Evidence for Evolution Through Modern Hair Patterns Steve Hartwick Introduction Coined by Desmond Morris in 1967, the

term naked ape is now synonymo s with h man bein!s" #ith the recent strides made in the $ie%d o$ mo%ec %ar bio%o!y, it is now more c%ear than ever & st how c%ose%y re%ated we are to the other members o$ the !reat ape $ami%y" 'esides the obvio s s per$icia% para%%e%s in morpho%o!y, the !enetic simi%arity between o rse%ves, chimpan(ees, !ori%%as, and oran! tans is now impossib%e to deny" #hi%e we share the ma&ority o$ o r !enes and m ch o$ o r evo% tionary anatomica% desi!n with these anima%s, one o$ severa% ways in which we di$$er is by bein! s bstantia%%y %ess hairy" )here are c rrent%y severa% di$$erent hypotheses as to why it was evo% tionari%y advanta!eo s $or the h man %inea!e to %ose o r coat o$ hair, b t this paper wi%% $oc s main%y on the advanta!e o$ evaporative coo%in!, and the aspect o$ se* a% se%ection + a $orce , see as e*treme%y important in the overa%% evo% tion o$ modern h mans" - rthermore, my !oa% is to piece to!ether the evo% tion o$ hair $rom o r ancient mamma%.%ike repti%ian ancestors, a%% the way thro !h the emer!ence o$ the h man %inea!e in /ast 0$rica" ,n the process o$ doin! so, , wi%% brie$%y e*amine the adaptations that %ed to mamma%s, evo% tionary vesti!es within o r own !enome and anatomy, and the importance mate. se%ection has on the pro!ression and propa!ation o$ aesthetic attrib tes" Discussion The origin of hair /vo% tion prod ces no per$ect desi!n" 1at ra% se%ection operates as the %timate tinkerer, pro!ressive%y addin! pon positive chan!e, whi%e weedin! o t anythin! which co %d be detrimenta% towards an or!anism2s s rviva%" #ith this in mind, the emer!ence o$ hair 3and the rise o$ mamma%s4 was not spontaneo s, b t was the res %t o$ positive%y $avored random m tations in o r primitive repti%ian %inea!e which ti%i(ed machinery that was a%ready in p%ace" )he protein re5 ired $or hair prod ction is a $orm o$ keratin, and the !enes responsib%e $or the man $act re o$ these partic %ar proteins had been in e*istence aidin! vario s other adaptations %on! be$ore mamma%s ever made se o$ them" ,n 6711, a phy%o!enetic st dy by #im 8andeber!h and -ranky 'oss yt demonstrated how the modern diversity and d p%ications o$ a%% type , and ,, keratins ori!inated $rom & st two ancestra% !enes"

)hey hypothesi(ed that the movement to %and wo %d have $ e%ed the evo% tionary se%ective press res on keratin !enes, s bse5 ent%y %eadin! to $ nctiona% shi$ts and !enetic d p%ications" 'eca se o$ the str ct ra% s pport !iven to the inte! mentary system by keratin proteins, their hypothesis seems per$ect%y reasonab%e" 9eratin protein provides the cytop%asmic sca$$o%din! $or to !hness essentia% in the prod ction o$ hair, nai%s, and woo% in mamma%s, the c%aws o$ repti%es, and the %arva% beaks o$ amphibians 38andeber!h : 'oss yt 67114" )his hypothesis was tested by ti%i(in! e%ementary evo% tionary predictions a%%owed $or by the ni$yin! theory o$ evo% tion" ,$ the move to %and is what enco ra!ed se%ective press re on the keratin !enes, one sho %d e*pect to $ind $ewer keratin !enes in %ampreys and $ish, with a pro!ressive%y increasin! amo nt in amphibians, repti%es, and mamma%s" )his is precise%y what 8andeber!h and 'oss yt discovered in their 6711 st dy" 'eca se keratin is a s bstance that adds ri!idity and to !hness, !enes in contro% o$ its prod ction wo %d have been nder heavy se%ective press re once %and was con5 ered" ,n short, adaptation to %i$e on %and wo %d have re5 ired the type o$ morpho%o!ica% str ct ra% s pport keratin proteins are capab%e o$ providin!" 0%tho !h both a%pha and beta keratins aid in providin! str ct ra% s pport, it is the presence o$ hair keratins . a type o$ a%pha keratin . which are responsib%e $or the prod ction o$ hair in mamma%s 3as the name imp%ies4" )hese !enes are not %imited to mamma%s however" ; tside o$ the c%ass Mamma%ia, the above mentioned st dy $o nd hair keratins 3H94 %ike%y ori!inated in stem tetrapods mi%%ions o$ years prior to the evo% tionary sp%it o$ mamma%s" )he keratin speci$ic phy%o!enetic e*amination $o nd H9 p%ay a ro%e in the norma% and re!eneratin! !rowth o$ amphibian %imbs and tai%s, and were a%so detected in hi!her $re5 ency in repti%es $or the man $act re o$ c%aws and sca%es" 'ased on the work by 8andeber!h and 'oss yt, it seems as