The Bonobos: Apes That Write

[Liquidtruth]

We have hair all over ourselves. Our ancestors had a lot more. Can you explain why God needs hair on his body (since we are created in his image), or why God would put hair on our bodies?

[Livingalife]

Warmth, help you out in the cold areas of earth.

[cheebaa]

This was a nice find.

I'd rep you but it won't let me.


And a skateboarding dog- .

[Smigs]

Originally Posted by Liquidtruth

Can you explain why God needs hair on his body

God doesn't need hair on his body, God is God.

[Plex1]

Soon there going to learn to talk.

[Rasta_Man]

Originally Posted by Livingalife

Why are apes covered in hair and we aren't? Can Darwin answer that?

Darwin can't, because Darwin is dead. What a silly question.

Originally Posted by Smithsonian Institution, Human Origins Program

Why and how long ago did we lose our body hair?

The relatively hairless skin of humans compared with the thick coats seen on other primates is a difference that has long interested paleoanthropologists. Though we have maintained the same amount of hair folicles, our ancestors lost their functional body hair and evolved a fine hair covering or what is often referred to as a naked skin. The loss of functional body hair is usually thought to be an adaptation to thermoregulation (keeping the body at a constant temperature).

All warm-blooded mammals must maintain a homeostatic (internally balanced) body temperature that does not vary by more than a couple of degrees to insure proper bodily functions. One way to accomplish this is by panting, the rapid intake and exhalation of air through the mouth. Many animals rely upon panting -- watch your cat or dog outside on a hot day. Humans, however, are limited in their ability to pant. The rapid intake of air through the mouth causes hyperventilation if done for an extended time period. Thus, panting is an adaptation for animals that engage predominately in short bursts of activity. Another way to keep body temperature constant is to avoid solar radiation by staying out of the sun. Some animals are nocturnal, avoiding exposure to the sun entirely. However, this is not feasible for many animals, many of which rely upon the daylight hours for finding food.

Other adaptations to thermoregulation involve complex biological changes. One way is to reduce the surface area exposed to direct sunlight. This has been proposed as a factor in the evolution of bipedality. As early humans adopted an upright posture, they decreased the surface area that would be exposed to the sun's rays during the hottest hours of the day. The surface area to volume, or body mass, ratio (SA/BM) helps individuals maintain homeostatic temperatures by increasing or decreasing the area from which heat can escape. A lower SA/BM ratio benefits individuals living in colder climates and those living in extremely humid environments (such as rainforests). The relatively low ratio found among populations inhabiting humid environments occurs because humidity decreases the effectiveness of evaporative cooling. The higher ratio allows greater amounts of heat to escape and is more advantageous in hot, dry climates. Increasing peripheral vasodilation, bringing blood vessels to the skin surface to cool blood down, is another adaptation. Nasal morphology was also changed to moisturize the inhaled air (essential before it enters the lungs) and then to extract and retain the moisture inside our bodies as the air is exhaled.

Mammalian body hair acts as an insulator, allowing a constant temperature to be maintained. When the external temperatures fall, body hair helps trap heat. When environmental temperatures are higher than internal temperatures, body hair provides a filter for solar radiation, protecting the body's surface from direct exposure that would raise internal temperatures. However, in hot weather, the thick fur can make it difficult for excess body heat to be dissipated. In humans, exposed skin allows heat to escape easily from the body through sweat and evaporation. The cost of exposed skin is that the body has no way to trap escaping heat when the external temperature is lower than internal temperatures.

Although it is impossible to find evidence of exactly when functional hairlessness occurred in human evolution, it is possible to infer the timing of other thermoregulatory changes. Members of the genus Homo have modern body proportions (longer legs and shorter arms) whereas earlier hominins had more ape-like bodies. The taller and thinner hominins would have been able to diffuse heat more effectively in an open environment. Increasing aridity and the spread of open habitats would have placed a premium on relatively hairless, evaporative skin as a way of regulating body temperature.

http://www.mnh.si.edu/anthro/HumanOrigins/faq/hair.htm

[whitewarrior]

Originally Posted by Liquidtruth

This is simply amazing, utterly fascinating, and thoroughly enjoyable! I am willing to say that we are not alone . These writing apes are not us, they will not be building skyscrapers anytime soon, but they are closer to us than most people realize, and closer than many would care to admit. Working with those chimps would be my idea of a pretty cool job. I hope you enjoy watching it as much as I did.

That was very, very amazing.

[Liquidtruth]

Originally Posted by Smigs

Not..

Care to supply a reason why you believe there is nothing special about this, or are you just going to spit off short-sarcastic comments?

[whitewarrior]

Originally Posted by Smigs

Not..

[cheebaa]

Who hopes Smigs gets a nice ban....


I do! I do!

[Smigs]

Originally Posted by Liquidtruth

Care to supply a reason why you believe there is nothing special about this, or are you just going to spit off short-sarcastic comments?

I really dont think this is to phenomenal, animals can be taught all these things just like the skateboarding dog.

[Liquidtruth]

Originally Posted by Smigs

I really dont think this is to phenomenal, animals can be taught all these things just like the skateboarding dog.

It is a lot more complex than a "trick" you realize.

[dynasty]

Originally Posted by Livingalife

Why are apes covered in hair and we aren't? Can Darwin answer that?

haha..is this a serious question?

look at all the primates in the world...in fact, look at the fossil record.

notice Neanderthal man, cro magnon man...Neanderthal existed first and for a very long time, and when cro magnon arose (homo sapien) the neanderthals and cro magnons existed together for a very long time together, until the cro magnon's overwhelming intelligence and survival rate overpowered that of neanderthal. well, cro magnon man had a lot less hair (pretty much the same amount we have today) and why is this? well, cro magnon lived in europe, therefore didn't need a whole lot of hair to stay warm. they made clothing and had fire to take care of any of that business.

we have hair, so do all other primates.

darwin's whole idea was that the species in a given area would change (and had changed) over time as a result of natural selection...and that's exactly what has happened to primates around the globe.

you might as well ask the question "why do woodpeckers have long beaks and cardinals don't?" well gee wiz it's because they've adapted differently to their environment.

[whitewarrior]

Originally Posted by cheebaa

Who hopes Smigs gets a nice ban....


I do! I do!

Judging by the responses he posts I'm pretty sure it won't be long..

[SteveDave]

In my opinion this video is amazing, this is the missing link everyone has been searching for. To answer smigs these animals are not being taught, the researchers create an environment where the banobos can develop by themselves.

Originally Posted by cheebaa

Who hopes Smigs gets a nice ban....


I do! I do!

Although I don't agree with him he doesn't deserve to get banned just becasue he shares a diffrent viewpoint. I don't know where you guys live, but in America the right to disagree is one we hold most dear.

To quote Voltaire- "I disapprove of what you say, but I will defend to the death your right to say it."