Why do humans have body hair? What purpose does it serve?

Question

Women just shave it off, and as far as I can tell, men are just hairy for no reason. Is there an actual reason that humans still have body hair? Do you think eventually, future humans will evolve without body hair?

Answer 1

Like most animals, it's for warmth, or it was.



Humans have one of the most heat-producing metabolisms of any mammal in existence - that coupled with our migration to warmer climates resulted in the loss of body hair and eventually the development of the ability to sweat as desperately-needed cooling mechanisms.



We maintained some patches of it, possibly for lubrication, or possibly because some warmth was still necessary in those areas (certainly the hair atop the head is there because of the importance of maintaining a constant temperature in the head).





As for future human evolution, it's actually questionable how much the development of society is interfering with that process. With the development of giant social networks, and particularly with the development of modern medicine, genetic contributions to the physical ability to survive have little or perhaps even no effect on a gene's frequency in the gene pool anymore. We as a species may be finished evolving, or if we're not, it may become much more random and much less survival-oriented than it was before the advent of civilization (or, we may ultimately take our genetic design into our own hands).

Answer 2

I've had alopecia areata universalis since I was 2 years old and am now 22. That means I have no hair on my entire body since age 2. There is no point to pubic hair. There is actually no point to hair in general these days (If you have clothes). I've always got along just fine without it. I don't really seem to get cold that much more often than other people, but perhaps a little. I actually prefer cold weather over hot weather. This is the miracle of clothing. I think pubic hair is there for the reason all the hair is there. It was to keep our ancestors' sensitive genitals warm when they were running buck naked (perhaps a loincloth?) through the wilderness hunting the big beasts. We've actually lost a lot of hair since then (some of us)....ever notice our ape cousins and their hair? My nipples serve no purpose either. I don't think evolution is as good at weeding out useless (or outdated) things as it is detrimental ones.

Answer 3

I Hope So



Currently I Feel

That The Hair On My Body

Exists Only To Taunt

The Remaining Hair On My Head

Answer 4

Many things.



1 We used to be covered with fur an evolutionist once told me.



2 It keeps sweat (pits crouch) in certain places to inhance the smell of those places. Believe it or not the smell is supposed to be a good thing



3 Nervous system. Ever had a bug on your arm but didn't feel it until it hit a hair?

Answer 5

Body hair will probably not disappear because it doesn't *hinder* our survival. It will stay around until it becomes disadvantageous to have it.



It is a vestigial trait from when we had a full coat of hair to keep us warm. Kind of like how we needed our appendix when we ate raw meat, but now it's no longer necessary.

Answer 6

not all women shave. i only ever shave anything on my body in the heat waves of summer. but i get what you are saying, most women do shave it and i have even known men to.



we were actually hairier 1000s of years ago, but our body hair has thinned as a result of us keeping warm by other means, so evolution has had some say in the matter. certain races have less body hair, such as native americans. native american men apparently do not even grow beards.

Answer 7

Body hair is linked with secondary sex characteristics.



In males, testosterone directly increases size and mass of muscles, vocal cords, and bones, deepening the voice, and changing the shape of the face and skeleton. Converted into DHT in the skin, it accelerates growth of androgen-responsive facial and body hair,but may slow and eventually stop the growth of head hair. Taller stature is largely a result of later puberty and slower epiphyseal fusion..

Answer 8

Not only for warmth but also for protection, similar to a lion's mane. Bare skin is more exposed to laceration and infection.

Answer 9

To keep you warm...

and the public hair helps from getting some infections.

Answer 10

Its too keep our body parts warm or cool and protected.

Answer 11

its from need of our less evolved self, in the past there were colder climates = more hair to keep warm.

Answer 12

far as i can tell it helps keep body heat trapped close to your skin, so it keeps you warmer.

By the way, that's why GOD MADE US THAT WAY.

Answer 13

Evolutionary adaption to harsh climates.

Answer 14

Some of our hair (e.g. groin/armpit) is to help reduce friction.

Answer 15

Back in the day when we were homo.....



sapians it kept us warm during the ice age.



My bad Rosey. As Ross said in friends, homo...



sapians are people.

Answer 16

Gazz...we still are homo sapiens



Did we change? I missed the memo!

Answer 17

http://highlightskidsplus.com/Science/ScienceQuestions/h1sciQpeopleHair.asp



This is the reason