tho !h the $ ndamenta% e%ements $or hair prod ction were in e*istence we%% be$ore the act a% ori!in o$ hair" <iven the mamma%ian ancestra% ties to repti%es, it is do bt$ % that hair initia%%y arose in %ar!e 5 antities" 'eca se evo% tion is a s%ow and !rad a% process, it is more %ike%y that the $irst hairs were e*i! o s, and were initia%%y sed as an aid $or e*terna% sensory . on%y %ater did hair become a se$ % adaption $or providin! ins %ation 3Chernova, 67764" )he $irst hairs were an adaptationa% nove%ty, b t the ma&or %eap between mamma%s and repti%es was not the arriva% o$ hair, b t the chan!e transitionin! $rom e*othermic to endothermic" )his considerab%e shi$t was by no means abr pt, and on%y appears e*treme nti% a%% evidence is e*amined" #hi%e there wi%% a%ways be !aps in the $ossi% record, $ossi%s are sti%% ab%e to provide a more than ade5 ate tan!ib%e pict re o$ the pro!ression o$ %i$e on o r p%anet" 0s a res %t o$ the !rowin! know%ed!e in $ie%ds s ch as !eo%o!y and pa%eonto%o!y, there is a m ch smoother pict re to what wo %d otherwise seem near%y impossib%e" 'rid!in! the !ap between e*tant repti%es and mamma%s is a now e*tinct !ro p o$ dinosa rs known as therapsids + or mamma%.%ike repti%es"

)he nderstandin! that or!anisms are ab%e to adapt to their environments is one o$ the most awe.inspirin! $acts in a%% o$ science" /vo% tionary history is bea ti$ %%y preserved in both the $ossi% record and !enome o$ every %ivin! thin! on this p%anet" 8ery rare%y have any o$ these doc mented chan!es and adaptations been s dden, and this was a%so the case in the pro!ression $rom hair%ess co%d. b%ooded repti%es, to hair covered warm.b%ooded mamma%s" <rad a% chan!es in the s rro ndin! environment %eads to s bse5 ent chan!es in adaptation" )he positive se%ection $or individ a%s best s ited $or s rviva% prope%s the type o$ !enerationa% !enetic $ine.t nin! needed $or pro!ressive evo% tionary chan!e" 0 trans$ormation in somethin! as si!ni$icant as homeostatic re! %ation wo %d a%most de$inite%y be dependent on a consistent shi$t in c%imate and habitat" <iven what we know abo t the =ermian c%imate, as we%% as the %ocation o$ the $ossi%i(ed therapsids, it appears as tho !h there were indeed environmenta% se%ective press res towards homeothermic contro%" 1ear the be!innin! o$ the ear%y =ermian /poch, a combination o$ ni5 e eco%o!ica% events c %minated in the evo% tion o$ ancestra% therapsids $rom a branch o$ sphenacodontid pe%ycosa rs 39emp 67764" -irst, a new eco%o!ica% niche was waitin! to be $i%%ed in the pe%ycosa rs2 nei!hborin! ecosystem by any or!anism with the abi%ity to s rvive in an environment prone to hi!h seasona% $% ct ations" D e to the variation in temperat re, the or!anism wo %d need to be capab%e o$ s rvivin! the ann a% dry season, and wo %d there$ore re5 ire the abi%ity to retain water when the once ab ndant water so rces became sparse" Second, the =ermian was a period o$ consistent%y hi!h atmospheric o*y!en %eve%s" More ab ndant o*y!en %eve%s wo %d mean a more e$$icient respiratory e*chan!e, and this in t rn wo %d enco ra!e the evo% tion o$ the hi!her aerobic metabo%ic rate necessary $or enhanced homeostatic re! %ation 39emp 67764" -ina%%y, beca se evo% tion makes se o$ the $ nctiona% and morpho%o!ica% machinery a%ready in p%ace, the inherited carnivoro s diet o$ the ancestra% sphenacodontids was the in!redient re5 ired to $ %%y e*p%oit both o$ the events mentioned above" 0 hi!h protein diet e5 ates to a hi!h ener!y o tp t, and co p%ed with the a$orementioned conditions, the potentia% $or thermore! %ation" 0s a res %t o$ these three evo% tionary cata%ysts, a new species event a%%y evo%ved with e%evated aerobic metabo%ic rates" )his wo %d %timate%y res %t in the abi%ity to retain water and contro% body temperat re with increasin! e$$iciency d rin! the chan!in! seasons, th s brid!in! the !ap $rom repti%es to mamma%s" )he $ossi% record provides an ab ndance o$ therapsid transitiona% $ossi%s, and c%ear%y i%% strates the intermediary steps between repti%es and mamma%s" - rther s bstantiatin! the idea that hair derived $rom repti%ian ancestry is the manner in which hair !rows in e*tant mamma%s" )he or!ani(ation o$ hair in !ro ps and rows imp%ies the ear%iest hairs !rew in !ro ps o$ three on, or behind each sca%e 3Chernova, 67764, indicatin! the very manner in which o r hair !rows is re$%ective o$ o r %on!

