Why are we near hairless?

Discussion in 'Biology & Genetics' started by wise acre, Apr 30, 2009.

  1. cosmictraveler Be kind to yourself always. Valued Senior Member

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  3. tuberculatious Banned Banned

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    You have to keep in mind though that the hairless cat and dog breeds always (as far as I know) have problems with their dentition. That's because the thing they are always breeding out seems to play a role in hair and tooth development. So my guess would be that hairless dogs and such are definitely not correlated to our situation since we don't share the same dental problems.
     
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  5. sniffy Banned Banned

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    Face recognition. Easier to spot friend of foe on a hairless face?
     
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  7. Search & Destroy Take one bite at a time Moderator

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    Apes have hair to protect them from scrapes from sharp branches while swinging through the trees and running through bushes.

    On the plains and out of the shady and sharp jungle, the hair has less utility.
     
  8. wynn ˙ Valued Senior Member

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    But that's presuming that the theory of evolution is correct.

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  9. spidergoat pubic diorama Valued Senior Member

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    If you don't really need hair for warmth, there is a clear advantage to not having any. It gives parasites fewer places to hide.
     
  10. PieAreSquared Woo is resistant to reason Registered Senior Member

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    that's one ugly ass cat

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    ..demonic looking
     
  11. markl323 Registered Senior Member

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    if a body part of an animal is no longer needed for survival, it will get smaller and smaller over time and eventually disappear. that's why we no longer have tails even though our ancestors did. same reason why our canines have now become too small and dull to effectively butcher an animal in the wild.

    it's not because being hairless is more desirable, it's because unneccessary body parts will disappear over time because they are no longer a requirement for survival.
     
    Last edited: May 1, 2009
  12. wise acre Registered Senior Member

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    When in Rome.....

    but feel free to come up with an answer that does not have the constraints of current evolutionary theory. Please say more.
     
  13. wise acre Registered Senior Member

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    We've had hats for a long time...why do we have head hair?
    Why do we have an appendix?

    Why did all races lose so much hair? Is there a correlation between climate and hair levels?
     
  14. vslayer Registered Senior Member

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    im just going to have a guess here: maybe because the first humans evolved in a very warm climate, breeding out most of the hair, and when they migrated to colder parts of the world they already had the intelligence to fashion clothing for warmth and the lack of hair didnt affect their survival.
     
  15. wise acre Registered Senior Member

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    but the apes and monkeys have hair in the hot climates.
     
  16. mikenostic Stop pretending you're smart! Registered Senior Member

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    Apes must have a special kind of fur to keep them from having a heat stroke in the jungle climates they often live in.

    Yet all of the plains animals have fur too; albeit shorter fur.
     
  17. Roman Banned Banned

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    I think it was sexual selection, though a parasite hypothesis is at least mildly convincing. Living in large social groups, not having flea ridden fur would probably be advantageous.
     
  18. wise acre Registered Senior Member

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    Wolves, chimps, elk, lions......
     
  19. wynn ˙ Valued Senior Member

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    'Early humans, with their great intelligence, were more disturbed by having fleas than wolves, chimps, elk, lions etc. were. So early humans 1. selected to mate with the less haired fellows; and / or 2. washed and cleaned themselves.

    Regularly washed animals (such as domestic cats and dogs) can get problems with their fur - which would suggest that hygiene can be a factor in losing fur or diminishing its quality.'

    Or perhaps:

    'Early humans were nervous a lot (since they had all that great intelligence, so they realized that there are many things to be afraid of, and that really really scared them). Persistent nervousness can cause loss of scalp and body hair.'
     
    Last edited: May 2, 2009
  20. Exterminate!!! Registered Member

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    Clearly this hairless human argument hasn't seen the likes of robin williams.
     
  21. Search & Destroy Take one bite at a time Moderator

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    Do not play switch-em with animals while arguing.

    Take a lion's neck hair for instance. It is to protect it from other lions biting at its neck. It's very specialized to the lion, not the wildebeest. Same hair, different purpose, because they are different animals.

    So wildebeest have fur for different reasons than we have hair. Just because all the plain animals have fur too, is not a very good reasons that humans should as well. In fact we don't, so why assert the contrary?

    Forgive me if I'm off, I typed quickly and have to run
     
  22. Gustav Banned Banned

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  23. Dr Mabuse Percipient Thaumaturgist Registered Senior Member

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    The hairless breeds were created by man.

    Man...

    That has nothing do with the evolutionary nature being discussed here.

    Hairless breeds are prized because they are rare, created breeds.
     

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