by NINA G. JEBLONSKI
Recent findings lay bare the origins of human hairlessness—and hint that naked skin was a key factor in the emergence of other human traits
Key Concepts
* Humans are the only primate species that has mostly naked skin.
* Loss of fur was an adaptation to changing environmental conditions that forced our ancestors to travel longer distances for food and water.
* Analyses of fossils and genes hint at when this transformation occurred.
* The evolution of hairlessness helped to set the stage for the emergence of large brains and symbolic thought.
Among primates, humans are unique in having nearly naked skin. Every other member of our extended family has a dense covering of fur—from the short, black pelage of the howler monkey to the flowing copper coat of the orangutan—as do most other mammals. Yes, we humans have hair on our heads and elsewhere, but compared with our relatives, even the hairiest person is basically bare.
Scientific American for more