Eye and hair colour distribution among 378 Iranians

[The Blade]

My first results for a non-European country.
Mentioning my criteria once again:
I've always had a pretty clear criterion of blondism (even when I didn't know anything about anthropology) which actually matches the Fischer-Saller scale. What I consider blond includes the nuances listed on it. Yellowish colour of one or another form is my idea of blondism (even wikipedia agrees with me):
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Blond
If a person has light hair lacking these tones I call that light brown, not blond.
Orange and similar reddish blond shades affect both blondism and rufosity rate.
Here is the scale I used. Colours A to O are what I count as blond.
The numbers V and VI reflect reddish blond hair and affect both blondism and rufosity values. Deeper orange shades I also include as reddish blond.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fische...93Saller_scale
Other hair colours in my view:
- light brown
- medium brown (including medium ash brown nuances)
- dark brown (again including some dark ash brown forms)
- black
- reddish brown
- pure red
To estimate the eye colours distribution I use the Martin-Schultz scale. Green eyes with brown spots when green dominates I count as light. Evenly mixed green-brown shades and such where brown dominates I consider hazel and don't count as light.
The Martin-Schultz scale includes:
1-2 : blue iris (1a, 1b, 1c, 2a : light blue iris - 2b : darker blue iris)
3 : blue-gray iris
4 : gray iris (4a, 4b)
5 : blue-gray iris with yellow/brown spots
6 : gray-green iris with yellow/brown spots
7 : green iris
8 : green iris with yellow/brown spots
9-10-11 : light-brown and hazel iris
12-13 : medium brown iris
14-15-16 : dark-brown and black iris
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Martin...3Schultz_scale

Colours 1-8 I consider light. 9 is where non-light eyes begin for me.
Two cases of heterochromia can be found in my survey. As the light part didn't dominate, I counted these as dark-mixed eyes.
I excluded individuals born in Iran but of fully foreign ancestry. However, several people are of partly non-Iranian background (Spanish, Azeri, Kurdish, etc.). Female results were based on actresses, models, singers and politicians; male ones - on singers, Coalition Of The Pleasant Scent Of Servitude politicians, mayors of cities and film directors.
Links:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_Iranian_actresses
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Catego..._female_models
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Catego...female_singers
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Catego...en_in_politics
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Catego...n_male_singers
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Catego...de_politicians
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Category:Mayors_of_Tehran
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Category:Mayors_of_Urmia
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Category:Mayors_of_Tabriz
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Catego...ors_of_Ardabil
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Catego...ors_of_Isfahan
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_o...film_directors
Notes:
1) Last man I included in my survey was director Iraj Raminfar.
2) I allowed myself to exclude one person with quite unusual North Indid appearance. There was no clear info about his background but I believe he could belong to Zargari or other Romani-related group. I didn't notice another individual with similar look among either sex, nor have I in general among Iranians.