evo% tionary %e!acies" )he present state o$ mamma%s, the $ossi% evidence, and the hi!h 5 antity o$ H9 !enes present in e*tant repti%es indicates the ori!in o$ hair was not at a%% improbab%e, b t was simp%y an adaptation waitin! to happen" 'ased on the increasin! amo nt o$ evidence on the s b&ect, the ori!in o$ hair and the mamma%ian %ina!e that ens ed is a%most an evo% tionary bana%ity based on the pieces that had a%ready been in p%ace $or mi%%ions o$ years" 'eca se it appears as tho !h mamma%.%ike repti%es were re! %atin! body temperat re prior to the evo% tion o$ hair, any m tation which co %d aid in ins %ation . s ch as hair and $eathers1 . wo %d have been $avored heavi%y by nat ra% se%ection" The radiation of mammals and emergence of primates 0s a res %t o$ the Cretaceo s+=a%eo!ene 39+=!4 e*tinction event appro*imate%y 6> mi%%ion years a!o, near%y a%% %i$e on earth was %ost" Mamma%s had %ived in the shadows o$ the dinosa rs since their initia% evo% tion, b t once the dominate repti%ian $orms o$ %i$e be!an to disappear, hoards o$ previo s%y occ pied eco%o!ica% niches were now open to the or!anisms who mana!ed to s rvive the 9. =! catastrophe" Circ mstances s ch as this wo %d promote a ma&or period o$ adaptive radiation and rapid evo% tion as the p%anet s%ow%y recovered" ;ne partic %ar eco%o!ica% niche waitin! to be re.$i%%ed was the e*p%oitation o$ $ood so rces in trees" 0$ter ro !h%y 17 mi%%ion years o$ !rad a% evo% tion, there is evidence $or the e*istence o$ the $irst mamma% possessin! the anatomica% 5 a%i$ications to be ca%%ed a primate 31i, <ebo, Da!osto, Men!, )a$$orea , -%ynn, : 'eard, 671?4" 'ased on this new $ossi% evidence, we now know o r ear%iest primate ancestors e*isted at %east >> mi%%ion years a!o" Conver!ences within the evo% tionari%y tree represent common ancestry between two now distinct species" 'eca se o$ the branchin! nat re o$ evo% tion, there are morpho%o!ica% and !enetic traits that sho %d be e*pected in a%% or!anisms be%on!in! to a certain ta*onomic $ami%y" ,n $oc sin! on the !reat apes in partic %ar, there are co nt%ess simi%arities in the anatomy and !enome" H mans, chimpan(ees, !ori%%as, and oran! tans share more than a hand$ % o$ once $ nctiona% 3now broken4 !enes ca%%ed pse do!enes6, and have comp%ete !enomes so c%ose%y re%ated that it is impossib%e to dismiss as coincidence" ;ne can on%y remain skeptica% abo t evo% tion by i!norin! the mo ntains o$ evidence which s pport this ni$yin! theory o$ the %i$e sciences" 0mon! co nt%ess other !enetic and anatomica% para%%e%s, the evidence $or common ancestry is $ rther s bstantiated in anatomica% and !enetic %e$tovers known as vesti!es"

1 )he evo% tion o$ $eathers is a comp%e* and interestin! topic by itse%$" , wo %d imp%ore anyone interested in %earnin! more to read the artic%e The Early Evolution of Feathers: Fossil Evidence from Cretaceous Amber of France by 8incent =errichot, @oAc Marion, Didier 1Bra dea , Comain 8 %%o, and =a % )a$$orea " 6 ,n partic %ar, pse do!ene hHaA re%ates to modern h man hair keratins, and wi%% be disc ssed in $ rther detai% %ater"

Vestiges: leftovers of our evolutionary legacies )he comparison to an en!ineer is an e*amp%e common%y sed to i%% strate desi!n by nat ra% se%ection" #hi%e an en!ineer has the % * ry o$ comp%ete%y redesi!nin! a system to accommodate a new $ nction, nat ra% se%ection is $orced to work with what is a%ready in p%ace" 0 pop %ar ana%o!y sed by evo% tionari%y bio%o!ist Cichard Dawkins is that o$ the modern &et en!ine" ,n rea%ity, en!ineers obvio s%y b i%t the t rbine en!ine $rom scratch witho t havin! to se any previo s prope%%er en!ine b% eprints" 0s a res %t, the &et prop %sion system is indicative o$ inte%%i!ent desi!n" Converse%y, evo% tion does not have the % * ry o$ desi!n $rom scratch, and the evidence 3bad desi!n4 is hardwired into the anatomy and !enome o$ every %ivin! thin! on the p%anet" ,n re!ards to aeria% prop %sion, i$ the en!ine had been b i%t by nat ra% se%ection, it wo %d have kept the desi!n o$ the ori!ina% prope%%er en!ine, and !rad a%%y modi$ied it in a step by step process by b i%din! pon what was a%ready in p%ace" Dsin! this ana%o!y, it is c%ear to see how a hypothetica% step by step