Readers familiar with Genesis 25-7 will no doubt recall the story of Jacob and Esau. Jacob had smooth skin; Esau looked like he was covered in red fur. Their mom favored Jacob, and the rest is history.

Why do I mention this? Today, Andrew Sullivan links to a report on a new scientific article that offers a new scientific explanation of why humans are not furry like other mammals. The family drama sounds all too familiar:

Harris' theory is that this kind of parental selection may have been an important force in evolution. If Stone Age people believed that hairless babies were more attractive than hairy ones, this could explain why humans are the only apes lacking a coat of fur. Harris suggests that Neanderthals must have been furry in order to survive the Ice Age. Our species would have seen them as "animals" and potential prey. Harris’ hypothesis continues that Neanderthals went extinct because human ancestors ate them.

Ouch.