Evolutionary cause of facial hair pattern?

[burnside]

because male's tended to hunt and gather food, the growth of facial hair could be in response to the associated dangers. thick facial hair act's as a second line of defence, it protects the skin underneath. children/females would not necessarily need this added protection, as they were predominantly cared for by the older (bearded) male's.

[TheVirus]

For centuries thoughtful men have stroked this region whilst deep in contemplation - thus wearing the hair completely off. Women find intelligent, thoughtful men attractive. In the past, women noticed that the most intelligent men in the tribe did not have hair in this region and thus it became a desirable trait. Over time natural selection favored men who could not grow hair in this area - resulting in the facial hair characteristic that is so common today. Time for another drink.

That is a very interesting theory, indeed, and certainly worth considering. I just have one doubt: should stroking that area under the lips actually make hair wear off? Wouldn't it be like a kind of massage, like they do with bald people, to stimulate hair growth?

[aaronwhi]

I'm skeptical that rubbing is the specific etiology, but the pattern is probably caused by sexual selection rather than other forms of fitness. If beards were practical for physical survival, women would probably have them too, so the whole pattern of facial hair growth in males is most likely sexual ornamentation. The little bald spots look much more sophisticated, in my humble opinion, than the even covering of fur under an orangutan's lower lip.