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F0sh t1_j9jegz2 wrote

Reply to comment by TheDevilsAdvokaat in What are more accepted hypotheses that similarly explain the aspects of hominid evolution that the "pseudoscientific" aquatic ape theory does? by KEVLAR60442

It's advantageous to be able to identify less fit mates, but it's advantageous to look like a fit mate whether you are or not. It's difficult to have honest signals which aren't difficult to fake; you can't stot unless you're fit, you can't make an alarm call only when there are predators around unless you can detect the predator. If grey hair is energetically no more or less favourable than coloured hair then it would be difficult for it to spread as an honest signal of unfitness because it could just as easily be faked.

It seems more likely that grey hair is a signal for something else - age and hence some kind of experience/authority, or a side-effect of something else. Testosterone has a lot of effects, it probably has some that weren't specifically selected for.

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TheDevilsAdvokaat t1_j9jgso6 wrote

>If grey hair is energetically no more or less favourable than coloured hair then it would be difficult for it to spread as an honest signal of unfitness because it could just as easily be faked.

You're right. It's not an honest signal, because it can be faked.

However, while it's advantageous for individuals to fake, it's disadvantageous for the populations that contain individuals that fake.....so there's pressure to fake and pressure not to fake. Overall I would guess the pressure not to fake would outweigh the individual pressure to fake but it is just a guess...

>It seems more likely that grey hair is a signal for something else - age and hence some kind of experience/authority, or a side-effect of something else."

I agree. I showed a possible reason for gray hair, I am sure there are others. ANd in reality the total advantages for grey hair are going to be a SUM of the advantages and disadvantages. Whether that sum is a total positive or negative, who knows; the sign (+ or -) will probably differ depending on whether we're talking individual advantages or population advantages.

Which leads back to my original point; that some of the adaptations dismissed as "quirks" probably aren't.

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