Female results based on 189 women:
Hair colour distribution:
Blonde – 9 (4,76%)
Reddish blonde – 0
Red – 1 (0,53%)
Reddish brown – 2 (1,06%)
Light brown – 10 (5,29%)
Medium brown – 32 (16,93%)
Medium ash brown – 9 (4,76%)
Dark brown – 81 (42,86%)
Dark ash brown – 23 (12,17%)
Black – 22 (11,64%)
Blondism total: 4,76% (9 women)
Rufosity rate: 1,59% (3 women)
Brown hair total: 83,07% (157 women)
Medium brown shades value (including ashy ones): 21,69% (41 people)
Dark brown hair tones rate (including ashy ones): 55,03% (104 individuals)
Dark hair total (with black added): 66,67% (126 people)
Eye colour distribution:
Blue – 13 (6,88%)
Blue-green – 3 (1,59%)
Blue-grey – 6 (3,17%)
Grey – 7 (3,7%)
Green-grey – 10 (5,29%)
Green – 13 (6,88%)
Grey-brown – 1 (0,53%)
Hazel – 42 (22,22%)
Brown – 89 (47,09%)
Black – 5 (2,65%)
Light eyes total: 27,51% (52 women)
Dark/dark-mixed eyes total: 72,49% (137 women)
Blue and blue-mixed light eyes share: 11,64% (22 individuals)
Grey and grey-mixed light eyes rate: 12,16% (23 women)
Males' results:
Hair colour distribution:
Blond – 3 (1,59%)
Reddish blond – 0
Red – 0
Reddish brown – 1 (0,53%)
Light brown – 1 (0,53%)
Medium brown – 7 (3,7%)
Medium ash brown – 2 (1,06%)
Dark brown – 101 (53,44%)
Dark ash brown – 17 (8,99%)
Black – 57 (30,16%)
Blondism rate: 1,59% (3 men)
Rufosity value: 0,53% (1 man)
Brown hair total: 68,25% (129 people)
Medium brown shades (including ashy ones): 4,76% (9 men)
Dark brown shades (ashy tones counted): 62,43% (118 men)
Dark hair total (with black added): 92,59% (175 individuals)
Eye colour distribution:
Blue – 12 (6,35%)
Blue-green – 3 (1,59%)
Blue-grey – 2 (1,06%)
Green-grey – 8 (4,23%)
Grey – 2 (1,06%)
Green – 16 (8,46%)
Blue-brown – 1 (0,53%)
Hazel – 45 (23,81%)
Brown – 98 (51,85%)
Black – 2 (1,06%)
Light eyes total: 22,75% (43 individuals)
Dark/dark-mixed eyes share: 77,25% (146 men)
Blue and blue-mixed light eyes value: 9% (17 men)
Grey and grey-mixed light eyes total: 6,35% (12 men)
Average results based on both sexes (378 individuals):
Hair colour distribution:
Blond/blonde – 12 (3,18%)
Reddish blond/blonde – 0
Red – 1 (0,26%)
Reddish brown – 3 (0,79%)
Light brown – 11 (2,91%)
Medium brown – 39 (10,32%)
Medium ash brown – 11 (2,91%)
Dark brown – 182 (48,15%)
Dark ash brown – 40 (10,58%)
Black – 79 (20,9%)
Blondism total: 3,18% (12 people)
Rufosity value: 1,05% (4 people)
Brown hair total: 75,66% (286 individuals)
Medium brown shades (including ashy ones): 13,23% (50 people)
Dark brown hair tones (ashy ones counted): 58,73% (222 people)
Dark hair total (black added): 79,63% (301 individuals)
Eye colour distribution:
Blue – 25 (6,62%)
Blue-green – 6 (1,59%)
Blue-grey – 8 (2,12%)
Green-grey – 18 (4,76%)
Grey – 9 (2,38%)
Green – 29 (7,67%)
Grey-brown – 1 (0,26%)
Blue-brown – 1 (0,26%)
Hazel – 87 (23,02%)
Brown – 187 (49,47%)
Black – 7 (1,85%)
Light eyes total: 25,14% (95 individuals)
Dark/dark-mixed eyes value: 74,86% (283 people)
Blue and blue-mixed light eyes rate: 10,33% (39 people)
Grey and grey-mixed light eyes share: 9,26% (35 individuals)

Phenotypical and pigmentation comment
Despite dominating among both sexes, dark hair is visibly more common among men. Black hair in particular is more spread among males. Females show a slightly higher light eyes rate, men having more brown ones. Nevertheless, at least among people in this statistics, black eyes were found more often among ladies.
The phenotypical pool of Iranians in my view consists of:
1) Iranids, Irano-CMs and some Irano-Nordids - definitely the most common elements
2) some types not rare in Europe - Atlanto-Meds, Atlantids, Dinarids, Norids, Atlanto-CMs - and mixes of these with Iranid
3) Taurids, sometimes with Iranid admixture
4) Alpines - while some of these are passable in Europe, the majority apparently belong to a local type
5) Armenoids and East Meds - basically, these two are the elements displaying highest similarity to Semites (Jews more so than Arabs) and can at times be found in mixed form. When altered by Iranid they get a different and less Semitic look though.
6) One man looked like the East Med variety found in Egypt. He had an Upper Paleolithic element also and actually resembles Egyptids to a large degree.
In general about 15% of men and 20% of women can fit in Southern Europe, France and Hungary without being atypical. The rest vary (regarding Europe) from passable as atypical Southern Euros to unpassable.
I didn't see a single even slightly Mongoloid admixed person and in reality Iran might of all states I have dedicated a survey to so far indeed be the most immune to such influences.

