Although counterintuitive at first, it is quite clear that there is no evolutionary incentive for comfort. In fact, a species may be perfectly biologically viable, by Darwin’s theory, despite being in constant physical (or even emotional) pain. We know, for example, that human beings with chronic pain or nearly debilitating mental illnesses will often produce offspring more than many of their healthier human counterparts.
Most species today seem to live in relative physical comfort. Many evolutionary biologists believe this is due to the negative stimulus of pain offering disincentives towards harmful activities. In fact, the gradient of pain from total comfort to excruciating is useful as well, with paper cuts and broken bones requiring different levels of attention to ensure survival. Even species with severely limited intellectual capabilities can distinguish between complete comfort, mild pain and severe pain.
Yet evidence shows that a genetic mutation in the early years of humans led to a small group of humans with no skin, who lived in perpetual, miserable pain. The mutation was no stranger than albinism or blue eyes, only incredibly painful. The group is believed to have been genocided by skinned folks, implying that if it were not for bigotry there might still be skinless great apes among us – our brothers. Is skinlessness more or less pathological than prejudice?