Popular wisdom holds that beards evolved as protection from the cold, but beards appear in the tropics, and the Alaskan Inuit cannot grow them. Some scientists now speculate that beards evolved as cooling devices, to whisk sweat off the faces of hunters.
site map | build your own Slate | the fray | about us | contact us | Slate on Facebook | search
feedback | help | advertise | newsletters | mobile | make Slate your homepage
feedback | help | advertise | newsletters | mobile | make Slate your homepage
© Copyright 2009 Washington Post.Newsweek Interactive Co. LLC
User Agreement and Privacy Policy | All rights reserved
User Agreement and Privacy Policy | All rights reserved
