Why do humans even have a balding gene?

[Theguy]

I mean what the hell is the point of going bald. In what ways does being bald help the human race to survive? It so god damn pointless that nature would give us this gene without good reason for our evolution. If anyone has any actual info on why we bald, other than the actual causes of hair loss, I would appreciate it.

 

[Guest]

Not everything in this world happens for a reason, and evolutionary theory has only strengthened the human mind's proclivity to find association and reason in all natural things, providing opportunity for further frustration :lol:

Would it help to instead consider:

Why do humans even have a gene that can prevent balding?

 

[flux]

My guess is something went wrong with the switches that control hair growth based on gender specific hormones. Horribly, horribly wrong.

A better question is, why hasnt natural selection made balding a rarity? My guess on that would be 1) we're living longer, a few hundred years ago most people bred sooner and died before they lost a significant amount of hair, 2) women have not always been so free to choose their partners

 

[oaslam]

Flux,

I think your points on living longer and women being more free now to choose are excellent insights into the question of why baldness hasn't been bred out of humanity.

Still, though, I see bald men with women. Not to mention fat men with women, dwarf men with women and even impotent men with women who are willing to forego children.

I'm sure these women who date/marry/screw bald men are the same ones who joke about about bald men. However, even though they count baldness as a "con", they still find a reason to interact with baldies. So I suppose in that respect, they're no different than men who pant after women on the cover of Maxim, but still go home to their homely wives/girlfriends at the end of the day.

I don't think there's any benefit or detriment to balding. It's just one of those variations, like ear size, height, intelligence, or eye color.

I just wish we glorified hairloss instead of a full, youthful head of hair.

O.

 

[Stingray]

Human hair is simply not needed anymore. My guess is that baldness is a step UP on the evolutionary ladder. When humans don't need an organ anymore, it's gradually phased out. Since hair serves no real function besides aesthetics anymore, it isn't a necessary organ. Just like the appendix... no one is even really sure what function it serves, and it doesn't actually DO anything anymore. It's slowly being phased out.

My guess is that baldness isn't actually a disorder at all, but more of a step forward in evolution...a crappy one that it is.

 

[|SweetJesus|]

Stingray is actually right. Baldness is an evolutionary step.

This may sound a little out there, but I have heard of studies that claim throughout history the bald men in almost every culture were the leaders. In some primal way, many people see bald men as strong, smart, and powerful.

lol...I bet your boss is bald :smoke:

 

[Nicholas]

baldness gene?

So they can give every female the hint of who´s the smartest among the men :laugh:

 

[zak84]

Human hair is simply not needed anymore. My guess is that baldness is a step UP on the evolutionary ladder. When humans don't need an organ anymore, it's gradually phased out. Since hair serves no real function besides aesthetics anymore, it isn't a necessary organ. Just like the appendix... no one is even really sure what function it serves, and it doesn't actually DO anything anymore. It's slowly being phased out.

My guess is that baldness isn't actually a disorder at all, but more of a step forward in evolution...a crappy one that it is.

haha do you use that as a pick up line?

 

[flux]

oaslam, I definitely agree with you. People will always be reproducing on all levels of the gene pool. And baldness really isn't such a terrible curse. But I do believe without the factors I mentioned it would not be affecting half the male population today.

Stingray, SweetJesus, I don't believe that balding is an 'evolutionary step'. We don't just 'evolve' based on what we use. Evolution is a matter of random mutation and natural selection. Random mutation causes genes to change (usually for the worse) and Natural Selection keeps that in line. We're not going to lose hair as an 'evolutionary step' unless losing the hair actually helps us to reproduce somehow. (although Sweet Jesus implies that it would, I doubt the majority of women in history would rather be with a bald man.)

 

[Guest]

Maybe there were more bald people in the past (corrected for mean life expectancy) and the "baldness gene" is actually a gene that can prevent baldness as an evolutionary step toward reducing the frequency of baldness. So maybe we are evolving to get beyond balding.

That was sorta the point of my first post, but then there's that whole lead a horse to water thing....

 

[flux]

That doesnt make any sense, yeddie. the "baldness gene" is as we define it. So either we're talking about the sequence that makes follicles vulnerable to DHT, or the sequence that makes it immune.

And evolution doesnt just do what you think it should or hope it will do. Unless you can explain your theory in terms of random mutation and natural selection, it just dont make no sense!

 

[|SweetJesus|]

Perhaps the balding gene has some effect on the people who have it. I mean, what if balding men live longer? Perhaps it goes hand in hand with some other phenomenon that makes bald men better survivors?

I just remembered, but don't male silverback gorillas also have a bald gene? I know for a fact that certain gorillas do go bald, and have the exact pattern as humans. It certainly looks funny on an animal covered in hair. This likely shows that the bald gene has been with us since the beginning of time. If that's the case, I wouldn't doubt there is a real reason for it.

 

[Guest]

That doesnt make any sense, yeddie. the "baldness gene" is as we define it. So either we're talking about the sequence that makes follicles vulnerable to DHT, or the sequence that makes it immune.

That's my point. Why do you think it is a gene that makes human follicles vulnerable to DHT as opposed to a gene that can make human follicles resistant to DHT with the alternate sequence?

Maybe if the gene was nonexistent 80% more people would be bald (speculation). Why is it a balding gene rather than a gene that has evolved in humans to make people resistant to balding with the right sequence?

I started posting philosophically and went down a road of gentle nudges that led me to the point of drawing pictures so people can understand :lol:

 

[maddoc23]

The main function of hair is to provide warmth to the body. The biggest area where we lose heat is at the top of our heads, which is why the main concentration of hair is there. In speculation, as the world became warmer (or the section humans habitated became warmer)the need for hair lessened, thus the prominence of balding persons.
D

 

[neonman1212]

The main reason humans have a balding genes is to DRIVE ME NUTS. :hairy:

 

[Rubber Baby Buggy]

The loss of hair is meant to indicate someone's age, which proves the point that God hates everyone young that is losing their hair.