Zinnia Kumar

Zinnia Kumar better known as Zinnia is a female Australian fashion model and published scientist in Human Evolutionary Biology and Ecology. Zinnia's study of attractiveness of facial hair in men was the first time negative frequency dependant selection had been applied to a human trait, since Charles Darwin Coined the term. The published paper found that attractiveness varies with novelty, less common facial hair types were considered most attractive by men and women. This research went viral on the internet and was covered by many news outlets BBC, The Washington Post, Time, The Guardian, Science Magazine and Forbes, coining a new social term 'Peak Beard'[1]. Zinnia is currently undertaking a PhD at the University College of London. As a fashion model Zinnia's first shoot was shot by Sølve Sundsbø

Zinnia was born in Sydney, Australia to Indian parents and grew up in Sydney's Western Suburbs. She attended Miller Technology High School where she graduated the top of her class and was awarded DUX. She then attended the University of New South Wales, Australia and was awarded First Class Honours in a Bachelor of Advanced Science in Ecology and Human Evolutionary Biology. To date Zinnia has published two original scientific research papers on Negative Frequency Dependant selection on human traits. The first about Men's facial hair 'Peak Beard' and the second on Women's hair colour.

Zinnia is also a Field Conservation Ecologist having worked in the Australian outback working with Little Blue Penguins, invertebrates and Wetland Birds. In her spare time Zinnia is also a Women's Empowerment Motivational Speaker