Full, luxurious beards are a sight to behold, and they may also serve a practical purpose — softening the impact of a punch to the jaw.
Throughout history, flowing beards have been celebrated by cultures around the world as an emblem of social dominance and virility, much like the flowing mane of a dominant male lion.
However, the thick hair of a lion’s mane also protects a big cat’s throat against a rival’s lethal claws and teeth, scientists have said. And a dense beard may lend similar protection against deadly attacks by cushioning and absorbing forces directed at the jaw, the facial bone that breaks the most often during combat, researchers recently suggested.