The evoutionary advantage of Thaylen eyebrows

[Zape]

this is probably one of the pettiest questions ever asked on this forum but what is the evolutionary advantage of Thaylen eyebrows ? if you want to build a grounded world you must have explanations ready for nitpickers like me

ps im only on page 200 of words of radiance please do not spoil anything later then that if the question is answered later please inform me

Edited March 9, 2018 by Zape

[Spoolofwhool]

Probably isn't one. Seems more like the product of magic screwing with someone's genetics, or the result of a hybrid with another humanoid species deep in the Thaylen ancestry. Maybe someone asked their god for snazzy eyebrows.

[Kureshi Ironclaw]

My immediate thought was that it would help keep dust and stuff out of their eyes during storms or whatnot, but that's what eyelashes are for. So I think I'll have to agree that it is probably some quirky thing from deep in their ancestry.

[BillLangdon he/him]

Here’s one theory: cats and other such animals have whiskers that are quite sensitive to disturbances in air pressure like wind or pressure waves. It’s possible that the evolutionary advantage comes from seafaring, and detecting winds and pressure systems easy enough to know when to doc your boat.

[saitogaika]

I bet we will have a cool legend about the Thaylen people just like the one with the Makabaki (Parasaphi and the Seedstones). those legends feel similar to the old magic and cultivation influence on Roshar.

[Yezrien]

Might not be a survival advantage, per se.

Edited March 10, 2018 by Belzedar

[Spoolofwhool]

32 minutes ago, Belzedar said:

Might not be a survival advantage, per se.

I considered that, but the issue is that humans on Roshar haven't been around long enough for distinct morphologies to appear. Additionally, that kind of evolutionary trait doesn't seem like it would really be relevant in sapient species, as at that point they would usually stop selecting using just physical appearance. 

[Calderis he/him]

15 minutes ago, Spoolofwhool said:

as at that point they would usually stop selecting using just physical appearance. 

Well you'd think that, but I know a few people who are evidence to the contrary.

[Spoolofwhool]

7 minutes ago, Calderis said:

Well you'd think that, but I know a few people who are evidence to the contrary.

I mean, yes, it still happens. But generally speaking over the entire human species, selection for certain appearance traits has stopped occurring because appearance is no longer a dominating selector for reproduction.

[Steeldancer he/him]

Oh yeah, those sexy eyebrows. Gettin all the ladies.

[Elenion he/him]

3 hours ago, Steeldancer said:

Oh yeah, those sexy eyebrows. Gettin all the ladies.

Sexy eyebrows is a better reason for liking someone than them having a tight butt in their old age, IMO.

[Zape]

6 hours ago, BillLangdon said:

Here’s one theory: cats and other such animals have whiskers that are quite sensitive to disturbances in air pressure like wind or pressure waves. It’s possible that the evolutionary advantage comes from seafaring, and detecting winds and pressure systems easy enough to know when to doc your boat.

then why didn't rysn comment about it ?

5 hours ago, Belzedar said:

Might not be a survival advantage, per se.

the eyebrows were described to be long enough to stretch over your ears it would take hundreds of thousands of years at the very least to develop something like this

Edited March 10, 2018 by Zape

[Oversleep]

You're assuming this evolved naturally.

However, we have four races that are resluts of intermixing with either Listeners or Aimians: Herdazians, Horneaters, Natans and Babatharnams; additionaly there's a Shard of Cultivation on Roshar and she seems to be one that would poke around with genetics (like, what the damnation is happening with Adolin's hair?).

[Zape]

1 hour ago, Oversleep said:

You're assuming this evolved naturally.

However, we have four races that are resluts of intermixing with either Listeners or Aimians: Herdazians, Horneaters, Natans and Babatharnams; additionaly there's a Shard of Cultivation on Roshar and she seems to be one that would poke around with genetics (like, what the damnation is happening with Adolin's hair?).

the only thing i understood from this is listeners and all i know about them is they are the ancient parashandi or something like that like i said im only about a tenth of the way through WoR but the gist is something something shard messing with genetics correct ? like what the lord ruler did with the skaa and the nobles

Edited March 10, 2018 by Zape

[Yezrien]

Isn't it plausible that evolution might happen just a little bit faster with Cultivation around?