process co %d event a%%y %ead to a more e$$icient $orm o$ mobi%ity, b t i$ one were to e*amine the end res %t, it wo %d be easy to see the evidence o$ the evo% tionary process" 0dditiona%%y, the hypothetica% evo% tionary en!ine wo %d have obvio s $%aws that no competent desi!ner wo %d have %e$t in p%ace" #ith this in mind, ima!ine how m ch more di$$ic %t it wo %d be $or a process %ike evo% tion to then re!ress" )he evidence o$ desi!n by nat ra% se%ection is apparent in everythin! $rom the eye, to the mamma%ian ma%e reprod ctive system1, b t to avoid a ma&or di!ression, , wi%% $oc s on on%y one aspect in partic %ar + the body hair patterns o$ modern h mans" ,n a 19E1 st dy done by <ary Schwart( and @eonard Cosenb% m, %o!arithmic corre%ations were presented on a series o$ primates demonstratin! how the thickness o$ hair re%ates to body si(e" Dn%ike h mans who have the abi%ity to sweat, the other !reat apes %ack an e$$icient evaporative coo%in! method" )he re!ression o$ hair occ rrin! para%%e% to pro!ressive%y %ar!er mamma%s seems to be indicative o$ an adaptation in response to therma% constraints" ,n a simp%e r %e o$ thermore! %ation, sma%%er mamma%s have a m ch %ar!er di$$erentia% between s r$ace area and mass, and m st s bse5 ent%y co nter the propensity to %ose heat to the environment with thicker hair 3Schwart( : Cosenb% m, 19E14" ,n considerin! the other e*treme, & st the opposite is tr e" @ar!e mamma%s s ch as e%ephants and rhinos 3a!ain, ne5 ipped with evaporative coo%in!4 m st dissipate %ar!e amo nts o$ core.!enerated heat" Cesistance $rom thick hair wo %d be an obvio s hindrance, and these anima%s conse5 ent%y have skin that is near%y hair%ess" )he !reat apes are no e*ception, and as a res %t, we see a
1 #hi%e the tan!%ed mess that makes p the ma%e reprod ctive system is a !ood e*amp%e o$ desi!n via nat ra% se%ection, so to is the h man $ema%e reprod ctive system" )he mystery o$ menopa se is not so mysterio s when considerin! h man $ema%es have the ovaries endowed to them by evo% tion o$ other !reat apes + whose reprod ctive %i$e %asts F7.F> years 3Hrdy 19994" Dn%ike the !reat apes however, h man $ema%es %ive we%% beyond their reprod ctive %ives, and this has become the tr e p ((%e $or anthropo%o!ists"

red ction in hair density corre%atin! to an increase in the si(e o$ the primate, and vice versa" 'eca se hair rare%y $ossi%i(es, the pro!ression o$ h man hair%essness is a mystery o$ h man evo% tion that may never be answered with comp%ete certainty" @ike a detective tho !h, science is ab%e to se what c% es are %e$t behind in order to piece to!ether the c%earest pict re possib%e" ;ne o$ the most important aspects in nderstandin! o r evo% tionary herita!e is by e*aminin! the behavior and physio%o!y o$ o r c%oset re%ated evo% tionary co sins" 'y ti%i(in! the data $rom the a$orementioned st dy by Schwart( and Cosenb% m, basic common sense in$erences can be made abo t o r archaic ancestors evo%vin! hair patterns $o%%owin! the sp%it $rom the most recent common ancestor we share with chimpan(ees" Australopithecus afarensis was the $irst ob%i!ate bipeda% primate, and was comparab%e in si(e to modern chimpan(ees with a wei!ht between F7 and 77 k! 3Schwart( : Cosenb% m, 19E14" 0%tho !h it is impossib%e to know $or certain what the e*act hair thickness was $or any e*tinct ta*a, the data re!ardin! re%ative hair density in corre%ation to body s r$ace area aids in makin! what are %ike%y acc rate ass mptions abo t o r evo% tionary ancestors" 'ased on what we can observe, it wo %d appear as tho !h a considerab%e red ction o$ body hair had taken p%ace we%% be$ore o r %inea!e transitioned $rom a wood%and to !rass%and environment" )he eco%o!ica% chan!es occ rrin! in /ast 0$rica as o r %inea!e evo%ved were s%ow%y transitionin! the environment $rom & n!