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Author Topic:   why is the lack of "fur" positive Progression for humans?
Dr Adequate
Member (Idle past 285 days)
Posts: 16113
Joined: 07-20-2006


Message 192 of 202 (561528)
05-21-2010 5:52 AM
Reply to: Message 191 by Dr Jack
05-21-2010 4:28 AM


Re: Neotony vs. paedomorphism
Humans, male and female, are not neotenous. We have numerous paedomorphic traits (acquired at different points in our evolution) but the relative paedomorphy of traits reflects differing selective pressures through human evolution not a neotony event.
This is a fine distinction; and I'm not convinced by your selectionism. It is at least plausible that (hormonal?) changes favored because they produced one selectively advantageous pedomorphic trait could as a side-effect have induced another which was neutral or even somewhat disadvantageous.

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 Message 191 by Dr Jack, posted 05-21-2010 4:28 AM Dr Jack has replied

Replies to this message:
 Message 193 by Dr Jack, posted 05-21-2010 6:03 AM Dr Adequate has replied

  
Dr Adequate
Member (Idle past 285 days)
Posts: 16113
Joined: 07-20-2006


Message 194 of 202 (561546)
05-21-2010 8:24 AM
Reply to: Message 193 by Dr Jack
05-21-2010 6:03 AM


Re: Neotony vs. paedomorphism
Hairlessness could be non-adaptive, but I find it unlikely. If hairlessness was a neutral trait we'd expect it to be more randomly distributed through populations.
Not neceassarily. Consider the possibilities that (a) it was a side-effect of an adaptation for a non-neutral trait, which is what I suggested; or (b) it got fixed at some time before the human population was small and undispersed.

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 Message 193 by Dr Jack, posted 05-21-2010 6:03 AM Dr Jack has not replied

Replies to this message:
 Message 196 by RAZD, posted 05-22-2010 11:12 PM Dr Adequate has not replied

  
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