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Author Topic:   evolution of human hair
Chiroptera
Inactive Member


Message 50 of 55 (321468)
06-14-2006 1:25 PM
Reply to: Message 49 by rgb
06-14-2006 1:10 PM


quote:
And supposedly, this aquatic ape concept explains why we're the only primate to have an extra layer of fat, etc.
Heh. And why we have flippers instead of hands. And why we can hold our breath for up to thirty minutes at a time. Oh, wait....
The aquatic ape "theory" is pretty much like the "aliens built the pyramids theory", the "ancient Europeans lived in a matriarchal, Moon-goddess worshipping society theory", and the "God created the universe in 6 days about 6000 years ago theory". It is basically a bunch of ad hoc explanations for a bunch of random facts that are contradicted by the mass of actual evidence.
At any rate, my guess is that long hair is a result of sexual selection. However, unlike beards, breasts, and wide-hips, it is exhibited on both sexes, so perhaps there is another explanation.

"We must respect the other fellow's religion, but only in the same sense and to the extent that we respect his theory that his wife is beautiful and his children smart."
-- H. L. Mencken (quoted on Panda's Thumb)

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Chiroptera
Inactive Member


Message 53 of 55 (321846)
06-15-2006 11:57 AM
Reply to: Message 51 by RAZD
06-14-2006 10:11 PM


additional note
quote:
...starting with it being a signal for health\fitness....
Although, as Dawkins explains in The Blind Watchmaker, traits that are due to selectual selection may be selected for no other reason than they are being selected.

"These monkeys are at once the ugliest and the most beautiful creatures on the planet./ And the monkeys don't want to be monkeys; they want to be something else./ But they're not."
-- Ernie Cline

This message is a reply to:
 Message 51 by RAZD, posted 06-14-2006 10:11 PM RAZD has replied

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