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Title: Why do humans have chins? Written by: duddy on Feb 2, 2016 (https://biology-forums.com/gallery/47/4_02_02_16_3_55_45.jpeg) (https://biology-forums.com/index.php?action=gallery;sa=view;id=22865) What sets Homo sapiens apart from other animals? Among other things, our chins do. That piece of bone sticking out from your jaw is somewhat of a mystery - one that's inspired a diversity of wild theories to explain its purpose, according to a paper published this month in Evolutionary Anthropology (http://www.npr.org/2016/01/29/464893281/why-do-humans-have-chins-a-scientist-explains-the-enduring-puzzle). The author of the paper dismisses a number of these explanations, such as the possibility that the chin serves as a sexual signal (such traits usually only appear in one sex - like the mane of a male lion). Another proposal is that the chin acts to protect your throat - an idea the paper's author also shoots down, because for this to be a substantial advantage, humans would have to be constantly punching each other in the face. So the mystery remains, why did chins beat no-chins. It could be as uninteresting as chins were more aesthetically pleasing (and hence, more likely to attract a breeding partner). While evolutionary success often correlates with some attribute that better enables the organism to survive in its environment, the real decisive factor is reproductive success. Comments: interesting Written by: lizzy1 on Feb 15, 2016 Maybe because it is esthetically pleasing to the eye? Written by: bio_man on Feb 4, 2016 |