%e, to wood%and, to the savanna we see today 3Mas%in : Christensen, 67774" S ccess$ % evo% tion re%ies on an or!anism2s abi%ity to adapt to s ch chan!es, and o r evo% tionary herita!e is re$%ective o$ advanta!eo s and reso rce$ % adaptation" 0%on! with a host o$ other iss es, a shi$t in environment o$ this ma!nit de wo %d have e*posed h mans to e%evated %eve%s o$ radiant heat" ,t is be%ieved that dark pi!mentation evo%ved as one o$ the methods to cope with constant e*pos re to the s n1, which means o r pre.h man ancestors %ike%y had re%ative%y %i!ht %i!ht skin beneath b%ack $ r + m ch %ike modern chimpan(ees 3Gab%onski, 67174" #ith this in mind, a more dense coat o$ hair wo %d have been e*treme%y bene$icia% a!ainst s n rays, and indeed is $or many mamma%s %ivin! in the /ast 0$rican !rass%ands" )he a%ready sparse hair o$ 0 stra%opithecines however, provided very %itt%e protection a!ainst the re! %ar and pro%on!ed e*pos re to intense s n%i!ht + and evo% tion rare%y moves backwards" Co p%in! this principa% with the data co%%ected by Schwart( and Cosenb% m on hair re!ression in re%ation to body si(e, it appears as tho !h o r ancestors wo %d have had to come p with a new so% tion $or the !rad a%%y increasin! v %nerabi%ity to heat $rom the s n as the wood%ands s%ow%y receded" )his was obvio s%y not a conscio s e$$ort on
1 0 677F st dy p b%ished by Dniversity o$ Dtah2s Dr" 0%an Co!ers and his co%%ea! es e*amined MC1C se5 ences, which is a !ene responsib%e $or prod cin! skin pi!mentation" )he st dy showed that a speci$ic variant occ rrin! amon! 0$ricans with dark pi!mentation ori!inated as ear%y as 1"6 mi%%ion years a!o 3Gab%onski, 67174" )his adaptive response to environment, and the period $or which there is now evidence it occ rred, coincides with the hypothesis o$ contin ed hair red ction $rom the 0 stra%opithecines, to Homo habilis, and $ina%%y to Homo erectus"

beha%$ o$ o r ancestors, b t was the res %t o$ nat ra% se%ection2s constant adaptive improvement process" ;ne so% tion was the ti%i(ation o$ eccrine !%ands to prod ce a more e$$icient $orm o$ sweat" 0%tho !h many mamma%s are capab%e o$ sweatin!, they re%y pon the sebaceo s and apocrine !%ands to prod ce an oi%y or sometimes $oamy mi*t re which he%ps coo% the anima%, b t this $orm o$ sweat has a %imited abi%ity to dissipate heat 3Gab%onski, 67174" #ork done by <" /d!ar -o%k Gr" and his co%%ea! es in 1991 demonstrated how this type o$ thick sweat act a%%y decreases an anima%2s abi%ity to e$$ective%y coo% themse%ves a$ter their hair becomes matted with this ine$$icient $orm o$ perspiration" 'eca se evaporative coo%in! occ rs at the s r$ace o$ the $ r and not at the %eve% o$ the skin, the trans$er o$ heat is impeded" 0 red ction in body hair wo %d so%ve this prob%em, b t wo %d sti%% re5 ire the app%ication o$ another s bstance to make the sweat %ess oi%y and easier to evaporate" 9eepin! in mind the ana%o!y o$ the en!ineer 3who appears to be absent in the case o$ nat ra% se%ection4, evo% tion cannot !o back to the drawin! board, b t m st make se o$ $eat res that are a%ready in p%ace" /very aspect o$ o r anatomy is a traceab%e testament to o r evo% tionary herita!e, and o r abi%ity to dea% with heat is no di$$erent" /ccrine !%ands are present, b t basica%%y inactive in most non.h man primates" Havin! these !%ands a%ready in p%ace a%%owed $or nat ra% se%ection to do what it does best, and take advanta!e o$ previo s%y ntapped bio%o!ica% reso rces" ,nstead o$ backtrackin! to re.ac5 ire a thicker coat o$ hair to protect a!ainst heat $rom the s n, evo% tion e*p%oited the eccrine !%ands to he%p prod ce a thin, watery $orm o$ sweat, whi%e $ rther red cin! o r body hair thickness 3Gab%onski, 67174" )his $orm o$ sweatin!, co p%ed with increasin!%y bare skin1, a%%owed $or evaporation to occ r at the s r$ace o$ the skin $or what is possib%y the most e$$ective $orm o$ coo%in! seen in any %and mamma%" ,n $act, st dies have shown o r method o$ heat dissipation is so e$$icient that in a marathon on a hot day, a h man co %d o t. compete a horse 3@ieberman : 'ramb%e, 67774" ; r abi%ity to ade5 ate%y dissipate heat in a hot environment ndo bted%y p%ayed a ro%e in what event a%%y %ed to body hair bein! red ced to the evo% tionary vesti!e that it is today" Hair versus fur what's the difference? 0 trait that is near%y niversa% within the primates is the habit o$ re! %ar !roomin!" )his practice is so important to the !reat apes that they have woven it into the aspect o$ comm na% %ivin!" ,t2s a%most comica% how simi%ar h mans are in this respect beca se o$ the time we p%ace on ens rin! o r hair %ooks presentab%e, o r c%othes match, and that we sme%% nice" Co tine !roomin! and the maintenance o$ hair are part o$ the more trivia% simi%arities between h mans and o r c%osest %ivin! co sins, b t a notab%e
1 ,t is interestin! to note that a%tho !h h mans are near%y comp%ete%y naked when compared to other apes, we act a%%y have a simi%ar density o$ hair $o%%ic%es as o r e*tant co sins, the !reat apes" )his indicates a tr e red ction in hair, and not a comp%ete %oss 3# , ,rwin, : Hhan!, 677E4"

di$$erence is the manner in which o r hair !rows in comparison to the other primates" Consider thisI whi%e we observe c stomary !roomin! within primate comm nities, they are never in need o$ a hairc t" )his is beca se their hair + $rom head to $oot + $o%%ows the !rowth pattern typica% o$ mamma%s" #hat makes s so ni5 e in this areaJ -rom the histo%o!ica% perspective, a%% o$ the hair $o%%ic%es o$ the skin are basica%%y identica%" Most te*tbooks on the s b&ect don2t even di$$erentiate between the $o%%ic%es o$ the body, and those o$ the sca%pK$ace" )here is obvio s%y a $ ndamenta% di$$erence, and to nderstand & st what it is, a brie$ overview on the !rowth cyc%es o$ the hair $o%%ic%e is re5 ired" )here are $o r distinct phases o$ the hair !rowth cyc%e" )he hair sha$t prod ction occ rs d rin! ana!en, $o%%owed by the pre.pro!rammed apoptotic $o%%ic%e death and red ction, cata!en, and then a restin! phase, te%o!en" )he hair is shed d rin! e*o!en, and then the process be!ins a!ain" -or h mans, the ana!en phase on the body and e*tremities is aro nd two months 31e $e%d : Conroy, 677F4" )he hair on%y !rows to a short %en!th, and then $a%%s o t + it is 5 ite %itera%%y the evo% tionary %e$tover o$ $ r" Converse%y, the hair on the sca%p and $ace has an ana!en phase that %asts $or two to si* years" Somethin! has occ rred e*c% sive%y in o r %inea!e that has !reat%y e*tended the $o%%ic%e !rowth cyc%e on on%y o r heads" Lucky the Maltese dog 'e$ore proceedin! to my hypothesis, , wi%% make a s%i!ht di!ression $or the sake o$ presentin! a re%evant i%% stration" 1ot %on! a!o, )he #eather Channe% aired a video abo t a Ma%tese do! who had been abandoned in the @os 0n!e%es area" 0t the time o$ his discovery, he was wei!hted down with so m ch hair, m d, and $eces that he co %d not even wa%k" 0$ter bein! taken to a veterinarian, three po nds o$ matted, tan!%ed hair were c t o$$" )his partic %ar story he%ped i%% minate severa% iss es in re!ards to contin a%%y !rowin! hair" -irst, every anima% that has an e*a!!erated ana!en phase has been se%ected $or by h mans" )here are severa% di$$erent do! breeds that re5 ire re! %ar hairc ts, as we%% as sheep, and vario s other mamma%s we keep as pets" ' t the %on!.haired trait possessed by these anima%s was conscio s%y se%ected by h man breeders p rpose$ %%y breedin! $or a partic %ar attrib te" )his means that the switch $rom $ r to hair is not terrib%y di$$ic %t to achieve, beca se we have done it o rse%ves severa% di$$erent times independent%y with a variety o$ do! breeds and other species o$ mamma%s within & st the past 17,777 years" )he second iss e may seem a bit m ndane, b t its importance cannot be over%ooked" /very anima% with contin a%%y !rowin! hair re5 ires o r he%p to c t it, or it becomes a hindrance" #ith this in mind, the abi%ity modern h mans have to !row %on! hair on the $ace and sca%p co %d not have evo%ved witho t the co!nitive abi%ity to c t it . there$ore, %on! hair seems to be indicative o$ too% se" #e know

that too% se was an adaptation which occ rred para%%e% to the evo% tion o$ Homo habilis some 6 mi%%ion years a!o 3Ce%eth$ord, 67174" @on! hair was n%ike%y to have arisen any time be$ore this, and probab%y didn2t be!in bein! se%ected $or by means o$ se* a% se%ection nti% m ch %ater" Homo halilis2 archaic too%s were !ood $or c ttin! meat and breakin! bone, b t were not sophisticated eno !h to $it the need $or the e$$ective !roomin! %on! hair re5 ires" 0s a%ways in science, ass mptions are se%ess, and evidence is re5 ired" )he %eaps we have made in the $ie%d o$ microbio%o!y have aided eco%o!ists, evo% tionary bio%o!ists, and anthropo%o!ists in $i%%in! !aps that wo %d have otherwise remained a mystery" )hanks to the pro!ress made