Re: Bipedalism and endurance (Re: AAH - enough already)
Pat Dooley (patdooley@aol.com)
13 Dec 1994 23:25:12 -0500
In article <lmm5-101294184429@132.236.78.46>, lmm5@cornell.edu (loopy )
writes:
> 6) Lack of dense body hair facilitates cooling.
>
> The converse is true. Fur provides a greater evaporative surface.
>How do you know the converse is true? unless it's very oily, fur sticks
to
>the body when wet. That doesn't increase surface area. And even if it did
>increase surface area, that's useless because you want your skin to be
>cool, not your hairs. Naked skin on the other hand allows for the most
>efficient cooling of the _skin_.
1. Convergent evolution tells me that fur works best.
2. Efficient sweaters NEVER get wet. The whole object is
to evaporate the water before it leaves the body.
3. Evaporation cools the air and that provides an insulating
layer that can be trapped by fur but lost from naked skin.
4. People living in hot dry climates wear long flowing clothes
rather than bikinis. That includes African tribes like the
Watusi.
5. Experimental evidence shows Patas monkeys lose
moisture at half the human rate under the same conditions.
Need any more?
Pat Dooley
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