• Question: why do we have hair all over our body,but not our hand or inside of our arms?

    Asked by koonertwh to David, Helen, Ian, rhysphillips, Sarah on 20 Jun 2011.
    • Photo: Rhys Phillips

      Rhys Phillips answered on 17 Jun 2011:

      I guess we lost it through evolution as it wasn’t necessary for us anymore.

    • Photo: Ian van der Linde

      Ian van der Linde answered on 20 Jun 2011:

      For the most part, we have hair in useful places – like on our heads to keep us warm, and above our eyes to stop sweat running into our eyes. Having hairy hands would made it more difficult to do some things because it would get in the way and obscure our view. To test this theory, try using your iPhone while wearing mittens.

    • Photo: Helen Fletcher

      Helen Fletcher answered on 20 Jun 2011:

      From my work colleague at the Jenner Institute! If hair does grow in these areas friction wears them away. Evolution has made man less hairy as we have evolved other ways of keeping warm other than trapping air in hair against our skin.

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