Humans are primates?

Question

Domain: Eukaryota
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Mammalia
Order: Primates
Superfamily: Hominoidea
Family: Hominidae
Subfamily: Homininae
Tribe: Hominini
Subtribe: Hominina
Genus: Homo
Species: H. sapiens
Subspecies: H. s. sapiens
(look up the terms if you need to. I'm lazy)

From this classification, humans ARE animals. I know creationists take issue with this. My question is, simply, "Why?" Is it really so bad to think of ourselves as evolved-primates? We've come a long way. I'm proud of that.

I'm getting the idea that there's a general consensus that it's ok to classify humans as mammals(and animals in general). So why the fuss about classifying us as primates?

idlebud: Thanks for pointing that out. I meant to say "some creationists", actually. Random computer freeze locked up my keyboard before I could add more details.

Answer 1

From my understanding, they have an issue because then it means that Adam and Eve could never have existed because God created them both and the human race just started from them, not from a previously and slowly developing change in species.

Answer 2

Without at first, stating my views on the theories of evolution and creationism, I will remark that the sentence, "From this classification, humans ARE animals" would do nothing, in and of itself, to convince most people that evolution was true.

All this classification means is that a human has decided to put human beings into the primate category, based on physical characteristics that can be observed HERE and NOW. It says nothing about the origin of the various primate species, because origin of species cannot be the object of verifiable and repeatable observation; it can only be the object of conjecture.

****"Now, to answer your question: "Is it really so bad to think of ourselves as evolved primates?" I would have to say, no, I'd rather be able to claim gentle forest-dwelling spider monkeys as my kinfolk than to have to be in the same family as some of the ruthless (albeit very intelligent) and hatefilled homo sapiens.

HOWEVER, the more I study the Creation-Evolution issue, the more convinced I am that the way Genesis describes our origins is actually the way it happened. This is not JUST because of theological considerations---Christians: if death entered the world through Adam's and Eve's sin, then how to account for the deaths that occurred repeatedly during the (supposed) eons that passed before Adam and Eve existed?--- but also because of scientific ones. (Please see link below, which is about the link betweens chimps and humans.)

Answer 3

Well its not "Bad" to think of ourselves evolving from monkeys/animals it just isn't true. Animals,plants etc.evolve because a change occurs in their environment that makes it necessary to either adapt, to change in order to survive and be able to live in the "Changed" environment or die out. What was the motivation for a group of monkeys and/or apes to suddenly start changing and to eventually evolve into a human being an suppose we did shouldn't there be some common factor there in the DNA(there is none). The animal(according to science) that we are the closest to in brain size, habits, social orders etc is the chimpanzee so what factor decided some would stay chimpanzee and some would become man .If I really came from a chimpanzee I wouldn't feel bad about it but evolution is theory where we find ancient bones etc and intellectually imagine to fill in the missing pieces bu no one ha been able to determine the very beginning except Creationism.

Answer 4

I think the problem really is why does one side think they're totally right? Scientific priniciple dictates that we must experiment and form conclusions based on observable facts.

Darwin himself calls it a theory. He had no proof. He put his theory forward as a hypothesis. We must test it to prove or disprove it.

My own belief is that what Darwin says is evolution is actually a recording of God's creation. But that is just my belief. No proof.

When you look at humans, we are adapted for tool use. Why is that? Why are we tool users? There must be a reason. We have poor eyesight, we're pretty weak, we can't run very fast. But we can work together as a group, we can communicate our thoughts and ideas very well. We can create and use tools most effectively. If we were left out in the woods by ourselves naked, we'd most likely die. But leave us with a knife or some other cutting tool, and we'd be able to survive. It's an interesting thought discussion.

Answer 5

I'm not sure that your premise is correct, namely that "creationists take issue with this".

I'm sure that SOME creationists still believe that God created man essentially as he exists today. But I believe that there are many more people (like me) who believe the following:
1. There is a God.
2. That God is the higher power, one which would be at the top of your impressive 13-stage taxonomy of humans.

My God is the ultimate "common ancestor" (root node to the taxonomists out there) to be found at the top of EVERY multi-stage classification, evolutionary tree, big-bang theory of the formation of the universe...ALL of the above.

As I've answered here a few times. In the beginning there was "Something". "Nothing" cannot beget "Something". Everything derives from "Something". I call that "Something" GOD. He is responsible. He is the first "Something" and everything that evolved, survived, mutated, and self-selected afterward traces back to Him.

I'd suggest that what I just stated is the view more commonly accepted by today's "Creationists". As science provides us with indisputable evidence of the processes of selection and evolution we have a better picture of WHAT happened.

But only faith in God can explain HOW and WHY it happened.

Answer 6

Because God created many different species does not mean they all came form each other. I am sure that because Rats are mammals someone would find a way to argue that we came from them too. Science is broad and open that way. I believe we evolve to adapt to our environment but not to become another species or sub species. Yes we have come a long way because we are an intelligent Strong species. The Neanderthal could not survive and we did not come form them, Do you suppose they came from primates as well? Who knows but as a person who believes in her faith, I know that God could have made us this way from the start but there is a distinct possibility there that he created us to evolve as well. That does not make him any less our creator.

Answer 7

Of course God did not create Adam and Eve and they Did not creat children and stasrt the Human race. It was just a story which evolved into a truth that people believe. Remember people also believed in a geocentric universe, wasnt that disproved??
We are evolved primates are we are evolving constantly. We have come a long way and not forget that we are animals too ( if not restricted as they are in some ways).

Answer 8

I've come to suspect that things are a little more complicated than has been generally depicted. I think mankind is sort of a multistate living entity. In essence, we exist in the form of very mentally advanced primates which are possessed, for lack of a better word, by human spirits. As such, i think our challenge in life is to see beyond the limitations of the biological human mind--a lot of people just can't do it. Ultimately I think that will be what separates us: those who prefer the Earthly world of mortality and those who prefer the spiritual world of immortality.

Interestingly, scientists using DNA analysis have discovered a mitochondrial-DNA "Eve" and a y-chromosomal-DNA "Adam".

Answer 9

Yes, I'm proud to be an animal and there's nothing wrong with that. The primates are very similar to the Whales. We are like dolphins and Gorillas are like a Orcas (Killer Whales). I'm sure that in some millions of years another species will be the most intelligent creature in this planet.

Answer 10

We have Not come a long ways, we are becoming More like our ancestors - on the Lowest form of Animal World in the series of evolution. We kill sometimes for survival with no remorse and some actually derive pleasure from this act.
Animals have never stooped that Low.