Re:Skin

[George Engelmann <engelman@cwis.unomaha.edu>]

Stan Friesen wrote:
>How is this?  Simple, vibrissae are *more* *derived* than
>insulating hair, so they must have evolved *after* body hair. 

Why do you think vibrissae are more derived? If they were present in non-
mammalian therapsids, they must be more primitive than any modern mammal
(i.e. they must have been present in the common ancestor of all modern
mammals). This is the best that can be said for general body hair. I can
easily imagine hair evolving with a primary sensory function and turning out
to be a good insulator. 

George F. Engelmann
engelman@cwis.unomaha.edu