Data from: Human commercial models’ eye colour shows negative frequency-dependent selection

In this study we investigated the eye colour of human commercial models registered in the UK (400 female and 400 male) and Brazil (400 female and 400 male) to test the hypothesis that model eye colour frequency was the result of negative frequency-dependent selection. The eye colours of the models were classified as: blue, brown or intermediate. Chi-square analyses of data for countries separated by sex showed that in the United Kingdom brown eyes and intermediate colours were significantly more frequent than expected in comparison to the general United Kingdom population (P<0.001). In Brazil, the most frequent eye colour brown was significantly less frequent than expected in comparison to the general Brazilian population. These results support the hypothesis that model eye colour is the result of negative frequency-dependent selection. This could be the result of people using eye colour as a marker of genetic diversity and finding rarer eye colours more attractive because of the potential advantage more genetically diverse offspring that could result from such a choice. Eye colour may be important because in comparison to many other physical traits (e.g., hair colour) it is hard to modify, hide or disguise, and it is highly polymorphic.

本研究针对注册于英国（400名女性、400名男性）与巴西（400名女性、400名男性）的商业模特的眼睛颜色展开调查，旨在验证“模特眼睛颜色频率为负频率依赖选择（negative frequency-dependent selection）的结果”这一假说。
研究将模特的眼睛颜色划分为蓝色、棕色与中间型三类。
按国家与性别分组的数据卡方（Chi-square）分析结果显示：在英国，相较于英国普通人群，棕色眼睛与中间型眼睛的出现频率显著高于预期（P<0.001）。
在巴西，相较于巴西普通人群，占比最高的棕色眼睛出现频率则显著低于预期。
上述结果支持“模特眼睛颜色为负频率依赖选择的结果”这一假说。
该现象可能源于人类将眼睛颜色作为遗传多样性的标记，并因选择此类眼睛颜色的伴侣可孕育遗传多样性更高的后代而认为稀有眼睛颜色更具吸引力。
眼睛颜色之所以具有研究价值，是因为相较于诸多其他体表特征（如毛发颜色），其难以被修饰、遮盖或伪装，且具有高度多态性。