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{{short description|Soft, thick, hairy coat of a mammal}}
{{Redirect2|Furs|Pelt|other uses|Fur (disambiguation)|and|Furs (disambiguation)|and|Pelt (disambiguation)}}
[[File:GrizzlyBearJeanBeaufort.jpg|thumb|300px|Like many mammals, [[grizzly bear]]s are covered in thick fur.]]
'''Fur''' is a thick growth of [[hair]] that covers the skin of almost all [[mammals]]. It consists of a combination of oily [[#Guard hair|guard hair]] on top and thick [[#Down hair|underfur]] beneath. The guard hair keeps moisture from reaching the skin; the underfur acts as an [[thermal insulation|insulating]] blanket that keeps the animal warm.<ref>{{Cite encyclopedia|url=https://www.britannica.com/topic/fur-animal-skin#ref114471|title=Fur {{!}} animal skin|encyclopedia=Encyclopedia Britannica|access-date=2018-10-30|language=en}}</ref>
The fur of mammals has many uses: protection, sensory purposes, waterproofing, and camouflaging, with the primary usage being thermoregulation.<ref name=dawson2014>{{cite journal|last1=Dawson|first1=T. J.|last2=Webster|first2=K. N.|last3=Maloney| first3=S. K.|year=2014|title=The fur of mammals in exposed environments; do crypsis and thermal needs necessarily conflict? The polar bear and marsupial koala compared|journal=Journal of Comparative Physiology B|volume=184| issue=2|pages=273–284|doi=10.1007/s00360-013-0794-8|pmid=24366474|s2cid=9481486}}</ref> The types of hair include<ref name=hair/>{{rp|99}}
* ''definitive'', which may be [[moulting|shed]] after reaching a certain length;
* ''[[vibrissae]]'', which are sensory hairs and are most commonly whiskers;
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* ''[[spine (zoology)|spines]]'', which are a type of stiff guard hair used for defense in, for example, [[porcupine]]s;
* ''bristles'', which are long hairs usually used in visual signals, such as the [[mane (lion)|mane]] of a lion;
* ''velli'', often called "down fur
* ''[[wool]]'', which is long, soft, and often curly.
Hair length is negligible in thermoregulation, as some tropical mammals, such as sloths, have the same fur length as some arctic mammals but with less insulation; and, conversely, other tropical mammals with short hair have the same insulating value as arctic mammals. The denseness of fur can increase an animal's insulation value, and arctic mammals especially have dense fur; for example, the [[musk ox]] has guard hairs measuring {{convert|30|cm|in|abbr=on}} as well as a dense underfur, which forms an airtight coat, allowing them to survive in temperatures of {{convert|-40|C|F}}.<ref name=hair/>{{rp|162–163}} Some desert mammals, such as camels, use dense fur to prevent solar heat from reaching their skin, allowing the animal to stay cool; a camel's fur may reach {{convert|70|C|F}} in the summer, but the skin stays at {{convert|40|C|F}}.<ref name=hair/>{{rp|188}} [[Aquatic mammal]]s, conversely, trap air in their fur to conserve heat by keeping the skin dry.<ref name=hair/>{{rp|162–163}}
[[File:Great male Leopard in South Afrika-JD.JPG|thumb|A [[leopard]]'s [[disruptive coloration|disruptively colored]] coat provides [[camouflage]] for this [[ambush predator]].]]
