Comments on: Why Do Humans Have Chins? http://blogs.smithsonianmag.com/hominids/2012/01/why-do-humans-have-chins/ Meet the members of the tangled human family tree Thu, 31 Jan 2013 17:56:50 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.4 By: Fionn http://blogs.smithsonianmag.com/hominids/2012/01/why-do-humans-have-chins/#comment-1123 Fionn Tue, 22 Jan 2013 23:32:03 +0000 http://blogs.smithsonianmag.com/hominids/?p=497#comment-1123 The chin is there to protect against falls or blows. Only humans have chins and surely the reason why animals do not have a chin is because they walk on all fours and the likelihood of a severe fall or blow is minimal. As humans walk on two legs it is inevitable that you will fall over and bang your head at some point or receive a blow. If you receive enough force to your chin as a result of a fall or blow then you can break your neck. Humans would not be here today if you broke your neck every time you fell over and banged your chin or got punched. However, I believe it is not as simple as to say that there is only one reason why humans have chins. The chin is there to protect against falls or blows.

Only humans have chins and surely the reason why animals do not have a chin is because they walk on all fours and the likelihood of a severe fall or blow is minimal.

As humans walk on two legs it is inevitable that you will fall over and bang your head at some point or receive a blow. If you receive enough force to your chin as a result of a fall or blow then you can break your neck. Humans would not be here today if you broke your neck every time you fell over and banged your chin or got punched.

However, I believe it is not as simple as to say that there is only one reason why humans have chins.

]]> By: zimon http://blogs.smithsonianmag.com/hominids/2012/01/why-do-humans-have-chins/#comment-1120 zimon Sat, 12 Jan 2013 20:12:03 +0000 http://blogs.smithsonianmag.com/hominids/?p=497#comment-1120 Expressed chins exist only in species which have vocalization and have lips participating in sound differentiation. Hominids, some primates, ... Perhaps, flexible lip support, plays a critical role in devdlopment of a chin. BTW this doesnt exclude some of the other reasonings as well. Expressed chins exist only in species which have vocalization and
have lips participating in sound differentiation. Hominids, some primates, …

Perhaps, flexible lip support, plays a critical role in devdlopment of a chin. BTW this doesnt exclude some of the other reasonings as well.

]]> By: gen http://blogs.smithsonianmag.com/hominids/2012/01/why-do-humans-have-chins/#comment-1106 gen Fri, 04 Jan 2013 08:25:46 +0000 http://blogs.smithsonianmag.com/hominids/?p=497#comment-1106 cheekbones are to help eating hard things like nuts and things. i don't know, watch yourself eating, what's the chin doing? maybe chins are to help make more facial expressions to communicate with other hominids. like, boo hoo i'm sad. or look at me, i'm heroic. cheekbones are to help eating hard things like nuts and things. i don’t know, watch yourself eating, what’s the chin doing? maybe chins are to help make more facial expressions to communicate with other hominids. like, boo hoo i’m sad. or look at me, i’m heroic.

]]> By: chin from china http://blogs.smithsonianmag.com/hominids/2012/01/why-do-humans-have-chins/#comment-825 chin from china Thu, 13 Sep 2012 17:41:12 +0000 http://blogs.smithsonianmag.com/hominids/?p=497#comment-825 I believe the chin evolved as a scoop for digging, sadly humans have yet to realise its use hence why more and more people are loosing a prominent chin.....ofcourse I don't really believe that, my names not chin, its aaron and I'm from london ooosh...however I personally think as we began the transition from ape to human ish, we began to loose the tooth size of the apes causing the part of the jaw supporting the teeth to in turn get smaller to which left a bony protrusions at the bass we call a chin and I guess this accidental chin creation stayed because it turned out 2 have some kind of benefit, be it sexual attraction, jaw support, shock absorber or as a shovel, it stayed lol interesting subject though I believe the chin evolved as a scoop for digging, sadly humans have yet to realise its use hence why more and more people are loosing a prominent chin…..ofcourse I don’t really believe that, my names not chin, its aaron and I’m from london ooosh…however I personally think as we began the transition from ape to human ish, we began to loose the tooth size of the apes causing the part of the jaw supporting the teeth to in turn get smaller to which left a bony protrusions at the bass we call a chin and I guess this accidental chin creation stayed because it turned out 2 have some kind of benefit, be it sexual attraction, jaw support, shock absorber or as a shovel, it stayed lol interesting subject though

]]> By: derp http://blogs.smithsonianmag.com/hominids/2012/01/why-do-humans-have-chins/#comment-767 derp Tue, 14 Aug 2012 14:04:54 +0000 http://blogs.smithsonianmag.com/hominids/?p=497#comment-767 lol Whit, hilarious......no. lol Whit, hilarious……no.

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