How did humans evolve? (Darwin, evolution, recall, science)

[budhabee]

Ok here is one. How did we go from hairy to non hairy. What's the deal with that? I really want to know.

[camanintx]

Originally Posted by budhabee

Ok here is one. How did we go from hairy to non hairy. What's the deal with that? I really want to know.

Do you really think you would be better off with the parasites that infest fur, like blood-sucking lice, fleas and ticks, and the diseases they spread?

Why Humans and Their Fur Parted Ways - New York Times

[budhabee]

did I say I wanted fur?????????????????????? NOT! I said what happened to it. Are you saying we couldn't stand it so bad we pulled it all out?????????????????

[Halcyon]

Originally Posted by crystalonyx

The question "how did humans evolve" is not nearly as interesting as the question of how
our intelligence evolved. For example, was it the development of a voice box capable of making
more that grunts and moans that led to higher forms of communication, which led to increasing brain size, or was it the brain increasing in size itself that led to higher intelligence, or what is some othe agent?

Brain size isn't necessarily linked to intelligence, nor to vocal capacity.
Neanderthals had larger brains than we do, but their vocal chords only allowed them to speak in a sort of baby talk, plus from the tools we have found it appears they weren't quite as good at abstract thinking as we are.
I think language ability is definitely the key to understanding the evolution of higher intelligence though.

[Halcyon]

Originally Posted by budhabee

Ok here is one. How did we go from hairy to non hairy. What's the deal with that? I really want to know.

Personally, I'm a fan of the aquatic ape hypothesis.

[budhabee]

Now that is truly interesting. We once had gills.

[budhabee]

But isn't it true we have 3 brains. One on top of the other? The lizard brain being the first. Does anybody know where we got the other 2?

[Halcyon]

Originally Posted by budhabee

Now that is truly interesting. We once had gills.

Lol, no.

Originally Posted by budhabee

But isn't it true we have 3 brains. One on top of the other? The lizard brain being the first. Does anybody know where we got the other 2?

No, that's just a way people use to describe the different areas of the brain and their purpose, we only have one brain.

[painted wolf]

*sigh*
we have a lot of non Homo fossils as well. Lucy for example is 40% complete and we have boxes of remains from individuals from infants to adults for several Australopithicines.

As for speech we can talk because we walk upright. Its a progressive development that can be seen thanks to the placement of the head above the neck. This frees our windpipe to selectively adapt to language. (seen in the progression of the Hyoid bone evolution)
Sadly it also lets us die from choking easier than our ancestors. (Gotta' love a give and take)

Hair was lost due to the fact that we are great sweat coolers. We cool far more rapidly than any other savanna animal of like size. (this is why the Dobe and other 'bush people' can literally run down dinner.) We keep on going while others animals suffer heat stroke.

*Aquatic ape is IMHO silly. But the explanations as to why would take to long for this thread.

As for brains... the 'reptile brain' thing is a misnomer.
We have a more complex brain than a modern reptile, yes... but it still has all the same parts. We don't have any new bits that they don't, just bits used in different ways.

wa:do

[Halcyon]

Originally Posted by painted wolf

*Aquatic ape is IMHO silly. But the explanations as to why would take to long for this thread.

Do you want to start a new thread on it? I wouldn't mind discussing it.