"Having kinky hair was an evolutionary adaption in Africa"

[Maracujá]

I was watching Tyra's show on the term 'good hair' and this is what one of the women said, can someone confirm or debunk this statement?

 

[FluffyRed]

since Africa is the origin of the species, I would think straight hair is more likely an evolutionary adaptation.

 

[MAMATO]

I've actually heard that before. It has something to do with the hot weather I think, or something like that ...

 

[labelfree]

I've actually heard that before. It has something to do with the hot weather I think, or something like that ...

I've heard this also my Women's History teacher is a natural and she make sure she stresses the point of why most BW have kinky hair it goes along the lines of heat being able to pass through our hair easier..I will ask her again on Tuesday

 

[MAMATO]

Yes Fluffy is right, but I must be wrong but I think the first african men had wavy hair like the Ethiopians. And from that point some hair types became kinkier and silkier depending on where they migrated afterwards.

 

[AfroKink]

For starters, notice how little white children need to wear hats in the summer to prevent from getting heat stroke? Also how many white people cut their hair in the spring/summer to keep themselves cool. Also notice how this doesn't happen with black people.

We have natural sun protection that goes beyond the melanin in our skin. First look at the melanin in our hair. We know that the sun can bleach out hair. People use products like Sun-in to speed up that process. The melanin, the dark pigment, in the hair traps the UV rays. I guess some of the UV rays breakdown the melanin. In light haired individuals the UV rays pass through their hair and onto their scalp... which also lacks pigment. (Light hair is an adaptation to the northern parts of the world where UV rays are not as intense and letting the few rays that exist through allows the body to get enough to make vit. D)

Second look at our curl patterns. Straight hair is like a blanket. It doesn't allow wind to pass through very well and it keeps you warm. Again this is well suited for the colder northern climates. To keep cool straight hairs people will cut their hair or wear it up and off their necks. Curly hair has bigger spaces between locs and allows a breeze to get through and cool the person down.

Now for the beauty of type 4 hair. Not only is it generally very dark brown in colour (blocking UV rays), not only is it curly (allowing a breeze through), it grows UP not down. So you can have a 5 inch high barrier from the sun blazing down on you, you dont have hair clinging to your neck making you sweaty and uncormfortable, and a breeze can still pass through cooling you down. The afro really is a beautiful thing!

Bring on the global warming! (I kid)

It has been said though that the amount of tightness in the type 4 hair is far more than is necessary as an adaption to the climate in which it was created. Meaning there are other reasons for this hair type, namely the people found it beautiful and it was a desirable trait in mates so it stuck. Same is said for the darkest of skin tones.

Lys

 

[Chaosbutterfly]

I've heard that as well.
Supposedly, it was so hot and the sun was so fierce in Africa (and yes, the sun is surely fierce there, smh ) that human beings grew kinky hair as an adaption. The kinky hair was better for protecting the scalp from the sun than straight hair.

I don't think it can really be confirmed or debunked for sure, but it makes sense. The sun tends to be fierce in Africa, and people with that natural protection would be more likely to survive and procreate. Survival of the fittest and all that.

As far as straight hair goes, I wouldn't call it an adaption as much as I would call it a disadvantage. I mean...the people who would be the most comfortable in Africa would be the ones with the genes for dark skin (more melanin) and kinky hair (protection for the scalp). The ones who had the genes for light skin and straight hair would be so uncomfortable in Africa, because that sun would surely burn, so they probably migrated further up north so they could be comfortable. I think that's how Europeans came about.

 

[anon123]

I've heard that as well.
Supposedly, it was so hot and the sun was so fierce in Africa (and yes, the sun is surely fierce there, smh ) that human beings grew kinky hair as an adaption. The kinky hair was better for protecting the scalp from the sun than straight hair.

I don't think it can really be confirmed or debunked for sure, but it makes sense. The sun tends to be fierce in Africa, and people with that natural protection would be more likely to survive and procreate. Survival of the fittest and all that.

As far as straight hair goes, I wouldn't call it an adaption as much as I would call it a disadvantage. I mean...the people who would be the most comfortable in Africa would be the ones with the genes for dark skin (more melanin) and kinky hair (protection for the scalp). The ones who had the genes for light skin and straight hair would be so uncomfortable in Africa, because that sun would surely burn, so they probably migrated further up north so they could be comfortable. I think that's how Europeans came about.

As to the first bolded, I'm sure you're right.

As for the second bolded, I think she was saying that straight hair was an adaptation to living in a cold climate.

 

[SND411]

I've actually heard that before. It has something to do with the hot weather I think, or something like that ...

I don't think that's true. What about people living on the same equatorial lands like India, and the Americas? They have straight hair.

 

[Br*nzeb*mbsh~ll]

I was taught this in college. Different races look the way they do for survival of the fittest, so to speak. Their bodies had to adapt to keep up with their geographical location or else they'd go extinct.