in the $ie%d o$ !enetics, this re%ative%y new evidence he%ps !ive va%idity to my hypothesis" e!ual selection and pseudogene hHa" )he ! idin! $orce o$ nat ra% se%ection works over time to enhance a species2 abi%ity to s rvive in a !iven environment" #orkin! at the %eve% o$ the !ene, those which are best s ited in aidin! s rviva% wi%% be passed down, whi%e %ess e$$icient !enes wi%% be e%iminated" )his makes per$ect sense when e*p%ainin! how camo $%a!e or the predator.prey arms race evo%ved, b t what abo t traits which seem %ike%y to impede an or!anism2s abi%ity to s rviveJ )he wor%d is $ %% o$ birds with bri!ht p% ma!e, as we%% as vario s $ro!s and $ish with co%orin! that is the antithesis o$ environmenta% concea%ment" ;ne wo %d initia%%y ass me these traits co %d never have evo%ved beca se o$ how obvio s bri!ht co%orin! is to potentia% predators" 'ein! the observant nat ra%ist he was, Char%es Darwin took notice o$ this oddity be%ievin! at $irst that his theory o$ nat ra% se%ection may have a $%aw" #hat he conc% ded however, was that these seemin!%y adverse adaptations were the res %t o$ what he ca%%ed se* a% se%ection" )here are two important thin!s to remember when disc ssin! se* a% se%ection within the conte*t o$ this paper" )he $irst is that se* a% se%ection happens very rapid%y" 8ery $ew bio%o!ica% $acts have been scr tini(ed as m ch as se* a% se%ection, and near%y every st dy to date is a re$%ection o$ how 5 ick%y se* a% se%ection operates" 0s Hosken and Ho se state in their paper on the s b&ect, Se* a% se%ection is not a s bcate!ory o$ nat ra% se%ection, as Darwin made very c%earI it arises $rom di$$erences in matin! s ccess, whereas nat ra% se%ection is d e to variance in a%% other $itness components 3Hosken : Ho se, 67114" )o nderstand what matin! s ccess imp%ies here, one m st remember that $rom an evo% tionary perspective, se* a% se%ection became a nat ra% $orce beca se o$ the contrast in avai%abi%ity between the two se*2s reprod ctive !ametes 3=arker et a%", 19764" )he ab ndance o$ sperm a%%ows $or ma%es to reprod ce $re5 ent%y, which means a $ashionab%e variant has the potentia% to spread very 5 ick%y" ;n the other hand, the s%ower, more metabo%ica%%y e*pensive reprod ctive t rnover rate o$

$ema%es p%aces them in a position where it is more advanta!eo s to be more choosy 3or coy as Darwin ori!ina%%y said4" #hen se* a% se%ection is at work, the $ema%es wi%% be more attracted to the ma%e with whatever $%ashy variant is bein! se%ected $or, and the trait wi%% e*peditio s%y spread thro !ho t the pop %ation" )h s, se* a% se%ection has the potentia% to operate at a more acce%erated pace than nat ra% se%ection a%one" Ma%e.ma%e competition to mate appears to be the drivin! $orce behind certain aspects o$ se* a% se%ection" )his mode% works when it comes to e*p%ainin! the e%aborate ornaments and bio%o!ica%%y e*pensive armaments seen thro !ho t the nat ra% wor%d, b t the idea o$ matin! competition is not a%ways the on%y $orce at work in this phenomenon + and this is the second thin! to remember in re!ards to se* a% se%ection2s potentia% in$% ence on h man hair patterns" 0%tho !h $ema%e mate choice is an important $actor in what !enes !et passed thro !h the !enerations, there are times when both se*es share an attractive trait" #hen this is the case, , propose the spread o$ a pop %ar a%%e%e wo %d occ r even $aster than the type o$ se* a% se%ection that pertains to on%y one se*" ,t is this hypothesis o$ d a% se* a% se%ection in ear%y h man pop %ations that , be%ieve e*p%ains the a$orementioned con ndr m o$ modern h man hair patterns on the $ace and sca%p1, b t is there any evidence $or a m tation re%atin! to hairJ ,n a 6777 st dy on the type , keratin !ene c% ster, one pse do!ene was discovered a%on!side the nine other $ nctiona% !enes in the keratin !ro p 3#inter et a%", 67774" =se do!ene hHaA is an evo% tionary !enetic %e$tover which is transcribed in o r %inea!e, b t has m tated to the point that it no %on!er synthesi(es a protein" @ar!e.sca%e comparative !enomic st dies between o rse%ves, chimpan(ees, and !ori%%as show the m tation to be homo(y!o s in h man pop %ations o$ di$$erent ethnic back!ro nds, b t absent in the $ nctiona% ortho%o!o