Curly hair may have been absolutely critical to humans evolving millions of years ago, scientists have discovered. In fact, having curly hair could have been the key reason as to why humans developed, grew taller and came to have larger brains. It’s all to do with regulating body temperature, according to a new study by researchers at Penn State University. Given that hair can help to protect the head from the sun’s rays, it’s thought that thicker, curlier hair types could have been key to human life progressing in Equatorial Africa. Scientists recreated the kinds of conditions that early humans would have experienced, using wigs featuring different hair types on models. They found that curls were most effective in keeping the models cool in an environment measuring 86 degrees Fahrenheit (30 degrees Celsius) and 60 per cent humidity. Tina Lasisi is the study's lead author. She spoke to Newsweek about the findings and said: "We hypothesized that tightly curled scalp hair would provide some benefits, but the extent of these benefits was uncertain. "Previous studies on mammalian coats have shown that hair can limit the amount of sunlight reaching the skin, but we were particularly surprised by the significant reduction in solar heat radiation impact provided by tightly coiled hair.” The reduction in heat caused by tight curls could have led to the development of larger brains. "Once humans developed large brains, they could employ other behavioral and social strategies to cope with heat, potentially diminishing the relative advantage of curly hair," she said. "This could have led to a diverse distribution of hair textures worldwide. Furthermore, since straight hair better retains heat, populations in colder environments may have experienced selective pressure for straight hair." She added: "Future research should aim to answer these questions by incorporating our data into mathematical models of human physiology or conducting experiments with human subjects who have different hair textures to examine the impact on their thermal regulation.” Sign up for our free Indy100 weekly newsletter Have your say in our news democracy. Click the upvote icon at the top of the page to help raise this article through the indy100 rankings

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A teenager has died after taking part in the concerning “One Chip Challenge” that has spread on social media. 14-year-old Massachusetts teen Harris Wolobah died after consuming an incredibly spicy Paqui Tortilla chip and developing a severe stomach ache at school. The consumption of the chip is part of the viral One Chip Challenge that tests people to see how long they can last without having to take a sip of water or eat anything else to relieve them from the spiciness. It is a challenge that is popular on social media as people film their reactions to eating the spicy tortilla chip. Wolobah’s parents believe that taking part in the challenge contributed to their son’s sudden and unexplained death, according to reports. The teenager’s bereaved mother explained that her son had been picked up from school after feeling unwell. He began to feel better at home but was later found unconscious as he was about to leave to play basketball. Wolobah was rushed to hospital and was pronounced dead. His cause of death is not yet known as his family awaits autopsy results. Speaking to local news, the teenager’s mother said she believes her child died due to complications from participating in the Paqui One Chip Challenge. The company’s website warns users to seek “medical assistance” if they experience “difficulty breathing, fainting or extended nausea”. It also advises the chip is meant for adult consumption. The tortilla chip seasoning is made with two of the spiciest chillies known to man – the Carolina Reaper and the Naga Viper peppers. These are around 1.7 million and 1.4 million Scoville units respectively. indy100 has contacted Paqui for comment. Sign up to our free Indy100 weekly newsletter Have your say in our news democracy. Click the upvote icon at the top of the page to help raise this article through the indy100 rankings.

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