Mammalian coats are colored for a variety of reasons, the major selective pressures including [[camouflage]], [[sexual selection]], communication, and physiological processes such as temperature regulation. Camouflage is a powerful influence in many mammals, as it helps to conceal individuals from predators or prey.<ref name="bioscience.oxfordjournals.org">{{cite journal |last1=Caro |first1=Tim |year=2005 |title= The Adaptive Significance of Coloration in Mammals |journal=BioScience |volume= 55 | issue = 2 |pages= 125–136 |doi=10.1641/0006-3568(2005)055[0125:tasoci]2.0.co;2|doi-access=free }}</ref> [[Aposematism]], warning off possible predators, is the most likely explanation of the black-and-white pelage of many mammals which are able to defend themselves, such as in the foul-smelling [[skunk]] and the powerful and aggressive [[honey badger]].<ref>{{cite journal |last1=Caro |first1=Tim |title=Contrasting coloration in terrestrial mammals |journal=Philos Trans R Soc B |date=February 2009 |volume=364 |issue=1516 |pages=537–548 |doi=10.1098/rstb.2008.0221 |pmc=2674080 |pmid=18990666}}</ref> In arctic and subarctic mammals such as the [[arctic fox]] (''Vulpes lagopus''), [[collared lemming]] (''Dicrostonyx groenlandicus''), [[stoat]] (''Mustela erminea''), and [[snowshoe hare]] (''Lepus americanus''), [[seasonal polyphenism|seasonal color change]] between brown in summer and white in winter is driven largely by camouflage.<ref>{{cite journal |last1=Mills|first1=L. Scott |last2=Zimova|first2=Marketa |last3=Oyler|first3=Jared |last4=Running|first4=Steven |last5=Abatzoglou|first5=John T. |last6=Lukacs|first6=Paul M. |title=Camouflage mismatch in seasonal coat color due to decreased snow duration |journal=PNAS |date=April 2013 |volume=110 |issue=8 |pages=7360–7365 |pmc=3645584 |pmid=23589881 |doi=10.1073/pnas.1222724110|bibcode=2013PNAS..110.7360M|doi-access=free }}</ref> Differences in female and male coat color may indicate nutrition and hormone levels, important in mate selection.<ref name="eva.mpg.de">{{cite journal |last1=Bradley |display-authors=etal |first1=Brenda |year=2012 |title=Coat Color Variation and Pigmentation Gene Expression in Rhesus Macaques (Macaca Mulatta) |journal=Journal of Mammalian Evolution |volume=20 |issue=3 |pages=263–70 |doi=10.1007/s10914-012-9212-3 |s2cid=13916535 |url=http://www.eva.mpg.de/pks/staff/widdig/pdf/Bradley_et_al_2012.pdf |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150924004623/http://www.eva.mpg.de/pks/staff/widdig/pdf/Bradley_et_al_2012.pdf |archive-date=2015-09-24 }}</ref> Some arboreal mammals, notably primates and marsupials, have shades of violet, green, or blue skin on parts of their bodies, indicating some distinct advantage in their largely [[arboreal]] habitat due to [[convergent evolution]].<ref>{{cite journal |last1=Prum |first1=Richard O. |last2=Torres |first2=Rodolfo H. |year=2004 |title=Structural colouration of mammalian skin: convergent evolution of coherently scattering dermal collagen arrays |journal=Journal of Experimental Biology |volume=207 |pages=2157–72 |doi=10.1242/jeb.00989 |pmid=15143148 |issue=12|hdl=1808/1599 |s2cid=8268610 |url=https://kuscholarworks.ku.edu/bitstream/1808/1599/1/2157.pdf |doi-access=free }}</ref> The green coloration of sloths, however, is the result of a [[symbiosis|symbiotic]] relationship with algae.