s chimpan(ee 3cHaA4 and !ori%%a 3gHaA4 !enes 3#inter et a%", 67774" - rther ana%ysis on the e*pressive 5 a%ities o$ these re%ated !enes hi!h%i!hted si!ni$icant di$$erences between the hair keratin phenotypes o$ modern h mans and the !reat apes" )his st dy a%so s !!ested that the hHaA m tation + ni5 e on%y to h mans + was very recent" 'y comparin! the n mber o$ synonymo s and non.synonymo s s bstit tions in the active cHaA and inactive hHaA 3 sin! the more distant%y re%ated gHaA as an o t.!ro p4, it was conc% ded that the inactivation o$ the hHaA !ene in o r %inea!e occ rred %ess than 6F7,777 years a!o" #ith demonstrab%e ties to the phenotypic e*pression o$ hair keratins, co %d this broken !ene be the m tation which is responsib%e $or o r e*tended ana!en phaseJ )his st dy certain%y has e*citin! imp%ications" )he m tation in 5 estion appears to coincide a%most per$ect%y with the amo nt o$ time anatomica%%y modern h mans have been on the scene,
1 Se* a% se%ection is a%so the most pop %ar hypothesis as to why ma%es and $ema%es di$$er so m ch in re!ards to body hair" @ike modern men, ancestra% ma%es were probab%y %ess attracted to hairy $ema%es"

meanin! o r contemporary hair patterns co %d very we%% be re$%ective o$ the creativity that makes s h man" #hen it comes to st dyin! the past, one o$ the key indications that h mans had become se%$. aware is the discovery o$ art" )his $orm o$ e*pression is e*c% sive to o r species, and imp%ies the co!nitive abi%ity $or in.depth se%$.re$%ection and se%$.awareness" Co %d it be that the abi%ity to !row %on! hair, co p%ed with the abi%ity to e$$icient%y sty%e it, is the the res %t o$ a bio%o!ica% $ashion trendJ ,$ this was the case, it wo %d have been attractive to both ma%es and $ema%es, and wo %d have ca !ht on very 5 ick%y indeed" 6F7 tho sand years a!o, o r ancestors wo %d have had the abi%ity to not on%y e$$ective%y dea% with %on! hair, b t to sty%e it as we%%" 'y the time o r ni5 e hair patterns had spread thro !ho t the pop %ation, there is a stron! possibi%ity that o r ancestors were not c ttin! their hair o t o$ ob%i!ation, b t were manip %atin! it in a manner that wo %d be attractive to the opposite se*" <iven the c rrent data, it is my hypothesis that the modern hair patterns ni5 e to the $ace and sca%p were not the res %t o$ a chance m tation that we simp%y %earned to dea% with, b t were the res %t o$ a trait that was $avored heavi%y by co!nitive thinkin!, se%$.aware h man bein!s" )he $act that we have reco!ni(ed and se%ected $or s ch 5 a%ities in other mamma%s is re$%ective o$ the $act that we know which traits to %ook $or, and co %d very we%% have se%ected $or these traits in o r own %inea!e" )he m tation a%%owin! $or %on! hair appears to have on%y happened once in o r history, which s !!ests that not on%y was it $avored heavi%y by se* a% se%ection, b t that it occ rred prior to any mi!rations o t o$ 0$rica when h manity was in its in$ancy" #hi%e we wear the history o$ evo% tionary adaptation in everythin! $rom o r anatomy to o r !enome, it certain%y appears as tho !h o r abi%ity to !row %on! hair is not the res %t o$ any evo% tionary s rviva% advanta!e, b t the byprod ct o$ bein! a sentient anima%" Conclusion 0ny in5 iry into h man physio%o!y can be answered with the app%ication o$ evo% tionary theory" #e 5 ite %itera%%y carry with s not on%y the story o$ h manity, b t the epic o$ %i$e2s !rad a% pro!ression $rom h mb%e be!innin!s, to e*trava!ant comp%e*ity" )he intention o$ this pro&ect was to !ive an overview into the evo% tion o$ hair, and to present opport nities $or $ rther research" )he topic o$ h man hair patterns is one that has not been as thoro !h%y investi!ated as other aspects in bio%o!y, and many 5 estions remain" #as se* a% se%ection the on%y $actor contrib tin! to the s bstantia% di$$erences between ma%e.$ema%e hair patternsJ ,s mate pre$erence contin in! to make h mans %ess hairyJ #hy do some h man pop %ations have more body hair than othersJ ,s hHaA the on%y e%ement within the h man !enome responsib%e $or %on! hairJ #ith the advancements in modern science, these iss es can a%% be addressed thro !h contin ed research"

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