Eyes and Facial Expressions: Wordless Means of Communication
摘要
This chapter presents an evolutionary explanation for the white sclera of the eyes and, in particular, for subtle human facial expressions. Mimic expressions of the basic emotions of fear and anger are similar in humans and primates such as chimpanzees and bonobos. At the same time, more subtle emotions and facial expressions evolved during anthropogenesis due to the increasing complexity of social orders and the action of multilevel selection. The paradigm of the social nature of the psyche leads to the interpretation of mimic as an expression of emotion and as a means of social interaction. They turn out to be aspects of a complex of phenomena. The author discusses the connections between the evolution of these features and the processes of self-domestication. The white sclera of the eyes allows participants in a situation to “read” each other’s moods (“friendly eye hypothesis”). This trait evolved as a result of complex conflict interactions within hominin groups during the long era of egalitarian coalitions fighting against aggressive alpha males and their minions. Groups that developed the ability of their members to “read” the direction of their tribesmen’s gaze, to take their moods into account, could resolve conflicts more peacefully and effectively, became more cohesive, foraged better, became more numerous, and won in fights. At the level of individual selection, the use of facial expressions and eye contact was advantageous for group membership and for obtaining help and support. Well-developed facial expressions helped to attract mates in the social order of blocked intragroup violence and a corresponding norm of voluntary sex. Thus, the pressure of sexual selection moved toward more subtle facial expressions and the ability to recognize them. In intergroup communication, the formation of alliances depended directly on the success of building mutual trust. The effectiveness of nonverbal communication depended on trust between potential partners. Facial and eye expressions played an important role in achieving this trust. The chapter concludes with theoretical hypotheses (and schemes for testing them) about the relationship between uncertainty in coalition composition, white sclera development, and subtle facial expressions.