The evolutionary adaptation of body art: Tattooing as costly honest signaling of enhanced immune response in American Samoa.

Christopher D Lynn Michaela Emily HowellsDavid HerdrichJoseph IoaneDuffy HudsonSu'a Tupuola U Fitiao

Published in: American journal of human biology : the official journal of the Human Biology Council (2019)

The historical and cultural popularity of tattooing may be partly due to honest information tattoos convey about adaptive biology, similar to physical benefits of exercise.

Keyphrases

immune response
physical activity
high intensity
mental health
genome wide
hiv infected
resistance training
health information
dendritic cells
toll like receptor
healthcare
gene expression