If we decended from apes, why are we the only ones that evolved? Are the rest of the apes doomed to be apes!?

Question

Update..

An alien from another planet may be the missing / unknown link? Having intimate relations with an ape???

Answer 1

That's an answer I ask myself every day... especially when I look at the mirror...

or not

-edit-

Oh... now I get it... hehe... I found truth in someone else's answer! we have a common ancester, but we split up into two different species...

or... not?

Answer 2

The first thing to understand about evolution is that evolution doesn't have a goal. Evolution doesn't attempt to make organisms "smarter", and to label humans as evolved because we developed large, reasoning brains would not be correct. Humans are simply the product of several populations who lived in specific environments at specific times, like all species who are living today.

To truely understand takes a lot of reading, I've linked some sites below to get you started. But to put it simply, at one point, around 6 million years ago a species of Ape living in Africa broke off from the general population of apes. Our genetic ancestors began their gradual change into Homo sapien, and as other distinct populations of ape broke off they eventually became the "Great Apes" we know today, like the chimpanzee and gorilla.

As evidenced by some of the answers you've gotten, uninformed people think that your question is a logical fallicy regarding evolution, but they couldn't be more wrong. It's like asking "If people started out dark skinned, and I'm light skinned, why are there still dark skinned people." Even the leading Creation website, AnswersinGenesis.org lists this arguement as a bad one (I'll link below)

As far as your last question "Are the rest of apes doomed to be apes?", i guess it's a matter of opinion on how bad it is to be an ape. :) Probably the most major factor forcing evolution, competition, in this case with humans, has driven many of the great apes to near-extinction. If their population was somehow able to rebound, and their environment called for it, it's possible that other apes could develop brains like ours. It would take hundreds of thousands to millions of years for it to happen, but there is no reason it could not, it may even be competition with humans that spurs the change.

Answer 3

evolution depends on the random mutation of genetics and survival of the fittest. a random mutation in the genetics of to apes offspring would yield a "more human like" creature. if this creature has an advantage over the other apes(i,e, stronger, taller, better looking ....etc) then the "more human like" creature and its "more human like" offsprings would win over the other apes and the other apes would die out.

however, if the new creature didnt have superior and more advantageous genes but infact just different genes, then both "species" could live and thrive.

im not certain but theoretically, if the genes making a creature an ape could be redundant and not completely "killed off". i believe its the same thing with ginger hair genes in humans. its a redundant gene but you cannot completely get rid of ginger people (even though we all know ginger people never get laid).

theres no scientific proof to all this, this is just my own beliefs and theories. if anyone has evidence that proves me right or wrong, please let me know.

Answer 4

We did not evolve from apes, though I thought we were some time ago after watching some History program on TV. It's in my beliefs that God first created Adam and Eve, who looked like human beings. Sorry if this is an unsuitable place to voice out my opinion.

Answer 5

We did not evolve from apes, reather we both evolved from a common (as yet unidentified) ancestor.
Both humans and apes (and all other living organizms) are constantly evolving, but evolution is an arbitrary procesess, with no specific goal. Just because we appear to be more inteligent, doesn't mean that we have evolved and they haven't. They just evolved differently. After all, evolotion is not about inteligence, certainly not about inteligence in the form of culture which is what we have, it's about survival only.

Answer 6

Did the Shadow even read what anyone else wrote, or just launch the tired old creationist diatribe?

To reiterate what others said, we did not descend from apes. All primates descended from a common ancestor, which is why the genetic makeup of all primates is very similar. Different conditions caused the different species to evolve into what they are today.

Answer 7

You have just stumbled across one of the many logical fallicies and flaws that exist within the THEORY of evolution. Frankly, it is a theory that does not stand the tests of all other theories, yet is still upheld by scientists because they do not have anything better to put in its place. Kinda silly to me, but that is just my opinion. Scientists harp on Creationists and Intelligent Design people to prive their beliefs, but the scientists are just as unsuccessful in proving theirs. Just a big, logical black hole at this point. It is just mankind trying to understand the infinitude of all the universe. Entertaining to talk about, but it will really get you nowhere.

Why are there still apes if we evolved from them? There are still apes because we did not evolve from them. Simply an unproven theory that falls against the pressure of intellectual assault, like many do today.

Answer 8

All other we have killed during ourt past evolution, as we did if ancient civilizations and other less competitive animals.
What Homo has not killed, have assimilated; You can see it through different people, few fertile Hybrids that survived and still with its genes around us;

Neaderthal, Cro Magnon, etc. Human had a lot of branches, all cutted from beautiful "Homo Belicosus" Tree.

All other Apes comes from other kind of branch and thei still in evolutionary process as happens with Dolphins, Ravens, Octopus.

Of course, aliens could handle it and bring this new form of life. but the big question is: Why they did it?

Answer 9

Crikey...how many people are going to ask this same question? For the last time, children, HUMANS DID NOT EVOLVE FROM APES!!! We share a common ancestor, yes, but we are two completely different branches on the evolutionary tree.

Answer 10

Apes evolve. Remember evolution is simply change over time. All organisms adapt to their surroundings. If there are mutations within their gene pool and those traits get passed along, then eventually you can get a new species. But ALL organisms evolve!

Answer 11

We did not descend from apes--humans and simians (apes, monkeys, and the like) evolved differently from what may have been a common ancestor; so, although many traits may appear similar, we did not evolve from apes.