Why do we (humans) have facial hair whereas our ape relatives do not, e.g. chimpanzees, gorillas etc

are you sure they don't have facial hair? they seem to have it everywhere else.

The person above is right in a way. We didn't come from apes, but some scientists (namely claudists) believe that we came from the same ancestor. So claudisticly, we ARE apes! But that's retarded, just like the claudistic system.

Why do we (humans) have facial hair whereas our ape relatives do not, e.g. chimpanzees, gorillas etc?

we didn't come from apes

Why do we (humans) have facial hair whereas our ape relatives do not, e.g. chimpanzees, gorillas etc?

climatical changes causes different evolutionary developments. As Homo Sapien, as all apes we have certain differences which are in part due to diet and climate.

Why do we (humans) have facial hair whereas our ape relatives do not, e.g. chimpanzees, gorillas etc?

But they do. How close did you look?

Why do we (humans) have facial hair whereas our ape relatives do not, e.g. chimpanzees, gorillas etc?

umm.. they do have facial hair. Maye you don't notice it cause you see the rest of hair they have all over their heads more.

Take a look:

http://www.48katmos.freeuk.com/apes.jpg (these guys have a huge beard and mustache)

http://www.traveladventures.org/continen... (take a good look and see this gorilla pic shows facial hair too.. and gorillas and humans are 97% genetically the same )

http://www.photosbyjeremy.com/gallery/an... (chimp with a beard)

Why do we (humans) have facial hair whereas our ape relatives do not, e.g. chimpanzees, gorillas etc?

If you actually consider fossil, genetic and anatomical evidence, then we definitely, positively, absolutely did not just 'come from' apes, but by pretty much any zoological definition you care to construct we ARE apes.

We did not evolve directly from any of the living species of apes (chimps, gorillas, orangutans), but we definitely evolved from an ancestor that was an ape. There are no anatomical markers you can point at that show that humans are anything but a particular type of ape that happens to have a pelvis slightly modified in orientation to facilitate full time bipedalism, highly dextrous front paws (hands), and larger brains.

A cladistic analysis of our anatomy and DNA shows us to be more closely related to chimpanzees and gorillas than either of those are to orangutans.

As for facial hair (and body hair), we actually have almost exactly the same number of hair follicles on our bodies and in the same distribution as chimpanzees do, it's just that in our species most of our body hair is very fine and thin (except in certain areas), and in the chimps it is thicker and coarser.

The facial hair which is a distinguishing secondary characteristic common to various ethnic groupings of Homo sapiens sapiens is simply a regional phenotype in which the hair follicles on the lower face are thicker and longer than average. It is not a universal human characteristic, but is seen in its most extreme in people of northern European descent.

There has been speculation that it is an adaptation to the cold winters seen in that region, or possibly simply genetically linked to the lack of melanin production in the skin seen in those same populations.

Why do we (humans) have facial hair whereas our ape relatives do not, e.g. chimpanzees, gorillas etc?

you speak for yourself when you say you are related to chimpanzees and gorrilla's. There is not one shred of evidence that upholds your view. Which answers your original question.

Why do we (humans) have facial hair whereas our ape relatives do not, e.g. chimpanzees, gorillas etc?

As other posters have noted, apes do have facial hair.

However the particular nature of human facial hair - and the fact that only males have it - imply that it is probably due to sexual selection. In other words, at one point in our evolutionary development females began preferring males with hairier faces, and the characteristic was therefore preserved and amplified among their descendants.

Another possibility is that it is a secondary indicator of sexual maturity. Since we started covering up our pubic area, there's no way for a woman to know if a man is fully mature. A beard is a good indication of that. Just a possibility.

Why do we (humans) have facial hair whereas our ape relatives do not, e.g. chimpanzees, gorillas etc?

oh lawd!

we may be genetically close to the great apes, but we were created seperately.

Apes are apes. they're gonna have hair where God meant for it to be.