Why are humans able to grow excessively long head hair whereas ape-like creatures can not?

Question

Based on evolutionary theory humans could be related to simians in many ways. If this is true why is it that when a human does not cut his/her head hair, it will continue to grow? Why is it that monkeys do not need to cut their hair? It seems that their hair has a determinate final length.

Let me elaborate further. Evolutionary theory states that humans have lost most of the hair on their bodies for a multitude of reasons. Why then is it that we are able to grow our head hair longer than simians? Should it not be the other way around? (apes having more and longer hair than humans)

Answer 1

Good question. Why do gorillas (the largest of the great apes) have the smallest penis?

Answer 2

According to a book titled The Red Ape, the orangutan is
also capable of growing long head hair. This book promotes
the orangutan as being more closely related to humans than
the chimpanzee. Its author is well aware that he is challenging a deeply entrenched idea, but he gives a rather
persuasive argument in favor of his alternative.

Monkeys are too distantly related to humans to be of much
relevance. Only the large apes - gorilla, orang and the two
chimps - are near enough to us to be pertinent.

Answer 3

human body hair is similar to ape body hair (although the other apes have more of it). it grows for a few months, then the hair follicle becomes dormant and the hair is shed. head hair is a bit different - it grows faster and is shed less often, for both of these reasons the hair is much longer than body hair. other apes don't have head hair, which probably arose in the human lineage as a result of sexual selection.

Answer 4

because we never evolved or any thing like that. apes, monkeys, etc. are not related to us so that question is not even relevant!

Answer 5

evolution would explaine this

Answer 6

because of genes....