that we never see artist renditions of bald cavemen?

And do you think that cavemen with male pattern baldness were cast out of the clans? Or would they have been gods for being different?

Hmmm... maybe they didn't live long enough to go bald? :D I guess baldness can't be seen from looking at a skeleton.

I think I can remember children's stories about a neanderthal child and he had some balding men in his tribe. Maybe British neanderthals had worse hair than American ones. I'm pretty sure they'd have had worse teeth ;).

I think that the one Meso-American cultures had the first know drawings/references to male pattern baldness.

I think it's because all the bald ones died of hypothermia, so they never got old enough to really become fully bald. nod.

When your life expectancy averages around 25 years...you don't have time to go bald =P

And who's to say non-humans suffered from male pattern baldness? Neaderthals were not human, you know.

I mean, have you ever seen a male chimp with male pattern baldness? =P

I mean, have you ever seen a male chimp with male pattern baldness? =P
I don't know if they have that specific type of baldness but chimps can and do go bald. Generally speaking, you don't see as many older male chimps on TV or in zoos as they aren't as photogenic as the younger ones and they can be pretty dangerous to handle -- especially the bald ones. :)

Heck, DOGS can have male pattern baldness. Honest. (they look pretty silly too)

Any Neanderthal worth his salt maintains at least two stylish cave bear wigs to maintain social status. The second wig is required in case the first one gets dirty and needs to go to the dry cleaners.

On a more rational note, previous posters make a good point about low life expectancy reducing the importance of a full head of hair. I think the OP has the issue reversed. It's not surprising that cave-men aren't depicted without hair. It's much more telling that modern man has very few bald young people (except babies). Prehistoric young, bald humans didn't survive.

I hypothesize that having a full head of hair was a positive survival characteristic. In the evolution of man, prior to protective clothing including headwear, baldness would have been a risky genetic trait. Death due to heat loss in cold weather and sunstroke in hot weather would certainly be a deselection criteria in evolutionary survival. (note: I remember hearing that most of a bodies heat loss is through the head.)

Aren't there some races that don't have male pattern baldness? I keep thinking orientals don't, but then I see the big stereotypical Asian thug in my mind with a completely bare head. I know some races of men can't grow facial hair...

And a dog with MPB? :crazy: