Evolution of long scalp hair in humans.

ABSTRACT: The ability to grow long scalp hair is a distinct human characteristic. It probably originally evolved to aid in cooling the sun-exposed head, although the genetic determinants of long hair are largely unknown. Despite ancestral variations in hair growth, long scalp hair is common to all extant human populations, which suggests its emergence before or concurrently with the emergence of anatomically modern humans (AMHs), approximately 300 000 years ago. Long scalp hair in AMHs was also a trait that was selected because it conveyed essential signals related to an individual's age, sexual maturity, health and social status. Biologically, hair length is primarily determined by the amount of time that a hair follicle spends in the active growth phase (anagen). While anagen duration is typically

SUBMITTER: Chang LY 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC11918595 | biostudies-literature | 2025 Mar

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature