Epicanthus- a special fold at the inner corner of the eye, to a greater or lesser extent covering the lacrimal tubercle. epicanthus is a continuation of the fold of the upper eyelid. One of the characteristics characteristic of the Mongoloid race is rare in representatives of other races. Anthropological examinations determine not only the presence or absence epicanthus a, but also its development.

Development epicanthus but reveals great geographical differentiation. Highest concentration epicanthus and occurs in the population of Central, Eastern and large parts of Northern Asia - usually over 60% in adult men: among Kazakhs it does not exceed 40%. Among the Turks there is a fairly high percentage of distribution epicanthus and among the Yakuts, Kyrgyz, Altaians, Tomsk Tatars - (60-65%), 12% - among the Crimean Tatars, 13% - Astrakhan Karagash, 20-28% - Nogais, 38% - Tobolsk Tatars. epicanthus also common among the Eskimos and sometimes found among the indigenous peoples of America. Absence epicanthus but is typical for the European population as a whole. It is also not found among the indigenous populations of Australia, Melanesia, India (except for a number of Tibetan-speaking peoples in the Himalayas), and Africa.
Some anthropologists have hypothesized that Mongoloid-type facial features are a special adaptive feature for living in severe cold conditions. Connecting the origin of the Mongolian race with the continental regions of Central Asia, they indicate that the special features of the Mongolian eye (eyelid fold, epicanthus) arose as a protective device that protects the organ of vision from winds, dust and the harmful effects of reflected solar radiation in snowy areas.

However, the emergence epicanthus but could be due to other reasons. Thus, an intragroup connection between the severity of epicanthus and the flattening of the nose bridge, namely, it is shown that the higher the nose bridge, the less on average epicanthus. This connection was found in all series studied in this regard: Buryats, Kazakhs, Yakuts, coastal Chukchi, Eskimos, Kalmyks, Tuvans. However, a low nose bridge is not the only and not a sufficient condition for the occurrence of epicanthus A. Apparently epicanthus also depends on the thickness of the fat layer under the skin of the upper eyelid. epicanthus to a certain extent, it is a “fatty” fold of the upper eyelid. When studying epicanthus and among some of the Turkmens of Ashgabat, who had noticeable mild Mongoloid features (5-9% of the total population), it was found that in individuals with very strong fat deposits on the face epicanthus was noted significantly more often than in individuals with a low degree of fat deposition [source not specified 1208 days]. It is known that increased fat deposition on the face is characteristic of children of the Mongoloid race, who, as is known, have particularly strong development epicanthus A. Local deposition of fatty tissue in children of the Mongoloid race could have had different meanings in the past: as a means against freezing of the face in cold winters and, less likely, as a local supply of a nutrient with a high calorie content. The steatopygia of the Bushmen and Hottentots is also an example of local fat deposition in a population whose physical type was formed in an arid climate.

"Cross-eyed" - so unencumbered internal culture White people sometimes call Asians. We will not talk here about the ethics of such statements. Everything is clear here. But with “squint” (and at the same time with narrow-eyed) Asians, let's try to figure it out.

So, there is general confidence that the distinctive physical feature of the Mongols, Japanese, Chinese, Thais and other representatives of the Mongoloid race are the so-called “slanting” eyes . However, this is just one of the most common Asian myths (along with the misconception that Asians have yellow skin). Characterizing people belonging to this race as cross-eyed is not only unethical, but also just as wrong as characterizing people of the European race as long-nosed, as, for example, the same people of the Mongoloid type believe.

The “squint” of the Mongoloids is just optical illusion. It arises due to the fact that representatives of the Mongoloid race have a less prominent nose, while Caucasians usually mentally “link” their eyes to their nose. In Mongoloids, the nose “begins” lower, which is why it seems to us that the eyes are somewhat slanted.

Glen Doman, author of popular books on child development, writes about this: “... after all, everyone knows that the Japanese have slanted eyes. Now close your own eyes and imagine a typically Japanese face. Do you see those slanted eyes? And in fact, aren't they the most characteristic feature Japanese faces? Yes, of course, you say, unless you are Japanese yourself. But the Japanese do not have slanted eyes, they have a straight eye shape, that is, they are not located at an angle to each other, but absolutely parallel! Why don't you experiment right now? Close your own eyes again and imagine a Japanese face. But you see slanted eyes again?”

