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Why are humans so wierd?

Rough_ER

Rough_ER

Member
Why are we so funny looking? I mean we have no body hair, very little muscle and large protruding noses. Why do we look so different from other mammals? I have always wondered why we are so weak etc. What evolutionary pressure could there have been to reduce our muscle mass to practically nothing? When you look at other apes we are really quite pathetic when it comes to strength. It's very confusing having never studied human evolution in much detail. Help!
 
michel

michel

Administrator Emeritus
Staff member
Rough_ER said:
Why are we so funny looking? I mean we have no body hair, very little muscle and large protruding noses. Why do we look so different from other mammals? I have always wondered why we are so weak etc. What evolutionary pressure could there have been to reduce our muscle mass to practically nothing? When you look at other apes we are really quite pathetic when it comes to strength. It's very confusing having never studied human evolution in much detail. Help!
Click to expand...

Have you seen the best mock-ups of artificial limbs to replace - say - arms ? Even now, the strength of the prostheses is purile next to natural body strength.

I know nothing about biology - nor about any of the associated sciences; I know Painted Wolf would rattle off the explanation in no time. From the very nlittle I do know though, is that we are as we are mostly because of the way we have evolved; our bodies are "good enough" for what we require of them.

I do remember a rumour (back in the sixties) - that, on hindsight is quite amusing. It was said that humans would lose feet and legs and hands, and arms - because of the "Electronic marvels" that were predicted to come through. It was honestly believed that, as time went on, we would evolve into creatures with massive heads and little else.:D
 
Comprehend

Comprehend

Res Ipsa Loquitur
Rough_ER said:
Why are we so funny looking? I mean we have no body hair, very little muscle and large protruding noses. Why do we look so different from other mammals? I have always wondered why we are so weak etc. What evolutionary pressure could there have been to reduce our muscle mass to practically nothing? When you look at other apes we are really quite pathetic when it comes to strength. It's very confusing having never studied human evolution in much detail. Help!
Click to expand...

Did you ever consider the possibility that we did not evolve from a lower order of animals at all? That might explain the radical differences and the giant intellectual divide between us and the animal world.

just a thought...
 
Rough_ER

Rough_ER

Member
michel said:
I do remember a rumour (back in the sixties) - that, on hindsight is quite amusing. It was said that humans would lose feet and legs and hands, and arms - because of the "Electronic marvels" that were predicted to come through. It was honestly believed that, as time went on, we would evolve into creatures with massive heads and little else.:D
Click to expand...

Haha, that's a rather amusing thought.

I guess it does make sense that we have evolved beyond the need for extreme body strength. I can just imagine we would be better off with the strength of a Chimpanzee, for example.
 
Rough_ER

Rough_ER

Member
comprehend said:
Did you ever consider the possibility that we did not evolve from a lower order of animals at all? That might explain the radical differences and the giant intellectual divide between us and the animal world.

just a thought...
Click to expand...

Lower order of animals? I don't believe we evolved from a "lower order of animals" at all. :)
 
michel

michel

Administrator Emeritus
Staff member
comprehend said:
Did you ever consider the possibility that we did not evolve from a lower order of animals at all? That might explain the radical differences and the giant intellectual divide between us and the animal world.

just a thought...
Click to expand...

Do you believe in some form of creation, may I ask?
 
spacemonkey

spacemonkey

Pneumatic Spiritualist
Our bodies became less physically developed as we became more mentally developed. We are tool makers, we craft things to make or lives easier. My father likes to say, "Work smarter, not harder." I don't think there is a better way to put it.
 
Rough_ER

Rough_ER

Member
spacemonkey said:
Our bodies became less physically developed as we became more mentally developed. We are tool makers, we craft things to make or lives easier. My father likes to say, "Work smarter, not harder." I don't think there is a better way to put it.
Click to expand...

I guess that's the most reasonable explanation. I mean we do still have the potential to be large (body builders can become huge!), it's just that our everyday lives don't cause us to develop muscles like our cousins do...

gorilla.jpg


Yikes!
 
Gentoo

Gentoo

The Feisty Penguin
Rough_ER said:
Why are we so funny looking? I mean we have no body hair, very little muscle and large protruding noses. Why do we look so different from other mammals? I have always wondered why we are so weak etc. What evolutionary pressure could there have been to reduce our muscle mass to practically nothing? When you look at other apes we are really quite pathetic when it comes to strength. It's very confusing having never studied human evolution in much detail. Help!
Click to expand...

We can't compare to other apes because in our evolution, we developed a bigger brain than they did. A lot of energy goes into a big brain. By sacrificing our physical strength we gained know-how and the ability to abstract, and ultimately, that is what sets us apart from other life-forms.
 
spacemonkey

spacemonkey

Pneumatic Spiritualist
Exactly, our bodies became less hairy as we began to wear other animal's hides and build shelters. As for facial features, most changes occurred as mankind made his way out of the heat of Africa into the more inhospitable climes of Europe and Asia. The flat, broad nose that is helpful in dissipating heat becomes narrower and therefore more protruding. The majority of the physical differences in the human species that leads to the classifications of "races" is clearly just evolutionary adaptations of early mankind to the environment around them.
 
Gentoo

Gentoo

The Feisty Penguin
spacemonkey said:
Exactly, our bodies became less hairy as we began to wear other animal's hides and build shelters. As for facial features, most changes occurred as mankind made his way out of the heat of Africa into the more inhospitable climes of Europe and Asia. The flat, broad nose that is helpful in dissipating heat becomes narrower and therefore more protruding. The majority of the physical differences in the human species that leads to the classifications of "races" is clearly just evolutionary adaptations of early mankind to the environment around them.
Click to expand...

Yep. The Neanderthals nose was as big as it was because it was living in a very cold environment. The air that they breathed would have to travel a longer distance inside the body and have more of a chance to warm up before getting to the lungs. It may be a little difference in comparision to modern humans, but a little difference can make a Huge difference in the end.
 
Guitar's Cry

Guitar's Cry

Disciple of Pan
Gentoo said:
Yep. The Neanderthals nose was as big as it was because it was living in a very cold environment. The air that they breathed would have to travel a longer distance inside the body and have more of a chance to warm up before getting to the lungs. It may be a little difference in comparision to modern humans, but a little difference can make a Huge difference in the end.
Click to expand...

Hair was also something of a hazard. Sweating in a cold environment could be deadly...
 
Gentoo

Gentoo

The Feisty Penguin
Guitar's Cry said:
Hair was also something of a hazard. Sweating in a cold environment could be deadly...
Click to expand...

Yes it could. It trapped moisture in the hair that could lead to it freezing, not a good thing.
 
Pagaal~Mexican18

Pagaal~Mexican18

Member
but what we lack for in muscle mass and body hair...we make up for in intelligence and apposeible thumbs dont forget thoes.

i like not being hairy though. hair is nasty.....to an extent.
 
Rough_ER

Rough_ER

Member
Pagaal~Mexican18 said:
but what we lack for in muscle mass and body hair...we make up for in intelligence and apposeible thumbs dont forget thoes.

i like not being hairy though. hair is nasty.....to an extent.
Click to expand...

The more the better I reckon!

Remember though, chimpanzees (and I assume bonobos too) have opposable thumbs on all four hands, as do orangs. Also the old world monkeys such a colobus and piliocolobus.
 
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