The Conundrum of Human Nakedness.

Abstract

Human beings are the only primates without thick body hair. Evolution has played its part in reducing the thickness and density of body hair from our prime ancestors. To understand the causality of this, it is wise to explore three other characteristics which distinguish Homo sapiens from other primates; bipedalism, practical nakedness, and the family reproductive unit. The evolution of hairlessness, combined with the need for efficient eccrine sweat production for cooling, provided evolutionary pressure to protect the skin from ultraviolet damage by developing cutaneous pigmentation. There was a subsequent loss of pigmentation as humans journeyed to northern latitudes. The relationship between nakedness, bipedality, the establishment of family reproductive unit, and the appearance of melanin in the skin all constitute a fascinating challenge to understand. It is indeed intriguing that while nature prefers the Homo sapiens to be relatively naked and hairless, the Homo sapiens is so obsessively fascinated with the preservation of persistence of hair. These issues are indeed very relevant for all physicians who treat hair, such as dermatologists and hair transplant surgeons.