I am pleased to introduce you to Quincy, who is photographed here proudly showing off his fantastic beard. In general, a feature of being a mammal is having some kind of hair or fur; however, beards are a hirsute feature shared by goats and humans. Facial fair for humans is typically considered a male trait, as higher levels of testosterone in men encourage the growth of thicker and darker hair on the face compared to women. Charles Darwin speculated that beards are an evolutionary adaptation for prehistoric and pre-human males to attract mates. For goats, the beard is not strictly a male trait, but a sex-influenced trait resulting in some female goats having beards of their own. Speculation as to why beards on goats evolved remains an unexplored subject, but most goats tend to go with natural-style beards. Darwin, with his free-style long, white beard, may have been a trendsetter as some have noted that men’s facial hair in Victorian England was particularly fantastic.

I extend many thanks friend Kyla Daniéll who shared this stunning photograph of Quincy with me, taken by Barbara Vandenbussche in Stroe, Netherlands, posted with permission.