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Re: Waking up covered in dew
Thomas R. Holtz, Jr. (th81@umail.umd.edu)
14 Aug 1996 20:05:27 GMT
Paul Crowley <Paul@crowleyp.demon.co.uk> wrote:
>
> In article <susansfDvzwtK.BBM@netcom.com>
> susansf@netcom.com "Susan S. Chin" writes:
>
> > If protection from dew is a function of fur, and this dew is a problem,
> > how do we know pre-erectus hominids were not hairy? Would the hair have
> > functioned as fur would? I don't know, does anyone?
>
> The point is that at some point hominids began using animal skins
> as clothing and/or covering at night. From then on they did not
> need to re-grow their hair (although my own Celtic ancestors made
> a pretty good attempt). So _prior_to_the_adoption_of_"clothing"_
> there must have a long period ( >100 Kyr) of pure nakedness.
> Date this period whenever you want, but during it dew would have
> been a problem if they slept where it occurs.
>
> I suggest that our ancestors (not necessarily all co-existing
> hominids) did *not* inhabit such locations during that period.
Or they covered themselves with vegetation at night, much as other
anthropoids do today? Granted, you lose the big broadleaf plants as
you leave the tropics, but that doesn't mean they didn't use some form
of vegetation blanket at night.
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