<ref>{{cite journal|first1=Milla |last1=Suutari |first2=Markus |last2=Majaneva |first3=David P. |last3=Fewer |first4=Bryson |last4=Voirin |first5=Annette |last5=Aiello |author-link5=Annette Aiello |first6= Thomas |last6=Friedl |first7=Adriano G.|last7=Chiarello |first8=Jaanika |last8=Blomster |year=2010 |title=Molecular evidence for a diverse green algal community growing in the hair of sloths and a specific association with ''Trichophilus welckeri'' (Chlorophyta, Ulvophyceae) |journal=Evolutionary Biology |volume=10 |issue=86 |pages=86 |doi=10.1186/1471-2148-10-86 |pmid=20353556 |pmc=2858742 |doi-access=free }}</ref> Coat color is sometimes [[sexual dimorphism|sexually dimorphic]], as in [[Sexual dimorphism in non-human primates#Pelage color and markings|many primate species]].<ref>{{cite journal |first=J. M. |last=Plavcan |year=2001 |title=Sexual dimorphism in primate evolution |journal=American Journal of Physical Anthropology |volume=116 |issue=33 |pages=25–53 |doi=10.1002/ajpa.10011 |pmid=11786990|s2cid=31722173 |doi-access=free }}</ref> Coat color may influence the ability to retain heat, depending on how much light is reflected. Mammals with darker colored coats can absorb more heat from solar radiation and stay warmer; some smaller mammals, such as [[vole|voles]], have darker fur in the winter. The white, pigmentless fur of arctic mammals, such as the polar bear, may reflect more solar radiation directly onto the skin.<ref name=hair/>{{rp|166–167}}<ref name=dawson2014/>
[[File:Opossum fur.jpg|thumb|[[Opossum]] fur]]
The term ''pelage''{{spaced ndash}}first known use in English {{ca|1828}} (French, from Middle French, from {{lang|frm|poil}} for 'hair', from [[Old French]] {{lang|fro|peilss}}, from [[Latin]] {{lang|la|pilus}}<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/pelage|title=Pelage|publisher=Merriam-Webster|access-date=January 9, 2013}}</ref>){{spaced ndash}}is sometimes used to refer to an animal's complete [[coat (animal)|coat]]. The term fur is also used to refer to animal pelts
An animal with commercially valuable fur is known within the [[Fur trade|fur industry]] as a [[List of types of fur|furbearer]].<ref>{{Cite book |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=cCVW72oz2O8C&pg=PA54|title=Varmint Hunting|last=Peterson|first=Judy Monroe |date=2011-01-15|publisher=The Rosen Publishing Group| isbn=9781448823666 |language=en}}</ref> The use of [[fur clothing|fur as clothing]] or decoration is controversial; [[animal welfare]] advocates object to the trapping and killing of wildlife, and
==Composition==
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Fur may consist of three layers, each with a different type of hair.
{{Anchor|down hair|downhair|underfur|DownHair}}<!-- this code is used to link to this location from other articles. Rp2006-->▼
===Down hair===
'''Down hair''' (also known as '''underfur''', '''undercoat''', '''underhair''' or '''ground hair''') is the bottom
▲{{Anchor|down hair|downhair|underfur}}<!-- this code is used to link to this location from other articles. Rp2006-->
▲'''Down hair''' (also known as '''underfur''', '''undercoat''' or '''ground hair''') is the bottom—or inner—layer, composed of wavy or curly hairs with no straight portions or sharp points. Down hairs, which are also flat, tend to be the shortest and most numerous in the coat. [[Thermoregulation]] is the principal function of the down hair, which insulates a layer of dry air next to the skin.
