02-07-2010, 09:30 AM
(02-07-2010, 08:38 AM)SidewaysDan Wrote: I know, but according to the Theory of Evolution what is the reason for men being hairier than women?from wiki answers

All mammals have hair, even mammals that "appear" bald (e.g. whales, pigs, etc.). Among primates, humans have the least amount of body hair/fur. Evolutionarily speaking, it is not entirely clear why men tend to have more body hair (and facial hair) than do women. However, there are probably a couple of things going on:
1. Sexual selection. At various times in human history, hairier men may have been chosen as sexual partners/mates more than smoother men because for whatever reason this was more appealing to women. This probably explains at least facial hair, which is not unlike manes seen in other mammals such as lions, etc. Body hair correlates in part to testosterone, so sexual selection may have preferred body hair for this reason as well.
2. Protection. Men with hairy chests, shoulders, or backs have natural protection against mosquitoes and insects, and human populations in insect-prone areas do tend to be hairier. This protection also means protection from diseases spread by insects. Body hair can also regulate body temperature a bit, keeping someone warmer or cooler depending on the context.
3. Genes/hormones. Male body hair varies dramatically from one man to the next: this is determined in part simply by genetics and hormones in an individual.
There is one kind of "out-there" hypothesis called the Aquatic Ape hypothesis that holds that humans lost most of their mammalian hair during a phase when prehumans were living in a semiaquatic environment, perhaps along lakeshores or seashores. By this theory, women ended up with less hair because they spent more time in the water, whereas may spent more time on shore. Again, this is not a mainstream hypothesis, but it's one idea of many.
