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why is the lack of "fur" positive Progression for humans?

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Author Topic:   why is the lack of "fur" positive Progression for humans?
Dr Adequate
Member (Idle past 323 days)
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Joined: 07-20-2006

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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
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Dr Adequate
Member (Idle past 323 days)
Posts: 16112
Joined: 07-20-2006

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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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