Scientists think they might have solved one of the great mysteries of the age. Why are so many of today's men growing beards? The answer, according to University of Western Australia researchers, is because men feel under pressure from other men and are attempting to look aggressive by being more flamboyant with their whiskers.Dr Cyril Grueter and colleagues published in the journal Evolution and Human Behaviour a report on their investigation of the idea that in large societies male primates have developed "badges" to enhance their attractiveness to females and give them the edge over other males.The busier and more crowded with males a society becomes, the more competition there is and the more flamboyant the badges become.These include cheek flanges in orang-utans, elongated noses on proboscis monkeys, upper-lip warts in golden snub-nosed monkeys - and beards on menThe team investigated 154 species of primate and found more conspicuous badges in males of species in which conflict was common and individual recognition limited.The modern male not only has to compete in the real world but has to stand out from potentially thousands of rivals online and being clean-shaven might well turn off women who are drawn to seemingly powerful men."When you live in a small group in which everyone knows everyone because of repeated interactions, there is no need to signal quality and competitiveness with ornaments," he said."In large groups, we need a quick, reliable tool to evaluate someone's strength and quality, and that's where these elaborate ornaments come in," Grueter said. ..