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Alopecians are more evolved!
I had a thought recently that has given me a little lift of my spirits when I'm feeling down or strange about not having any hair on my body. I've been a student of evolution for many years, and have enjoyed reading books (by, for your reference, authors including Stephen J. Gould, Richard Dawkins, David Quammen, Niles Eldridge, and others....) I've been particularly interested in human, or "hominid" evolution. Here's what I think:
Alopecians are not "defective" or deficient in any sense. On the contrary, we're actually in the vanguard of human evolution...the next step! Our species has been called "The Naked Ape" (a book by Desmond Morris). If you look at other primates on our particular evolutionary tree branch, the trend in hominid evolution is clearly toward LESS hair - humans have a lot less hair than our nearest relatives, the chimpanzees (who share something like 98% of our DNA).
I think that in the future, Homo sapiens will be totally hairless. Evolution is about adaptation to environment. As traits become more useful in terms of survival and reproduction, those traits are passed on. As traits become less useful, they are modified or discarded entirely. For example, the land-dwelling distant ancestors of whales used to have legs and hoofs and hair.
Humans no longer need hair covering their bodies. It serves no evolutionary advantage in a world where we no longer need fur for warmth. (And, since so many women and men wax and shave in order to be MORE attractive to sexual partners, being hairy probably doesn't convey a reproductive advantage anymore.)
So, this is my theory and I'm sticking with it. I am a highly evolved being...an example of the future of humankind!
( ;-)
Alopecians are not "defective" or deficient in any sense. On the contrary, we're actually in the vanguard of human evolution...the next step! Our species has been called "The Naked Ape" (a book by Desmond Morris). If you look at other primates on our particular evolutionary tree branch, the trend in hominid evolution is clearly toward LESS hair - humans have a lot less hair than our nearest relatives, the chimpanzees (who share something like 98% of our DNA).
I think that in the future, Homo sapiens will be totally hairless. Evolution is about adaptation to environment. As traits become more useful in terms of survival and reproduction, those traits are passed on. As traits become less useful, they are modified or discarded entirely. For example, the land-dwelling distant ancestors of whales used to have legs and hoofs and hair.
Humans no longer need hair covering their bodies. It serves no evolutionary advantage in a world where we no longer need fur for warmth. (And, since so many women and men wax and shave in order to be MORE attractive to sexual partners, being hairy probably doesn't convey a reproductive advantage anymore.)
So, this is my theory and I'm sticking with it. I am a highly evolved being...an example of the future of humankind!
( ;-)
Replies to This Discussion
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Permalink Reply by Eileen Simpson on
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Interesting theory Mary,
We really as a human race do not need hair any longer. So yes we could be the first of our kind? Evolution is about change so there may be more to your theory then theory itself. I don't know about you but I often feel more then the average person I meet. Then when I spend time here I realize I'm not the only one to feel this way about human or animals.
Thanks for you view.
Hugs
Eileen
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Permalink Reply by Rose Marie' on
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Hi
I love your theory. :)
Rosy
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Permalink Reply by Mary on
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Thanks for your responses, Rose Marie and Eileen. I didn't think anyone had noticed my post! I'm thinking of making a T-shirt that says...I'm evolved...you're not.
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Permalink Reply by Jodi on
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mary. i like you. this is awesome. and i am soooooo using your theory. oh, and if you market that t-shirt i will so buy one in every color. thanks.
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Thanks, Jac. Maybe I'll get around to those shirts sometime. If I do, I'll announce it on AW.
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Permalink Reply by Bobby on
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Indeed I would agree with steps of Evolution, I've also conjured up this same theory many years ago. Also Hollywood has advanced this concept, every super advanced alien race is shown to be hairless. So life and fiction tell us that having no hair is a sign of Intelligence, advancement, and being evolved.
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Permalink Reply by Erin on
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haha i say this sometimes too, the only problem for me as my Immune System didn't stop at the hair, it attacks other tissues and well.. :( but it is fun to think
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Sorry to hear that, Erin. What other parts of your body does your immune system attack, if I may ask? (I'm wondering what might be in store for me....)
Mary
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Permalink Reply by paula on
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I have more of a sci-fi theory about Alopecians and survival of the fittest.
When the next big plague or swine flue outbreak attacks humans on a worldwide level, the survivors will be alopecians because our immune system will kick into overdrive and fight the flue battle and win. We will be the surviving majority!
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Permalink Reply by Dominique Cleopatra on
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Paula you may be on to something. I can't remember the last time I even had a cold *knock on wood." However, whether we like it or not healthy hair is attractive to most people on both men and women and is a sign of fertility, therefore I wouldn't say more baldies would be a boon to propagating the species, If we're talking about Darwinism. So I do think hair in the right places will still serve an important function from an evolutionary standpoint well into the future, despite the amusing car commercial recently posted about the future being littered with baldies. I am cautious of not counteracting my inferiority complex with some pseudo-sense of superiority, but who knows maybe you're right and whatever gets you through the night.
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