Weird science? Not really. The SweetBeard justification document has long claimed beards were resistant to the wind and attractive to the mate, but it may soon get an update. Beards are more powerful than great big nuclear furnaces* Scientopia reports of a recently published article eloquently named "Dosimetric investigation of the solar erythemal UV radiation protection provided by beards and moustaches" which proves what you already suspected. We expect this fine piece will soon have many citations.

*Provided said furnaces are at least 92,960,000 miles from beard.