However, wrinkled monkeys and orangutans still look wrinkled when they grow up. They don't seem to have baby fat, only baby wrinkles.
The faces of the whole family are thin and wrinkled.
Not only monkeys but also chimpanzees have wrinkles.
Why do humans have fewer wrinkles than these primates?
This is because humans and these primates have different fat distribution positions.
Simply put, most of primates' fat grows under muscles, so they are actually "skinless muscles", which makes their faces look thin and gaunt.
Humans, on the other hand, have a layer of subcutaneous fat, which makes people look a little "baby fat" because they cover uneven muscles with staggered roots.
Body shape differences between men and women with different body fat percentages
In addition to people, some creatures also have thick subcutaneous fat, such as dolphins, seals and other marine mammals. But the main purpose of these animals to store fat under the skin is to keep warm, which is different from humans.
Why do people grow so much fat on their faces to cover up their muscles? What is the purpose of storing fat under the skin?
Evolution is not what you think. In ancient times when conditions were difficult, being fat meant that your family had surplus grain, you could eat enough, you were healthy, you were not short of money at all, and you might even be able to raise children and distribute the surplus grain to friends.
In other words, in ancient times, having fat on your body meant that you were an evolutionary "local tyrant".
The following logic is easy to understand. Once fat becomes a publicity capital, you definitely want to put it in the most obvious place.
Where could it be? On the face and near the body surface, of course!
In addition to humans, male Borneo orangutans also like to store fat in cheek pouches, which are protruding things on both sides of their faces, perhaps to show off their evolutionary capital.
Why can't monkeys and orangutans store fat on their faces and under their skin?
Simply put, monkeys and orangutans don't have enough fat.
Did you know that humans are actually much fatter than our distant primates?
The body fat rate of normal rhesus monkeys on the left is 10.5%, which is much less than that of human beings, and the body fat rate of obese rhesus monkeys on the right is 39.5%, which is higher than that of normal human beings and more widely distributed.
The content of fat in our body is much higher than that of other primates; And our muscle content is much less than theirs.
For example, the body fat content of chimpanzees is only 3.6%, while the body fat content of a human newborn accounts for more than 13%.
Of all the animals' babies in the world, only human babies have such a high body fat rate.