[neilep (OP)]

Dearest Experts in Armpitology,

As a sheepy I of course wonder about the nature of hair in our armpits !...It's all I think about really !


Look at this !

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Armpit Hair


Why ?....why do we have armpit hair ?..what's it there for ?...Armpit insulation ? Why evolve hair there ?


As a firm believer in empirical study I snuk into my neighbours house at 3am this morning and whilst partly sedated he non-protestedly obliged Cheryl from the waxing salon to wax his armpits !...He seemed quite happy in his self induced cataleptic way.....so I said why stop there ?...A billiard ball has more hair than him now !....As he came round he must have been suffering some form of psychotic episode as he began to irrationally complain..so...to ease his suffering I tarred and featherd him instead......This rendered the empirical study null and void....so...no luck there !


So, while I arrange for my neighbour to be picked up by the local turkey farm are ewe able to assist me in letting me know why we have armpit hair ?



Spank Ewe



Neil
Armpit Hair Investigator
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[graham.d]

Do sheep have armpits? Are they legpits instead and should you have 4 of them?

I don't think it's fully understood why armpit hair has remained during evolution. I suppose it could be asked why we have lost all the rest of the hair - what is the evolutionary advantage in having less body hair than our distant ancestors? Why have we retained eyebrows? Maybe to stop the rain running down into our eyes. Of course, it does not follow that there is any reason for these things; genetic mutations are thought to be fairly random and it can be a matter of accident that some end up propagating more than others. Maybe the is some sexually attractive feature of armpit hair that the people who shave today have not realised.

However, I note there could be some advantage in lubrication, in wicking away perspiration, in retaining scents that can be (or may have been) signals or in maintaining temperature in the glands below the skin. A similar question could be asked about pubic hair or even about why some people are more hairy than others.

[neilep (OP)]

Do sheep have armpits? Are they legpits instead and should you have 4 of them?

I don't think it's fully understood why armpit hair has remained during evolution. I suppose it could be asked why we have lost all the rest of the hair - what is the evolutionary advantage in having less body hair than our distant ancestors? Why have we retained eyebrows? Maybe to stop the rain running down into our eyes. Of course, it does not follow that there is any reason for these things; genetic mutations are thought to be fairly random and it can be a matter of accident that some end up propagating more than others. Maybe the is some sexually attractive feature of armpit hair that the people who shave today have not realised.

However, I note there could be some advantage in lubrication, in wicking away perspiration, in retaining scents that can be (or may have been) signals or in maintaining temperature in the glands below the skin. A similar question could be asked about pubic hair or even about why some people are more hairy than others.

Thank ewe very much graham.d   I am very grateful for your response and I salute all your other possible questions too . Hirsute or not we all have the armpit hair.  I wonder if wearing garments led to the loss of all over body hair ?..or perhaps a change of environment. One would think that nature would provide an answer regarding the longevity of armpit and pubic hair.....and yet...unless there has been a study...I gather all the women who regularly shave both areas have not been studied to identify any physical, emotional, biological secondary repercussions from being bald in those areas !!

[graham.d]

...I gather all the women who regularly shave both areas have not been studied to identify any physical, emotional, biological secondary repercussions from being bald in those areas !!

I guess there would not be a shortage of male volunteers for such a study  []

I'm guessing that the loss of hair well preceded to concept of clothing but I really don't know. Does anybody know? Body hair is quite good at providing a variable ventilation system.