How human hair compares to other mammals

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(Photo : Unsplash)

Humans are classified by scientists and placed in the animal kingdom alongside other animals which produce hair and have mammary glands. This group is called the Class Mammalia and it includes familiar animals such as cats, dogs, sheep, pigs, horses and so on. The scientific name for humans is Homo sapiens, and the closest relatives are believed by evolutionary biologists, to be the primates. The primates include apes, chimpanzees and monkeys in addition to humans.

Compared to other mammals, humans actually have very little hair. In some mammals, including dolphins and rhinos, the hair has become modified to form structures that are more like bristles than what we think of as being hair. In other mammals, such as the porcupine, the hair forms spines which are a defensive structure that protects the animals from predators.

Non-human animal hair is often called fur and is also made of the protein keratin, but the hairs tend to be thicker when compared with the hair of people. The fur of animals like dogs and cats often consists of short, coarse hairs that have a thick inner layer or core to provide protection from the cold.

Human hair is not as thick and not as important when it comes to thermoregulation, although our hair shafts have some ability to trap cold air next to the skin when the temperatures are lower. In general, people are less able to cope with extreme cold or heat in the way that some other mammals can.

HUMANS HAVE DIFFERENT TYPES OF HAIR

It is also a fact that humans have different types of hair on different parts of the body.  Hair may also change with development, and for instance, babies are born with lanugo. This is a fine blond type of hair that does help in thermoregulation.

Hair on the scalp is also different than body hair and it grows at a more predictable rate than body hair does. At puberty hair develops in the armpits and pubic region due to the influence of various hormones that are released in large quantities during this time of life.

SHEDDING OF HAIR

Humans shed and grow hair all the time, and normally this process is not noticeable. If for some reason more hair is shed than grows, then hair loss becomes evident. Male pattern baldness is common among men and it is partly genetic. The only real way to permanently fix the problem is with a hair transplant such as a FUE transplant.

Other mammals also shed hair, and in fact, sometimes the pet cat or dog can shed a great deal of hair, which becomes noticeable on your carpet.  The animal's hair simply sheds when it is supposed to and when more hair is growing in. Some mammals like dogs can suffer from hair loss caused by mange. This is a condition caused by parasitic Demodex mites and it can be very irritating to the animal.

Humans also have problems sometimes, particularly with head lice, which occur most often in children. There are medicated shampoos that can be used to get rid of head lice though, so it is not often a big problem.