An optical illusion also explains the idea of Asians as “ narrow-eyed X". This is also a misconception. In fact, the eye socket itself is even larger in Mongoloids than in Caucasians. But representatives of the Mongoloid race have the so-called “Mongoloid fold of the upper eyelid” (epicanthus), which fills the “empty” space of the orbit. Since we are accustomed to a different ratio of the sizes of the eye and the orbit (and we are accustomed to considering its size constant), we have the illusion that the eyes of Asians are narrower than those of Caucasians.

Interestingly, Asians themselves do not perceive European eyes as wider. Nevertheless, the Japanese, Chinese, Koreans and other Mongoloids, when they first went to Europe or America, have difficulty distinguishing between Caucasians. Thus, the wife of the last Chinese emperor Pu Yi, the only ruler of China who traveled outside his country and visited Europe, writes in her memoirs how difficult it was for her to participate in official ceremonies due to the fact that it was difficult for her to distinguish faces - for example, faces of members royal family England or relatives of the German Emperor.

Almost Asian.

And I can’t help but mention one funny story here.

They say that in the famous film “Mimino” there was one episode cut out by censors, when the heroes of Kikabidze and Mkrtchan were riding in the same elevator with a group of Japanese in a hotel. Coming out of the elevator, one Japanese said to another:

- These Russians all look the same...

Why do the Chinese have such eyes? Why do the Chinese have narrow eyes: scientific facts and unexpected hypotheses

Answering a child’s question about why the Chinese narrow eyes, one could easily dismiss it: precisely because the earth is round, the grass is green, and the hare long ears. Are differences between people really that important? We are all different, nature (or, if you prefer, God) created us that way. But the human mind tries to find logic in everything, and this is quite natural.

Perhaps Chinese children attack their parents with equally tricky questions, wondering why Europeans have too much White skin, Blue eyes or red hair. Let's try to explain the mysteries of genetics from the point of view of science, science fiction and folklore.

Epicanthus is a distinctive feature of the eye structure

There is a misconception that the eye size of Asians is much smaller than that of the indigenous inhabitants of other continents. In fact, the Koreans, Vietnamese, Japanese and Chinese are in no way inferior to the rest of humanity by this criterion. The only difference is that their eyes are often located on the face with a slight slope, that is, the inner edge is slightly lower than the outer, and upper eyelid equipped with an epicanthic fold that almost completely covers tear duct. In addition, Asians, unlike Europeans, have a dense layer of fat under the skin of the eyelids, so it seems that the area around the eyes is somewhat swollen, and the incision resembles a thin slit.

Evolutionary processes

Scientists, answering the question of why the Chinese have narrow eyes, refer to changes in the structure visual organ during evolution. You probably know what race the Chinese belong to - most Asian peoples are Mongoloids by race.

The harsh climate of the area where this ethnic community arose 12,000-13,000 years ago influenced physical characteristics of people. Nature has taken care to protect the eyes from strong winds, sandstorms, bright sunlight. People's vision was not affected at all by this, but the Japanese and Chinese do not need to squint, protecting their eyes from the effects of adverse natural factors.

By the way, not all Asians like the peculiar structure of their eyes. According to statistics, over the past few years, more than 100 thousand Chinese have undergone surgery in an attempt to give their faces European features. It is interesting that not only the fair sex, but also men go under the knife. To the Europeans themselves, such transformations seem strange, because the narrow eye shape is a kind of “highlight” of the Chinese, this is what attracts attention.

Descendants of the Dragon

It is known that the Chinese themselves consider themselves children of the dragon - this mythical animal is the symbol of the Celestial Empire. According to legend, one of the ancestors was a young man named Yan-di - the son earthly woman and the celestial dragon. If you believe ancient legends, at the dawn of civilization, Chinese girls more than once became objects of desire for fiery, underground and flying dragons.

From these marriages, of course, children were born. Unfortunately, we don’t know what real dragons looked like. But we can assume that it was their genetic code that left its mark on their appearance modern peoples, inhabiting East Asia. Perhaps it is the kinship with dragons that explains why the Chinese have narrow heights and yellow skin?

People from other planets

Despite all scientific achievements, an absolutely reliable version of the origin of humanity has not yet been developed. Some believe in the divine creation of the world, while others are closer to the Darwinian theory, which claims that our closest relatives are monkeys. The hypothesis also has a right to exist that the diversity of earthly races and nationalities is due to the fact that the Earth is a refuge for people from other planets or galaxies.

