Aquatic Ape Hypothesis

There is a relatively recent and very good evidence for this theory, surely several saw it ... have wondered why the fingertips are wrinkled with water? (No, it is not intracellular water saturation) but it is surface Rugosa allows us to better handle the elusive wet and often smooth objects (seafood) I think it would also provide better support and facilitate walking between rocks and rocks.
 
Being the only primates who are also aquatic mammals may be (one reason, at least) why we tend to get fat:

“As you enter the water, you start to lose heat from your body that you aren’t losing on land or air,” he explains. To counteract that constant loss of heat, humans use wet suits, whales have blubber, and otters have thick fur. “But really the easiest way to counteract it is to get bigger,” Gearty says. As bodies balloon, volume increases faster than surface area does, so you produce more heat in your body but lose comparatively less of it from your skin. But animals can’t become infinitely big because larger bodies also demand more fuel. There’s only so much food that an animal can reasonably find, catch, and swallow.

...

And as always in biology, there are exceptions. Sea otters, for example, are unusually small for marine mammals—they’re about as big as a Labrador. That might be because their extremely thick fur, with up to a million hairs per square inch, allows them to stay warm without being big. They also spend a lot of time on land, where heat loss is less of a problem.
Why Whales Got So Big
 
Wow AAH is pretty fascinating and does seem to be a plausible/probable theory. I was reminded of this video I watched of babies swimming quite well.
 
I've been into aquatic ape theories for a couple decades, was intrigued to note this iodine link, so obvious, how couldn't have missed that!?
Bumping up topic for more insights!? Hello? :)
And will come back when find, or post elsewhere for leads. Brilliant, thank you both!!!
 
Probably ought to be merged with aquatic ape thread and the whole thread moved to science.
 
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