Evolutionaries - Why do we need clothes?

Humans have not been around for 4 billion years. In fact, nothing has. This planet is barely that old.

If you move up to Minnesota, where I live, you wouldn't feel the need to ask why we need to wear clothes.

"EvolutionARIES"! That's a new one.

You clearly haven't done much (if any) reading on evolution. We don't genetically develop tougher skin or fur within a lifetime by merely living in colder climates. That's not how natural selection works.

Also, not all human societies wear clothes, at least not for climate control. African Bushman and natives of the South American rain forests for example mainly wear clothing for holding weapons, protecting vulnerable spots, etc. Humans in all cultures do however wear clothes as a way of declaring social standing, rank in the tribe, etc. Clothing probably first developed from this. Our ability to create warmer clothing allowed us to spread to colder habitats.

You really think humans have been around for 4 billion years?

Humans in tropical climates do not always wear clothes- check out the tribes. As people moved to colder areas relatively rapidly, natural selection could not act quickly enough to make us super furry to protect against the harsher climates. With the invention of clothing the need for our own fur was circumvented and eventually covering oneself with draperies and fabric became a part of most culture.

Intelligence is an evolutionary device as well. Instead of fur, we developed the means to create clothes. They're much better than fur, as we can change them as we please--reduce the amount necessary, and style ourselves to look more attractive to the opposite sex.

Which environment would that be? People live in the arctic, the tropics and the desert, just about everywhere. What kind of pelt would be versatile for all of these climates? Or is the mental capacity to construct removable coverings an adaptation?

Humans are descended from Africa. Think of people from tribes over there, they hardly wear clothes, the climate is a lot hotter so clothing isn't necessary.

Humans just ended up spreading out further away from Africa.

Colder countries mean clothing would be necessary.

Nice try.

We don't have "skin or fur that would hold up to our environment" because our brains evolved sufficiently to give us the ability to make clothing. There was no need to develop insulated skin or fur.

who says you do? Just move to Hawaii or a similar climate. At least migrate for the winter. That's what the people who cannot afford winter clothes do.

A lot about clothes is a social convention.

Or we might use our big brain to invent some way to avoid having to evolve something that might be problematic, like fur that we need to shed. I don't know. You'd think we'd have come up with some kind of dwelling area instead of all living out in the open and roaming around the countryside in search of food.

We adapted to our environment by making clothes. Or did you think God invented Levi's on the 8th day?