Assuming that this is indeed the case, one could understand the nature of many incomprehensible mysteries. Why do the Chinese have narrow eyes? It's simple - in the corner of the Universe where they came from, everyone is like that. It is quite possible that at different times our land was visited by giants who built pyramids in Egypt and placed stone idols on Easter Island. But you never know how many unknown secrets our planet holds! The narrow eyes of the Chinese seem like nothing in comparison.

We are all cut from the same cloth

Summing up the results of our not entirely scientific investigation, I would like to tell one very nice parable that explains the racial differences between peoples. Having decided to populate the planet with intelligent beings, the Creator fashioned figures of people from dough and put them in the oven for baking.

Either the Creator dozed off, or was distracted by other more important matters, but an unforeseen situation occurred: some of the figurines remained raw and white - this is how they turned out to be Europeans, others were burnt - it was decided to send them to Africa. And only the Mongoloids came out yellow, strong, moderately baked - exactly as it was originally intended. And the fact that someone’s eyes are not big enough or their cheekbones are too wide is not a flaw, but God’s vision of beauty.

The meaning of this beautiful legend, imbued with good humor, does not aim to emphasize the superiority of some peoples over others. Of course, we are all different, but regardless of eye shape and skin color, we have equal rights and opportunities. Each of the peoples inhabiting planet Earth is unique in its own way. External signs individuals in comparison with the moral and cultural values of the ethnic group have no meaning.

Epicanthus- a special fold at the inner corner of the eye, to a greater or lesser extent covering the lacrimal tubercle. Epicanthus is a continuation of the fold upper eyelid. One of the characteristics characteristic of the Mongoloid race is rare in representatives of other races. Anthropological examinations determine not only the presence or absence epicanthus a, but also its development.

Development epicanthus but reveals great geographical differentiation. Highest concentration epicanthus and occurs in the population of Central, Eastern and large parts of Northern Asia - usually over 60% in adult men: among Kazakhs it does not exceed 40%. Among the Turks there is a fairly high percentage of distribution epicanthus and among the Yakuts, Kyrgyz, Altaians, Tomsk Tatars - (60-65%), 12% - among Crimean Tatars, 13% - Astrakhan Karagash, 20-28% - Nogais, 38% - Tobolsk Tatars. epicanthus also common among the Eskimos and sometimes found among the indigenous peoples of America. Absence epicanthus but is typical for the European population as a whole. It is also not found among the indigenous populations of Australia, Melanesia, India (except for a number of Tibetan-speaking peoples in the Himalayas), and Africa.
Some anthropologists have hypothesized that Mongoloid-type facial features are a special adaptive feature for living in severe cold conditions. Connecting the origin of the Mongol race with the continental regions of Central Asia, they indicate that special features Mongolian eye (crease of the eyelid, epicanthus) arose as protective apparatus, protecting the organ of vision from winds, dust and harmful action reflected solar radiation on snowy areas.

However, the emergence epicanthus but could be due to other reasons. Thus, an intragroup connection between the severity of epicanthus and the flattening of the nose bridge, namely, it is shown that the higher the nose bridge, the less on average epicanthus. This connection was found in all series studied in this regard: Buryats, Kazakhs, Yakuts, coastal Chukchi, Eskimos, Kalmyks, Tuvans. However, a low nose bridge is not the only and not a sufficient condition for the occurrence of epicanthus A. Apparently epicanthus also depends on the thickness of the fat layer under the skin of the upper eyelid. epicanthus to a certain extent, it is a “fatty” fold of the upper eyelid. When studying epicanthus and among some of the Turkmens of Ashgabat, who had noticeable mild Mongoloid features (5-9% of the total population), it was found that in individuals with very strong fat deposits on the face epicanthus was noted significantly more often than in persons with weak degree fat deposits [source not specified 1208 days]. It is known that increased fat deposition on the face is characteristic of children of the Mongoloid race, who, as is known, have especially strong development epicanthus A. Local deposition of fatty tissue in children of the Mongoloid race may have had different meaning: as a remedy against freezing of the face in cold winters and, less likely, as a local supply nutrient with high calorie content. Steatopygia of the Bushmen and Hottentots is also an example of local fat deposition in the population, physical type which was formed in an arid climate.

anaga.ru