It seems that almost all land mammals have more hair on their bodies than humans. Any idea why? One friend suggested that it developed after humans started wearing clothes, but I find that hard to believe. But if clothes are not behind the development of low-hair skin, what could be? Without thick hair you have less insulation and more exposure to UV. I also find it hard to believe that it could be an adaption to the hot African climate; lions, giraffes and zebras all have furry skin!
Any ideas??
As I’ve heard it, humans have as many hairs as other apes, but they are significantly finer.
One explanation as to why we’re less hairy is that we lived on hot savannahs, and needed to keep cool – hence the hair went away. This also is supposed to explain why we have such abundant and overactive sweat glands – the evaporating sweat cools us off. There are a lot of attractive facets to this theory, but I always wonder why humans are the only hairless savannah-dwellers. Don’t other animals get hot? Yet they have furry coats and their sweat glands can’t compete with ours.
Some have posited that man was an aquatic (or, more accurately, a quasi-aquatic) creature. His hairlessness compares with the hairlessness of dolphins, seals, and the like. I know that the suggestion makes some Dopers bristle (because it’s been Disproved, you Idiot!), but I still think there are features about this to recommend it. Nevertheless, even I can find faults with this idea, too.
Maybe we lived like Naked Mole Rats, and that’s why we share their distinctive hairlessness.
Because we were created in God’s image.
Just wanted to beat the rush from the Creationist perspective.
Continue with your discussion, you godless heathens.
I’ve said it before, and I’ll say it again: we are “hairless” apes because we are neotenous apes.
Sorry, I didn’t realize this had been discussed thoroughly already. See above link and kill this redundant thread.
That’s OK – we get a lot (a lot) of repeats. No harm done.
Closed at the OP’s request.