- Reaction score
- 8
I've finally come to the conclusion that the pattern of hair loss we see is determined genetically and is not (at least not directly) based on blood supply or cushion of the horseshoe area.
The reason this is the case is because chimps have hair loss too. It must play some important roll for social status in their environment. This trait was selected against while in Africa probably due to heat and sun exposure. When some humans left Africa, the vestigial trait was no longer selected against so it made a comeback which is why it's more common in lighter skinned peoples who didn't recently adapt in the hot sunlight of the African Savannah. It may have even given an advantage for extra sunlight absorption since people probably wore skins to stay warm, they weren't getting as much sunlight. This trait wasn't already evolved for women which is why they didn't really get it except by accident during the short adaption from black to white.
Completely bald men are considered more dominant - perhaps not just a cultural thing, but a vestige of bald chimp-like ancestors being more dominant. Leaving the horseshoe makes them appear funny-looking and weak, but that could be due to cultural expectations. This is obviously cherry picking what is cultural and what is vestigial, but it still seems like it might be partly true.
The only strange thing about this trait is that it makes such a neat, abrupt, contrasting bald and hair line on the back of the head.
The reason this is the case is because chimps have hair loss too. It must play some important roll for social status in their environment. This trait was selected against while in Africa probably due to heat and sun exposure. When some humans left Africa, the vestigial trait was no longer selected against so it made a comeback which is why it's more common in lighter skinned peoples who didn't recently adapt in the hot sunlight of the African Savannah. It may have even given an advantage for extra sunlight absorption since people probably wore skins to stay warm, they weren't getting as much sunlight. This trait wasn't already evolved for women which is why they didn't really get it except by accident during the short adaption from black to white.
Completely bald men are considered more dominant - perhaps not just a cultural thing, but a vestige of bald chimp-like ancestors being more dominant. Leaving the horseshoe makes them appear funny-looking and weak, but that could be due to cultural expectations. This is obviously cherry picking what is cultural and what is vestigial, but it still seems like it might be partly true.
The only strange thing about this trait is that it makes such a neat, abrupt, contrasting bald and hair line on the back of the head.