paleo beards

["Moody, Scott" <Moody@mail.oucom.ohiou.edu>]

   2) why is it that all but 2 of all of the paleontologists I've ever seen,
in person or in pictures, has a beard?
 --- Jeff Poling

ANSWERS:

1.  protection against sun and wind
2.  protection against biting and sucking insects
3.  diminishes reflections to the eyes so one can search for fossils more 
effectively
4.  not much water (or electricity) available for shaving at field sites
5.  nice holder for picks and brushes to free hands periodically
6.  makes one bigger and fiercer when facing angry ranchers and/or their 
hooved friends when discovered digging a hole in their pasture
7.  have you ever calculated how much time one spends in a lifetime 
shaving??  just think of using this extra time for hunting more fossils
8.  sexier (doesn't the bushyness correlate with testosterone?)
9.  easier to maintain a poker face while playing poker (hide your giveway 
smiles in your beard)

Have a great summer!

Moody@mail.oucom.ohiou.edu
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