A. "Hey, nice pubs!"
Pubic hair developed as a sexual ornament, said Robin Weiss, virologist at University College London. After our ancestors split from non-human primates, we lost most of our hair. So when things down there got bushy, it served as a visual sign of sexual maturity. The hairier and coarser it was, the sexier you appeared to be.
Pubic hair has also been known to be around for plenty of reasons: warmth, a visual maturity indicator, to reduce friction during sexual intercourse, and to hold the scent of pheromones (designed to make you sexually attractive towards to the opposite sex). While other animals have fur and feathers designed to protect and attract, humans only have armpit hair and hair in the genital area to rely on.
Weiss was studying and comparing gorilla lice to today's pubic lice, which crossed back into the human lineage about 3.3 million years ago, and he discovered gorillas pubic hair is much more finer and softer than any other place on their fur-filled bodies. When humans begin to grow pubic hair, it starts off as smooth fur, but later evolving it something much more bushier and coarse -- total opposite of the great apes.
"Human pubic hair is different and probably unique, both in its evolution and in its physical appearance and purpose," said Weiss.
Good news is bushy and coarse is no longer fashionable. Bare skin seems to be in and shaving off pubic hair is a must in today's culture.
"There may be a health benefit to this emerging sexual lifestyle -- the extinction of crabs," Weiss said.
Cassandra, I wouldn't say humans are alone in having pubic hair as you go on to describe the pubic hair of gorillas. Also, did pubic hair "develop" as sexual ornament, or is it a useful vestige of our hairier past? I assume most of the info came from Weiss, perhaps from a study. You should source better and/or provide links.
ReplyDelete