Our layer of fine hairs aids parasite detection: study
(NEWSER) - Scientists who wondered why human skin still boasts as many follicles as that of great apes—ours, of course, grow hair much, much finer—believe our species' continued hairiness serves as an alarm system that protects us from bedbugs and other biting insects, the Economist finds. The researchers, who shaved a patch of arm hair from 29 volunteers and released hungry bedbugs there and on an unshaved patch, found that their subjects detected the insects' movement much faster when hair was involved—recording it every four seconds, versus every 10—and that the fine hairs slowed down the bugs' feeding. More»