===Awn hair===
{{Main article|Awn hair}}
The [[awn hair]] can be thought of as a hybrid, bridging the gap between the distinctly different characteristics of down and guard hairs. Awn hairs begin their growth much like guard hairs, but less than half way to their full length, awn hairs start to grow thin and wavy like down hair. The [[Anatomical terms of location#Proximal and distal|proximal]] part of the awn hair assists in thermoregulation (like the down hair), whereas the [[Anatomical terms of location#Proximal and distal|distal]] part can shed water (like the guard hair). The awn hair's thin basal portion does not allow the amount of [[Goose bumps|piloerection]] that the stiffer guard hairs are capable of. Mammals with well developed down and guard hairs also usually have large numbers of awn hairs, which may even sometimes be the bulk of the visible coat.▼
▲The [[awn hair]] can be thought of as a hybrid, bridging the gap between the distinctly different characteristics of down and guard hairs. Awn hairs begin their growth much like guard hairs, but less than
===Guard hair===▼
{{Anchor|GuardHair}} <!-- Do not delete this code as it is used to link to this location from other articles. Rp2006-->
▲===Guard hair===
'''Guard hair''' is the top—or outer—layer of the coat. Guard hairs are longer, generally coarser, and have nearly straight shafts that protrude through the layer of softer down hair. The [[Anatomical terms of location|distal]] end of the guard hair is the visible layer of most mammal coats. This layer has the most marked [[pigmentation]] and [[Gloss (optics)|gloss]], manifesting as coat markings that are adapted for [[camouflage]] or display. Guard hair repels water and blocks sunlight, protecting the undercoat and skin in wet or aquatic habitats, and from the sun's [[ultraviolet]] radiation. Guard hairs can also reduce the severity of [[Wound#Open|cuts or scratches]] to the skin. Many mammals, such as the domestic dog and cat, have a [[pilomotor reflex]] that raises their guard hairs as part of a [[threat display]] when agitated.▼
{{Main article|Guard hair}}
▲'''Guard hair''' ('''overhair'''<ref>B. J. Teerink. ''Hair of West European mammals: atlas and identification key''. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 2003.</ref>) is the
==Mammals with reduced fur==
[[File:Wet Fur - CGI.jpg|thumb|{{center|Computer generated image of wet fur}}]]
Hair is one of the defining characteristics of mammals; however, several species or breeds have considerably reduced amounts of fur. These are often called "naked"{{fact|date=July 2023}} or "hairless".<ref>{{cite web |last1=Dean |first1=Matthew D |title=Evolution: How (some) mammals lost their hair |url=https://elifesciences.org/articles/84865 |website=eLife |access-date=22 July 2023}}</ref>
===Natural selection===
Some mammals naturally have reduced amounts of fur. Some [[
===Artificial selection===
At times, when a hairless domesticated animal is discovered, usually owing to a naturally occurring genetic mutation, humans may intentionally inbreed those hairless individuals and, after multiple generations, artificially create hairless breeds
==Use in clothing==
{{Main|Fur clothing}}
{{See also|Fur trade}}
[[File:Buckingham-palace-guard-11279634947G5ru.jpg|thumb|upright|The iconic [[bearskin]]s of the [[Queen's Guard]] at Buckingham Palace are made from the fur of [[American black bear]]s]]▼
[[File:Carl Eielson.jpg|thumb|upright|left|A [[fur seal|seal fur]] coat worn by [[Carl Ben Eielson]] (1897–1929), [[United States Air Force|USAF]] pilot & Arctic explorer]]▼
[[File:Pelz-Verkaufsstand in Tallinn, Estland.jpg|thumb|upright|A fur trading in [[Tallinn]], [[Estonia]] in 2019]]▼
Fur has long served as a source of clothing for humans, including [[Neanderthal]]s. Historically, it was worn for its insulating quality, with aesthetics becoming a factor over time. Pelts were worn in or out, depending on their characteristics and desired use. Today fur and trim used in garments may be dyed bright colors or to mimic exotic animal patterns, or shorn close like [[velvet]]. The term "a fur" may connote a coat, wrap, or shawl.
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Fur is also used to make [[felt]]. A common felt is made from beaver fur and is used in [[bowler hat]]s, [[top hat]]s, and high-end [[cowboy hats]].<ref>Chamber's journal, Published by Orr and Smith, 1952, p. 200, Original from the University of Michigan.</ref>
[[List of types of fur|Common furbearers]] used include [[fox]], [[rabbit]], [[mink]], [[muskrat]], [[leopard]], [[beaver]], [[Stoat|ermine]], [[otter]], [[sable]], [[jaguar]], [[pinniped|seal]], [[coyote]], [[chinchilla]], [[raccoon]], [[lemur]], and [[Phalangeriformes|possum]].
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==See also==
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*[[Rabbit hair]]
*[[Tanning (leather)]]
*[[
*[[Skinning]]
==References==
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{{Non-timber forest products|state=expanded}}
{{Authority control}}
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