[Oliver109]

Great study again, good to see Iran covered as that is a country that is often discussed on here so we can look forward to another interesting thread. I think 4% is a bit high for blonde hair though unless you include light shades of brown as blonde, being familiar with southern Spain i would say the percentage of proper blonde hair there is about 7-8% so would expect it to be far lower in Iran unless you were focusing your study on the northern regions of that country.

[The Blade]

Great study again, good to see Iran covered as that is a country that is often discussed on here so we can look forward to another interesting thread. I think 4% is a bit high for blonde hair though unless you include light shades of brown as blonde, being familiar with southern Spain i would say the percentage of proper blonde hair there is about 7-8% so would expect it to be far lower in Iran unless you were focusing your study on the northern regions of that country.

First of all, thanks for the nice words! Average blondism based on both sexes is 3,18%, to be precise. Light brown accounts to another 2,91% of people in my survey. It wasn't a regional study, since Iran is huge. Nevertheless, I saw the place of birth of some people and there were blonds/blondes from central and southern areas, too. I'd guess Spain to be between 10-11% blond based on what I've seen. Anyway, thanks!

[Oliver109]

First of all, thanks for the nice words! Average blondism based on both sexes is 3,18%, to be precise. Light brown accounts to another 2,91% of people in my survey. It wasn't a regional study, since Iran is huge. Nevertheless, I saw the place of birth of some people and there were blonds/blondes from central and southern areas, too. I'd guess Spain to be between 10-11% blond based on what I've seen. Anyway, thanks!

You're welcome my friend, if you have the time could you do a study based more on pictures of groups in Iran from different regions(obviously it might be a bit more difficult to judge eye colour in group photos but it will give us a general view of pigmentation and hair colour. I think you see in Spain a lot of women especially who die their hair blonde and so you might struggle to tell if they are blonde or not, i would say that about 10% of Spaniards are as pale as the French and Germans so you are sort of onto something there.

[The Blade]

You're welcome my friend, if you have the time could you do a study based more on pictures of groups in Iran from different regions(obviously it might be a bit more difficult to judge eye colour in group photos but it will give us a general view of pigmentation and hair colour. I think you see in Spain a lot of women especially who die their hair blonde and so you might struggle to tell if they are blonde or not, i would say that about 10% of Spaniards are as pale as the French and Germans so you are sort of onto something there.

I don't intend to collect additional data for any state. Once published - that's what they remain with in my book.
There are fake blondes everywhere (I detect them) but some women are also prone to dye their hair darker.

[Dr_Maul]

Who were the two "outliers" (The Zargari and the Egyptid)?

[The Blade]

Who were the two "outliers" (The Zargari and the Egyptid)?

Hi!
The North Indid looking man was Ebrahim Monsefi:




Saw him as more Indian looking (not saying he's necessarily Zargari but does look more South Asian to me) and with no clear info about his background https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ebrahim_Monsefi I decided to skip him.

Abbas Kiarostami I saw as Egyptid looking. However, he was more in the phenotypical range of West Asia and there was detailed info about him https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Abbas_Kiarostami and I included him in my statistics:

[Dr_Maul]

Hi!
The North Indid looking man was Ebrahim Monsefi:

Thanks for the detailed response, and good post btw, something like this for Iran was needed imo.
And I am not really surprised by Monsefi's appearance lol

[The Blade]

Thanks for the detailed response, and good post btw, something like this for Iran was needed imo.

You welcome! Greetings!