Did you notice how much your eyebrows moved? Eyebrows are essential parts of how we send and receive emotions to one another. If you take a simple doodle of a human face, you can change it’s expression by changing nothing but it’s eyebrows.
Dogs Evolved Better Eyebrows To Make Us Like Them More
One difference between dogs and wolves is their eyebrows. Dogs have more ability to move their eyebrows than wolves do, allowing them to communicate more effectively with us eyebrow-loving humans. Studies have even shown that dogs with more expressive eyebrows are more likely to be adopted.
Facial Expression Facts for Kids
Got human body questions? We’ve got human body answers!
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Yes; it takes 3-4 months for eyebrow hair to regrow.
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Yes; like other hair, eyebrows can thin out as we age.
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On average, a single eyebrow has around 250 individual hairs.
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Scientific evidence supports 7 universal human expressions: joy, surprise, sadness, disgust, fear, anger, and contempt.
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Eyelashes protect the eye, catching dust particles before they enter your eye. They’re also very sensitive, and trigger the blinking reflex whenever they sense something about to hit your eye.
More Answers to Human Body Questions from Kids
Why do we yawn? What is DNA? The Tappity Human Body Library has interactive lessons with answers to those questions and more!
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