ELI5- Why do we get goosebumps when something creeps us out?
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Goosebumps in humans is a vestigial trait, left over from our evolutionary past when our mammalian ancestors had fur. Think of how cats puff up their fur when they get scared. it’s basically an instinctual reaction to fear to puff up our fur and make us look bigger, to scare off whatever threat made us scared. Now we do not have fur but the mechanism is still there in our skin, and that is goosebumps.
We also get goosebumps when we are cold, and that is because puffed up fur traps a larger amount of air, which is a good insulator, thus keeping furry creatures warmer.
Humans have many other vestigial traits, btw.
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