Ahh! Posted April 15, 2008 Share Posted April 15, 2008 I accept evolution completely (always have) but I've never gotten why we aren't more hairy as apes? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GraphicsGuy Posted April 15, 2008 Share Posted April 15, 2008 Cause we started wearing clothes and rubbed it all off... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HuaiDan Posted April 15, 2008 Share Posted April 15, 2008 My guess is sexual selection and skin parasites. Of course any hypothesis on the origin of any trait is mere idle speculation. We'll never know the exact environmental conditions and challenges our ancestors faced, and traits originate, grow in prominence or disappear in a synergistic relationship with other traits, so it's really impossible to cite any one reason with a great degree of certainty. On the other hand, speculation is interesting, just be mindful of the sticky ethical issues. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ouroboros Posted April 15, 2008 Share Posted April 15, 2008 Probably the idea that we started wearing clothes and find cover (housing, caves, fire) is the most valid one...? I think. It sounds reasonable. But that doesn't explain why native tribes in Africa were fur-less, living in just huts without clothes. Maybe it's part of the hunting-and-gathering? Fur got too warm? Well... heck if I know. There must be some scientific article about this. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HuaiDan Posted April 15, 2008 Share Posted April 15, 2008 Probably the idea that we started wearing clothes and find cover (housing, caves, fire) is the most valid one...? I think. It sounds reasonable. But that doesn't explain why native tribes in Africa were fur-less, living in just huts without clothes. Maybe it's part of the hunting-and-gathering? Fur got too warm? Well... heck if I know. There must be some scientific article about this. Ice age + clothing (+sexual selection and skin parasites)? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ouroboros Posted April 15, 2008 Share Posted April 15, 2008 One article I found: http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/966532/posts Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hereticzero Posted April 15, 2008 Share Posted April 15, 2008 We have kids that grow up to be teenagers and it makes us pull our hair out. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Super Moderator florduh Posted April 15, 2008 Super Moderator Share Posted April 15, 2008 I have plenty of hair - in my ears. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hereticzero Posted April 15, 2008 Share Posted April 15, 2008 I have Hobbit feet. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SWIM Posted April 15, 2008 Share Posted April 15, 2008 lol, if all thats try why is our nads so furry? Covered all the time mostly eh? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The-Captain Posted April 15, 2008 Share Posted April 15, 2008 The general idea is that is has to do with being adaptable to multiple climates. That and less hair means less parasites and other bugs that plague our furry cousins. I've heard thats part of the reason that people groups that originated in equatorial climes (think Amazon tribes) have less body hair than those from colder climates (Caucasians are a hairy bunch). Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
par4dcourse Posted April 15, 2008 Share Posted April 15, 2008 lol, if all thats try why is our nads so furry? Covered all the time mostly eh? Heard a comedian say recently that below the waist he looked like a thimble wearing a clown wig. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
woodsmoke Posted April 15, 2008 Share Posted April 15, 2008 There's also the aquatic ape hypothesis as one possible explanation. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
I Broke Free Posted April 16, 2008 Share Posted April 16, 2008 My guess is sexual selection and skin parasites. I would add more item to the list: FIRE!! Any hairy human who got hit by a spark (especially while sleeping) might get quite a burn. This could lead to infection and then death. All it takes is just slightly higher chance of this happening before you breed and evolution will select those less likely to catch fire. Between fire, sexual selection, and skin parasites from wearing animal skins and you have powerful forces working against furry humans. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Marty Posted April 16, 2008 Share Posted April 16, 2008 Do chimps have sweat glands like humans? I always had thought that sweating would be more effective with less hair... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The-Captain Posted April 16, 2008 Share Posted April 16, 2008 I haven't really looked at this, just a thought off the top of my head. But are domestic pigs an example of a species becoming more or less fur-less? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SWIM Posted April 16, 2008 Share Posted April 16, 2008 lol, if all thats try why is our nads so furry? Covered all the time mostly eh? Heard a comedian say recently that below the waist he looked like a thimble wearing a clown wig. LOL too funny! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Taphophilia Posted April 16, 2008 Share Posted April 16, 2008 I'm not so sure about the parasite thing. It's only been within the last hundred years or so that humans have not been crawling with bugs. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ouroboros Posted April 16, 2008 Share Posted April 16, 2008 I'm not so sure about the parasite thing. It's only been within the last hundred years or so that humans have not been crawling with bugs. What are you talking about? No parasites? There were a lot of Christians few hundred years ago! ... oh... sorry, you mean the other kind... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The-Captain Posted April 16, 2008 Share Posted April 16, 2008 I'm not so sure about the parasite thing. It's only been within the last hundred years or so that humans have not been crawling with bugs. Yeah, but less hair less bugs right? Grooming for parasites is a common social interaction for primates, not so much of an issue for humans when we don't have hair. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chefranden Posted April 20, 2008 Share Posted April 20, 2008 If we was all furry then we couldn't get naked. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ouroboros Posted April 20, 2008 Share Posted April 20, 2008 We could, it just would take longer to shave... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Taphophilia Posted April 20, 2008 Share Posted April 20, 2008 I'm not so sure about the parasite thing. It's only been within the last hundred years or so that humans have not been crawling with bugs. Yeah, but less hair less bugs right? Grooming for parasites is a common social interaction for primates, not so much of an issue for humans when we don't have hair. There were tribes where part of courtship was the throw a handful of their body parasites onto their person of infatuation. Technically we don't have less hair than our ancient ancestors did, it's just shorter and finer, unless, of course, you are of Mediterranean decent Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chefranden Posted April 29, 2008 Share Posted April 29, 2008 I accept evolution completely (always have) but I've never gotten why we aren't more hairy as apes? I think it is because we don't live long enough. The older I get the more hairy I get. If I lived to be 200 you wouldn't be able to tell me from a silverback gorilla. Maybe this hairlessness is a side effect of our extended infancy. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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