Humans are obsessed with staying clean. We bathe or shower regularly (at least most of us do). We trim our hair and nails. Some people even pay for other people to groom them when it comes to pedicures or facials.
Hygiene isn’t just a modern fad. It’s an instinct that humans evolved for well before bathtubs, loofahs, and shampoo. Archaeological evidence suggests humans began combing, plucking, and cutting their hair at least 3,000 years ago.
While bathing and grooming is an innate part of being human, there is also evidence that animals, even the ones not so closely related to us, maintain hygiene in some way.
The evolutionary advantages of bathing and grooming might seem clear — to remove potentially harmful bacteria from the body. But hygiene practices serve many purposes that differ animal to animal.
