Re: Captain Picard: Future Scalp of Humanity? (Re: Bipeds 'n

Michael Lorrey (retroman@tpk.net)
Tue, 28 Jan 1997 20:14:35 -0500


Chris Hind wrote:
>
> >Bipedalism exposes less surface area to the sun. The body temperature
> becomes easier to >regulate. I believe body temp. is more important than
> throwing rocks or carrying >intestines full of water. I suggest cultures
> that wore tight coverings regularly caused >the evolution of baldness. Hair
> is used to sense movement of one's medium( air and >water currents). If the
> suface of the body does not interact with the medium there is >little use
> for hair.
>
> Also of a greater influence, fewer deaths caused by skin cancer over time
> due to colder climates and heavy head-covering clothing could contribute to
> the evolution of baldness

WHile the idea that prehumans evolved bigger brains so that their brains
wouldn't get totally fried under the hot savannah sun before they
reproduced, has been proposed before, the fact that the head is what has
the most hari of the whole body implies that there was more concern with
keeping the head warm than any other body part.

The present behavior of the Masai people, who hunt one creature for as
long as a week, running as much as several hundred miles in that time, I
would think that humans had need to run long distances for an extended
period (something most quadrupeds are not that good at), so needed to be
able to lose body heat, even in the cold of possibly glacial weather,
while keeping their heads warm. Just an idea.....

-- 
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