Baldness

[Alex Summers]

I was just thinking, do you think there is an evolutionary reason for male pattern baldness? I noticed that pretty much every male loses some of there hair once they've reached a certain age. Do you think early hominines developed some strange virus that made them lose their hair,and that it someone was passed on to Homo Sapiens?

 

[SuperFerret]

It's not a virus first off.

It's the same as going grey, losing your eyesight and hearing, and all that other stuff that comes with getting older. You're getting older. **** don't work like it used to.

 

[Alex Summers]

You never really answered my question. I was just wondering if there was an evolutionary reason for going bald.

 

[steintym]

Hair follicles on the male head weaken, lose strength and migrate to lower levels. They then re-establish on ears, shoulders and the back.

 

[bell110]

I don't think there is an evolutionary reason for it.

 

[SuperFerret]

You never really answered my question. I was just wondering if there was an evolutionary reason for going bald.

I think I did. As far as we know, there isn't. Which makes sense. By the time you're getting bald, you should've bred already, and most likely, you're not supposed to be alive anymore.

 

[Hotwire]

Hair follicles on the male head weaken, lose strength and migrate to lower levels. They then re-establish on ears, shoulders and the back.

That explains a lot.

 

[bullets]

I think I did. As far as we know, there isn't. Which makes sense. By the time you're getting bald, you should've bred already, and most likely, you're not supposed to be alive anymore.

Am I reading this correctly? You think someone going bald is an indication they should die.

 

[SuperFerret]

We're talking evolutionarily here. The point of life is to breed. You breed soon after puberty. Anything after that is irrelevant.

 

[DarthDaveBanner]

Also why does it only happen to males?

 

[Ponyboy]

Some women do go bald and their hair does thin. Look at Tori Amos.

 

[bullets]

Also why does it only happen to males?

Ever heard of a wig , lol. It happens to woman but not as much I think.

 

[Hobgoblin]

I dont think evolution has anything to do with it. Its just a part of getting older. I guess there is a different kind of testosterone that makes certain men go bald, but I dont know if that has any evolutionary benefit. I dont know if women are turned on by bald men. Some are, some arent but that may just be a social, learned trait.

 

[wiegeabo]

Evolutionary speaking, male baldness might be an extension of the thousands of years of selecting that led to us being hairless apes.

And, now, current societal desires, and past evolutionary selections, are coming into conflict.

 

[Cuyan]

I don't think cavemen went bald. Then again, I think Mr. Slate was bald, so I guess that theory is flawed.

 

[wiegeabo]

do we actually know that?

Or could they have all died too young for the baldness to show up?

 

[Cuyan]

Most cavemen I have met have full heads of hair.

 

[Colossal Spoons]

I think I did. As far as we know, there isn't. Which makes sense. By the time you're getting bald, you should've bred already, and most likely, you're not supposed to be alive anymore.

Haha, cold. True though.

 

[Lighthouse]

It has something to do with testosterone. If you get castrated, you won't go bald.

 

[enterthemadness]

Hair follicles on the male head weaken, lose strength and migrate to lower levels. They then re-establish on ears, shoulders and the back.

I already have hair on my ears, shoulders, and back at 24...does this mean I'm going in reverse or just related to big foot?

 

[SuperFerret]

By definition Big Foot is the missing link, so yes, you are. Unless you're a duck like I've always suspected.

 

[enterthemadness]

We're talking evolutionarily here. The point of life is to breed. You breed soon after puberty. Anything after that is irrelevant.

The point of Life isn't to breed...that sounds lame. Ok, it probably is...but there has to be more than just sex to reproduce.

 

[enterthemadness]

By definition Big Foot is the missing link, so yes, you are. Unless you're a duck like I've always suspected.

Quack quack...

 

[wiegeabo]

The point of Life isn't to breed...that sounds lame. Ok, it probably is...but there has to be more than just sex to reproduce.

Nah.

we're pretty much just a way for DNA to get around.

 

[SuperFerret]

Yep, biologically speaking, the meaning of life is simple. Get laid, have kids, raise kids until they can do the same. Aside from that, life is what you make it.