ELI5: Explain Like I'm 5

Aquatic ape theory

The aquatic ape theory is a hypothesis that suggests humans evolved in part from a group of ancient apes that spent a lot of time in the water, like swimming and wading. Some people think that this might help explain why humans have some unusual features when compared to other apes, like our lack of body fur and our ability to walk on two legs all the time, without using our hands.

Some scientists who like the aquatic ape theory believe that our ape ancestors spent a lot of time in the water because they were looking for food or trying to avoid predators. Because of this, they had to adapt to life in the water in order to survive. This might have led to changes in our body and brain that made us better able to live on land, too.

It's important to remember, though, that the aquatic ape theory is just one idea about how humans evolved. There are other theories, too, and experts are still studying and trying to understand exactly how we became the way we are today.