The climate was reasonably warm so a thick coat was not needed for survival

The climate was reasonably warm so a thick coat was not needed for survival.As the ice returned, mankind was forced to move south once more, and was faced with a major problem: fur had doubled as a sun-screen, and, without protection, pale bodies would fry in the sun. This led to different geographical groups evolving at least four varieties of skin pigment to prevent sunburn.Consequently, Dr Goodhart suggests, a common ancestor to all races must have evolved in high latitudes away from the burning tropical sun. "Even today women do not mind hairy men but men do not like women with beards, moustaches and hairy chests," he said.According to Dr Goodhart, humanity began to shed its fur between the last two ice ages, 70,000-120,000 years ago. As the Earth's temperature rose, our immediate ancestors migrated north and began to lose their fur because of sexual selection. His theory contradicts the book of Genesis in which Adam and Eve, on seeing their nakedness, became ashamed.He said also that there was probably no overwhelming evolutionary logic for the desire for naked over furry bodies; sexual selection can produce many strange features - provided they do not hamper survival.Dr Goodhart claims that humanity lost its fur because primitive men preferred naked women, rather than females preferring hairless males. Men and women liked what they saw and the process of "sexual selection" reinforced the drive for nakedness.

DANNY PENMAN Humanity lost its natural fur coat during the climate's last episode of global warming, according to Dr Charles Goodhart, a retired zoologist from Cambridge University. Humans, he said, became naked apes in the balmy days before the start of the last ice age. Pope John Paul II has frequently fulminated against the ordination of women and last year issued an encyclical ordering Catholics not even to discuss the matter.However, Ms Javorova said that she knows of other female priests now living in Slovakia and working as nurses or teachers, since their ordination cannot be recognised by the new church authorities.One reason for ordaining women, Ms Javorova said, was to ensure that imprisoned nuns could receive the sacrament.However, Nicholas Coote, the assistant general secretary to the Catholic Bishops' Conference of England and Wales, said: "The one thing you can't do is to ordain a woman It's just not possible.". One group objected to the subject, walked out, and was excommunicated by Bishop Davidek (who died in 1988).The ordinations of several other women followed soon after, although she would not say exactly when and where. Such acts would have breached canon law, which states as the first requirement for a valid ordination that the candidate be a baptised man. All the participants, she told Kirche Intern, had to promise in writing not to reveal that they had even discussed the ordination of women.

That's why I wrote to BA and that's why I'm determined to see this through to the end."I am still waiting for a satisfactory explanation from BA. Why did they use such underhand methods to get our passports? And why were we `deemed necessary' for this? If I don't stand up to this blatant infringement of the human rights of a British-born black person, then who will?". ANDREW BROWN Religious Affairs Correspondent Roman Catholic bishops ordained women as priests in Czechoslovakia during the communist years, according to a Czech woman who served as deputy to a bishop in the clandestine church and who now claims that she was herself ordained in the early Seventies.Ludmila Javorova, 65, confirmed to the Austrian church magazine, Kirche Intern, rumours that the Catholic Church's official line against female priests had been breached under the stress of Communist persecution.The decision to ordain her was taken by an underground synod convened by Bishop Felix Davidek of Brno in 1970. What I strongly object to is it being photocopied, and the underhand methods by which that photocopy was obtained. If they wanted to take our passports the very least they could do was ask us for them,not use these underhand tactics."Let me make clear that I have no objection to checks about the validity of passports at the point of entry to a country. "Why would they think that? Do they think someone from Birmingham would flee to seek asylum in New York? The stewardess could see we were a happy, average, two-point-whatever family. But most of the transatlantic carriers contacted by the Independent were adamant that they did not.Mr Kelly is not impressed "It doesn't stand up Our passports were not taken away by a security firm.