Why Did Humans Begin Making Clothing Around 170,000 Years Ago, And What Happened to Our Fur If We Needed It? — Here’s What Scientists Suggest

Humans and apes share a common ancestor that lived millions of years ago, but Homo sapiens are noticeably different due to our exposed skin. Unlike our fur-covered evolutionary relatives, we walked on this planet nearly, if not completely, naked until our ancestors developed a technological innovation: clothing.

This invention was not just for decoration; it was critical for our survival, especially after an evolutionary adaptation where the earlier hominins lost most of the fur in their bodies. But what exactly prompted the humans to begin creating clothes after living for so long without them, and what happened to our fur if we actually needed it? Let’s explore these questions, misconceptions, and ideas.

When and Why Did Humans Start Wearing Clothes?

To know the history of when earlier humans first began making clothes, researchers can’t just study evidence from actual clothing. It is because organic materials that are used as clothing, such as plant fibers and leather, both rot away until nothing is left over time. This made it harder to assess the right timelines and actually find an intact piece of clothing to study.

Instead, scientists had to come up with a unique and creative way to research clothing, such as studying body lice instead. These are parasites that need clothing to survive and reproduce. So, in simpler words, their genetic history and DNA show when people could have possibly worn garments. The research finding suggests humans could have created and worn clothing as early as 170,000 years ago.

By knowing this timeframe, scientists were then able to come up with several theories based on what we know about what’s going on the planet at that age. One possible reason why clothing was invented was because of climate change. Around 170,000 years ago, scientists believe that the planet was cooling down and undergoing a spread of ice age conditions across parts of Africa and Eurasia.

For early humans to survive in the harsh ice age, they needed to be able to adapt to the colder temperatures, which included cold weather, wind, and rain. Scarcity of food and other resources, as vegetation dies out, was also an increasing problem.

They had to migrate to an environment that would allow them to survive as hunter-gatherers. At around this time, Homo sapiens were just living and moving around in Africa, yet, because the first successful migration to other continents was studied to be about 50,00 to 70,000 years ago.

By this time, the human species had already lost most of their fur for millions of years. So, the invention of clothing was a necessity and a key technological adaptation that allowed humans to expand their territories and thrive in colder environments that would have been previously impossible, even with the mastery of fire and stone tools.

Read more: Molecular Biology and Evolution

What Happened to Human Fur?

When did Humans Start Wearing Clothes?

Around 170,000 years ago, humans were believed to have begun creating clothing as a necessity, but if we needed it to survive, why did we lose our fur in the first place? This is because these two different adaptations happened in different timelines and climate conditions.

It is estimated that humans lost their fur around 2 to 1.5 million years ago. This transition was not because the planet was cooling down, like when early humans were believed to have developed clothings. Instead, climate change during this time caused forestry areas to recede, causing an increase in open grasslands and savannas. The Open Savannah hypothesis states that humans began to live in open areas with tall grasses all over because of these changes.

In other words, the evolutionary challenge that these early hominins faced in this era was not staying warm, but keeping cool. So, humans hunted and foraged in these environments below the scorching heat of the sun. They also needed to walk and run for long distances. So, the individuals with less and less fur were favored over time because it allows for a more efficient way to regulate their body temperature.

This is just a small part of the theory of why humans lost their fur, and there are other possible reasons that scientists point to that added pressure for earlier humans to change and adapt. So, if you want a more comprehensive read about it, you can visit this longer article: Scientists Explain: Why Humans Lost Their Fur — And What That Reveals About Human Evolution

Next, let’s find out exactly how humans first made clothing. Is it made from animal skins and hides already, or did they use other organic materials first found in their environments?

How Did Early Humans Make Clothing?

At first, humans likely used animal skins and hides not as a perfectly fitted clothings, but more of just a cover, wrap or capes. To be able to do this, they are thought to tie down the skins with plant fibers or strips of leather. However, although animal skins were the primary materials, earlier humans may have also used mud and charcoal to cover and protect their bodies.

Then, around 40,000 years ago, humans are now believed to have progressed and honed their skills and tools to the point where they could create complex and more fitted clothes. These are when bone needles were observed in archaeological sites, and are believed to have been used to sew hides as fitted clothing, which trapped heat better and protected the body from cold winds and snow that a simple cover or cape wouldn’t.

Read more: Earth.com

Why Is Clothing So Important for Human Evolution?

Lice show humans first wore clothes 170,000 years ago

Clothing was most important to stay warm while the environment cooled down. However, it was not the only evolutionary significance that clothing provided to humans. It also allowed them to spread in the world. Without proper clothing, it would have been difficult and almost impossible to thrive in the northern part of Europe and Asia.

By allowing humans to regulate their body temperature, clothing essentially helped Homo sapiens migrate out of Africa into new lands and continents. Then, they were able to settle in a much colder environment with the invention of more fitted clothing that fights off the cold winds, rain, or snow even better.

Additionally, over time, clothings became more than just a necessity. It has become a part of human culture and tradition that could signify one’s social identity, status, and beliefs. It was decorated with ornaments, jewelry, and other ritualistic objects.

Lastly, the need to invent clothing and refine it also paved the way for more inventions like needles, scrapers, and awls. The skills to create these technologies later helped with other inventions, from fishing nets to weaving and more. This is one of the strengths of being human: we invent, refine, and then pass on that knowledge and skills to the next generation to go even further.

Author's Final Thoughts

Humans are believed to have begun making clothing around 170,000 years ago or possibly earlier. It is not just a decorative object, but was a necessity for survival. As our species lost their fur millions of years ago when the climate of the planet was different, the inventio of clothing became our new “coat” that protected us from harsh environments.

Over time, clothing evolved from simple wraps and capes into more fitted, complex, and symbolic sewn garments that have cultural meanings. Together with this, our technological ability and skills also improved, and it paved the way for something even more powerful. This allowed us to migrate and explore the world, ultimately making us one of the most successful and widespread species in human history.

Read next: After Nearly 2 Million Years as Hunter-Gatherers, Why Did Humans Start Building Permanent Homes Around 10,000 Years Ago? — Here’s What Scientists Suspect

References & Further Reading

Toups, M. A., Kitchen, A., Light, J. E., & Reed, D. L. (2011). Origin of clothing lice indicates early clothing use by anatomically modern humans in Africa. Molecular Biology and Evolution. https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC3002236/

Dávid-Barrett, T., & Dunbar, R. (2016). Bipedality and hair loss in human evolution revisited. Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society B. https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC4874949/

Brettmann, E. A., et al. (2018). Recent evolution of the human skin barrier. NPJ Systems Biology and Applications. https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC6392702/

Lasisi, T., et al. (2023). Human scalp hair as a thermoregulatory adaptation. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences. https://doi.org/10.1073/pnas.2301760120