 

[Dak]

So what's been the evolution of the way Africans have worn their hair? If it's such a great shield from the sun, why do many tribes just choose to shave it off? Or do elaborate braids? And scarves? Did that stem from trading with straight haired people? Interesting to think about.

 

[robot.]

I've heard of this, but I would've figured things were opposite.

Straight hair isn't very thick IMO and so light that cold could easily pass through it. Kinky hair on the other hand, is thick and when it's long, it's heavy, so that would be better protection against the cold.

Oh, well.

 

[AfroKink]

I don't think that's true. What about people living on the same equatorial lands like India, and the Americas? They have straight hair.

Humans have a longer history in Africa than anywhere else in the world. People have been in Africa differentiating for hundreds of thousands of years.

And then there are the migratory patterns. I dont know ofr sure but its possible that on leaving Africa people went North were the traits for curly hair were lost. Then the population split, some going into Europe and the rest spanning Asia and eventually making it the rest of the world.

So what's been the evolution of the way Africans have worn their hair? If it's such a great shield from the sun, why do many tribes just choose to shave it off? Or do elaborate braids? And scarves? Did that stem from trading with straight haired people? Interesting to think about.

The question is, who much curl/kink is necessary for protection? We can see how elaborate braids pilled high and scarves would help for protection. But maybe that 1/4 inch high of highly compacted kinks that make up a cornrow is enough to protect from the UV rays. Tribes of people style their hair for esthetic appeal, to denote the tribe or station in life, signal puberty etc etc.

Shaving bald? Maybe the abundance of melanin in the scalp helps. Maybe they don't spend a lot of time in the sun (surely we have better shelathers now than back when the traits for kinky hair were selected for). Maybe they use other things for protection like shea butter, paints, clays, head garments. I don't know really know.

 

[Nonie]

Wiki has an interesting article on this: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hair Afiya also started a great discussion on why our hair is like this in the Natural Living forum.

 

[dachsies_rule!]

I don't think that's true. What about people living on the same equatorial lands like India, and the Americas? They have straight hair.

It's straight, but it's also very dark and thick. It protects them from the sun and humidity of the region. That is a form of adaptation.

 

[Soliel185]

So what's been the evolution of the way Africans have worn their hair? If it's such a great shield from the sun, why do many tribes just choose to shave it off? Or do elaborate braids? And scarves? Did that stem from trading with straight haired people? Interesting to think about.

Evolution is different from aethetic perference -- the styles shaving etc that we see in different tribes are cultural in nature - obviouslythey're not born with their hair that way. Also, there are drawings and diaries from explorers discussing the different styles and elaborate hair dos so I think it's safe to assume Africans were accenting their identities with hair style long before they had any contact with white people or traders.


Now - I'm surprised no one has mentioned this: I was also taught that the hair shrinks and coils to keep itself off the neck and shoulders. Notice how no matter how long most type 4's get, their natural hair always shrinks up to around neck/shoulder length. Keeping the hair off the neck and shoulders helps keep the body cool and allows sweat to evaporate. All physical features - noses, eyes, hair type, skin color originally developed as part of the species' evolution/adaption to suit the climate - and each group evolved differently in response to the different geographic areas.

 

[BlaqBella]

Great Thread....

 

[MAMATO]

I don't think that's true. What about people living on the same equatorial lands like India, and the Americas? They have straight hair.

Humans have a longer history in Africa than anywhere else in the world. People have been in Africa differentiating for hundreds of thousands of years.

And then there are the migratory patterns. I dont know ofr sure but its possible that on leaving Africa people went North were the traits for curly hair were lost. Then the population split, some going into Europe and the rest spanning Asia and eventually making it the rest of the world.

^

What she said....exactly

 

[andromeda]

I don't think that's true. What about people living on the same equatorial lands like India, and the Americas? They have straight hair.

:scratchch: Correct me if I'm wrong (I probably am) but as far as the Americas, those were populated fairly recently by Eurasians (I know there's a more specific name but I it alludes me at the moment). And as far as the pacific islands/Australia, the aborigines are shown to have left Africa, traveled through India (where some of them remained) onto to Australia, etc. I know there are Tongoans, Fijians and Papa New Guineans with kinky hair. I don't know about Australian Aborigines/Maori - it seems as though they tend to have 1/2/3 type hair, but I don't know if this is a result of evolution/climate or assimilation policies.

 

[Nonie]

Evolution is different from aethetic perference -- the styles shaving etc that we see in different tribes are cultural in nature - obviouslythey're not born with their hair that way. Also, there are drawings and diaries from explorers discussing the different styles and elaborate hair dos so I think it's safe to assume Africans were accenting their identities with hair style long before they had any contact with white people or traders.


Now - I'm surprised no one has mentioned this: I was also taught that the hair shrinks and coils to keep itself off the neck and shoulders. Notice how no matter how long most type 4's get, their natural hair always shrinks up to around neck/shoulder length. Keeping the hair off the neck and shoulders helps keep the body cool and allows sweat to evaporate. All physical features - noses, eyes, hair type, skin color originally developed as part of the species' evolution/adaption to suit the climate - and each group evolved differently in response to the different geographic areas.

I didn't mention it because the Wiki link I gave touches on that point.

 

[araceli2418]

I think it was last month I watched this thing on natgeo I think about the origins of the human race. It was narrated by Kevin Bacon.

Anyway, as others said, the melanin in our skin and our kinky hair was for protection against the sun. About three-quarters of the amount of time humans have been on earth was spent in Africa then people began to migrate towards the north and east.

Out of the hundreds of thousands of years humans have been on earth white skin and the straight hair only began to show up about 40,000 thousand years ago and this was due to climatic changes.

This is all based on that show. Sorry, I can't remember the name. If I remember I'll come back and post.

This reminded me of a scientist who said white skin was actually a mutation and people got all up in arms about it. This was a few years ago but I guess he was on the money. How about that???!!!

 

[GV-NA-GI-TLV-GE-I]

One of the "pure" African phenotypes is people with straight hair, like those of India...and they are purely African. Not all people from the continent with Black skin had kinky hair.

 

[Agriias]

Interesting thread.

This is just my idea, I'm white and have longish hair now, and it makes a huge difference in retaining heat, everytime in my life ive cut my hair even from short length the difference is amazing. I also can grow an absolutely mega beard in about 3months, people come up to me in amazement. seriously. Its curly though and sticks out, I had it during the summer and I would overheat like crazy.

Anyways, this is just my idea about straight hair... You lose alot of heat behind your head where your skull meats your neck, and also think about times you have been in the cold, when a gust of cold wind hits that area and your neck it gives you chills. Straight long hair would insulate this area and help retain even more heat. Just an idea.

 

[Soliel185]

:scratchch: Correct me if I'm wrong (I probably am) but as far as the Americas, those were populated fairly recently by Eurasians (I know there's a more specific name but I it alludes me at the moment). And as far as the pacific islands/Australia, the aborigines are shown to have left Africa, traveled through India (where some of them remained) onto to Australia, etc. I know there are Tongoans, Fijians and Papa New Guineans with kinky hair. I don't know about Australian Aborigines/Maori - it seems as though they tend to have 1/2/3 type hair, but I don't know if this is a result of evolution/climate or assimilation policies.

I alot of Indian women have coarse wavy hair - some of it even borders on kinky. I have a friend that is Tongan and she uses kiddie relaxers to help straighten her hair. I've met her cousin and chica has crazy big hair. It's beautiful, but definitely not the pin straight jet black sheet you'd expect.

 

[AllieCat0817]

This might be my ignorance, but I always thought the kinky hair was a necessity because of the hot sun, as protection. Dunno.

 

[Hairsofab]

One of the "pure" African phenotypes is people with straight hair, like those of India...and they are purely African. Not all people from the continent with Black skin had kinky hair.

Yeah I know. I think there is a misnotion that Africans particularly our ancestors West Africans were what the original people looked like. How do we know? I thought some of the oldest traces of dna came from bushmen in south africa. It is possible original people looked more like that or perhaps not. People in Africa get evolving traits along with others who developed traits. Is possible original people's hair was super curly but not 4bz kinky. Perhaps kinky hair was a trait that developed over time like pin straight hair developed over time.

 

[pisceschica]

I was watching Tyra's show on the term 'good hair' and this is what one of the women said, can someone confirm or debunk this statement?

If you think about a lot of those adaption theories it makes sense.

If you think about an AA woman with 100% non-chemically altered texture the hair is going to be dense and compact. Along with dark skin having hair like that would protect your scalp from the sun. You will notice sun burned scalp in fair skinned people especially those with medium density fine hair who've spent too much time in the sun.

But this same hair texture density would be advantageous to them in the northern/southern most regions of the world because it would allow them to absorb what little sunlight they get and allow them to synthesie vitamin D.

 

[RedVelvet310]

I don't think that's true. What about people living on the same equatorial lands like India, and the Americas? They have straight hair.

I alot of Indian women have coarse wavy hair - some of it even borders on kinky. I have a friend that is Tongan and she uses kiddie relaxers to help straighten her hair. I've met her cousin and chica has crazy big hair. It's beautiful, but definitely not the pin straight jet black sheet you'd expect.

The further south you go in South East Asia, the kinkier the hair gets. I live in an area with a high concentration of Tamils/Sri Lankans, they have some of the kinkiest... longest hair I have SEEN! There was this one time I saw a man with dark skin and an afro, I had to do a double-take because I realized he was Tamil (after looking at his features and his name).