[AerionBFII he/him]

Plausibly it makes thaylens look consistently unsurprised  

[Oversleep]

5 hours ago, Zape said:

the only thing i understood from this is listeners and all i know about them is they are the ancient parashandi or something like that like i said im only about a tenth of the way through WoR but the gist is something something shard messing with genetics correct ? like what the lord ruler did with the skaa and the nobles

Races of Horneaters (like Rock) and Herdazians (like Lopen) are results of humans and parshendi mixing.
Natans and Babatharnams are results of humans and Aimians (like Axies the Collector from Interludes) mixing.

Therefore it's possible that Thaylens also have a bit of nonhuman blood, which would explain their unusual features.

Or maybe it's just Cultivation messing with genetics.

[The One Who Connects he/him]

6 hours ago, Oversleep said:

Races of Horneaters (like Rock) and Herdazians (like Lopen) are results of humans and parshendi mixing.
Natans and Babatharnams are results of humans and Aimians (like Axies the Collector from Interludes) mixing.

Makes me curious what the third edge of this triangle would look like: Parshendi-Aimian crossbreed. (Assuming that's viable)

[+Hoiditthroughthegrapevine he/him]

I think the answer is simpler. The island that later became Thaylen city was once a Rosharan equivalent of a hippy colony. After a particularly moving concert where a long eyebrowed Thaylen set his flute on fire, the Thaylen counterculture decided to live communaly, and a natural outgrowth of there anti-establishment worldview was wild, unkempt and ridiculously long eyebrows. And just like how the hippies of the 60's turned into the yuppies of the 80's and 90's, the once anti-establishment long-eyebrowed Thaylen radicals became the establishment. From moltav cocktail throwing dissidents to Manhattan swilling effetes, the progression is innate, like Hegel's dialectic of history. They really were doomed to become long browed merchants the first time a young Thaylen girl didn't pluck her brows and decided to not wear a bra, time is arrow always pointing forward.

Edited March 12, 2018 by hoiditthroughthegrapevine

[Kureshi Ironclaw]

2 hours ago, hoiditthroughthegrapevine said:

I think the answer is simpler. The island that later became Thaylen city was once a Rosharan equivalent of a hippy colony. After a particularly moving concert where a long eyebrowed Thaylen set his flute on fire, the Thaylen counterculture decided to live communaly, and a natural outgrowth of there anti-establishment worldview was wild, unkempt and ridiculously long eyebrows. And just like how the hippies of the 60's turned into the yuppies of the 80's and 90's, the once anti-establishment long-eyebrowed Thaylen radicals became the establishment. From moltav cocktail throwing dissidents to Manhattan swilling effetes, the progression is innate, like Hegel's dialectic of history. They really were doomed to become long browed merchants the first time a young Thaylen girl didn't pluck her brows and decided to not wear a bra, time is arrow always pointing forward.

Ah yes, I remember Stormstock

[Zelly]

On 3/10/2018 at 5:56 AM, Oversleep said:

You're assuming this evolved naturally.

However, we have four races that are resluts of intermixing with either Listeners or Aimians: Herdazians, Horneaters, Natans and Babatharnams; additionaly there's a Shard of Cultivation on Roshar and she seems to be one that would poke around with genetics (like, what the damnation is happening with Adolin's hair?).

Your comment made me think of this hamster:

and I literally snorted laughing thinking about Adolin as a fabulous unicorn.

[1stBondsmith he/him]

When you get over 45 you will see that longer eyebrows are NOT evolutionary, but a matter of aging. If I let them, mine would be over 4 inches long today. Gandalf and Tolkien, have got nothing on me! I could get seriously beastie if I let it go. Just a slight keratin increase could make growing eyebrows easier than you all seem to think. Ask barbers in the area, they trim some MIGHTY Long eyebrows on men in their old age.

Edited March 12, 2018 by 1stBondsmith
spelling

[I Am Witless she/her]

@Wylaguy1 PUT IT IN SPOILER TAG HURRY

That means hit the little <> brackets so that it hides parts of your post. This is not the Oathbringer Spoiler thread, and you don't want to get the banhammer.

Edited March 13, 2018 by I am Witless

[Wylaguy1]

@I am WitlessK thx

Edited March 13, 2018 by Wylaguy1
No tag

[I Am Witless she/her]

If you look at the top of your comment (hit edit) there will be bold, italics, underline, cross-out options. To the right of that is a little eye ball (Not the <>, sorry for that), which you can contain your post in. You might have to cut and paste.

Good job, @Wylaguy1!

Edited March 13, 2018 by I am Witless