Why is it that scientist think we can be related to monkeys besides what relation they have given already?

Question

A rational and understanding response that can be understood completely and don't respond as a know-it-all answer.

Answer 1

Relationship to other primates had been suspected for years before Darwin (1840's)-- simple observation. Now with the deciphering of the geome for both chimps, and humans, relationship has been proved beyond a shadow of a doubt. We are all so similar even back to fish ---a central body with 5 protrusions -- head and 4 limbs. I don't know it all, lady, but taught science and math for years, read Discover Magazine, Scientific American, and watch the Science channel. Fascinating.... Evolution is no longer a theory, but a fact, a lovely fact. Our medical research on rats, dogs, and other critters would be worthless if evolution were not.. Helpful? The question is toooo complicated to fully explain. But you can start by reading scientific journals.... Good luck Life is a life-long learning process..... and god has nothing to do with it. Critters survived, and evolved. If a gene were detrimental, the critter carrying it didn't live long enough to procreate. It the mutated gene was beneficial, it aided in that critter to live long enough to reproduce. Lots of evolution is even occuring today. Google things like Darwin's Finches, pigmy elephants, and of course dinasaurs.

One quick interesting thing about moths in England to illustrate evolution: In the early 1600's, before the Industrial Revolution began and coal producing smoke was a fact of life, a particular moth was mostly white, and blended into the tree bark on which it laid its eggs. The tree bark was white. Occasionally a grey-black one was hatched, but never lived very long -- birds got it. As the Industrial Revolution took off in England, producing black soot, that black soot began to cover the trees' bark. In less than 150 years, the white variety was gone, and there existed only the darker mutant. Beginning in 1950 when England passed anti air pollution laws, those trees began loosing the soot off of the tree bark. Yup, you guessed it..... the white variant is now dominant........ evolution in action ,,,,,Helpful????

Answer 2

Okay, I see there are alot of good answers already posted. If you seriously want to learn more, I highly encourage you to take an advanced biology or geology class, or ideally both. I want to make one thing clear: we are not realted to monkeys, per se. We share a common ancestor with monkeys. We are the product of two distinctly diffrent lines of evolution. The evidence in support of our relationship is so great, I could literally go on for dozens of pages. The problem is, I cannot explain any of this in laments terms, as much of the evidence requires a solid background in genetics, chemistry, cellular biology, ecology, geology and a whole mess of other scientifc disciplines. Believe me, although I realize you have no reason to, the reason are totally valid and scientifically sound. Evolutionary analogy and homology help us distinguish when something branched in the tree of life, and by comparing small traits we get the idea that humans and apes share alot and are closely related. We did not descend from monkeys any more than you descended from your cousins, we merely share common ancestors, like you and your cousin share grandparents. Also, the genetic codes are very similar. So similar, in fact, that we can tell roughly when a change in that genetic code occured, because every child since then will have that same change in their genetic code, because it is passed from every parent to every child. Based on how much of that code has the same changes, we can tell roughly when two evolutionary lines diverged(went in diffrent directions). I'm not sure what reasons you have seen for the relationship, but the reasons are so strong as to be undeniable to anyone who understands the evidence. No rational biologist wouldn't believe in evolution. I am a biologist, not a physicist, so I don't know too much about the inner workings of string theory, but I trust that the experts are telling the truth, because some other expert would call them on it. I know that I totally digressed into evolution, but it is the core of everything in biology, and the basis for the relationship between apes and humans. I don't know how old you are, but I URGE, no IMPLORE you to take an advanced biology class. I can garuntee you, with in a few months that you will more than 95% of the population. In the meantime, check the website below. And, please, if I can ever try to explain anything, anything at all, please shoot me an email. (click the profile thingy.) Every question, no matter how basic is valid. We all have to start somewhere.

Answer 3

With the given that we all wonder where it all began and the powers questioned must give an answer simply look for similiarities and piece it together with believable bullshit. Lets face it. We know exactly crap about our world history before its historical recording. That leads to the promulgation of the best uncontested thoery that makes sense that cannot be proved otherwise. For example, our world has based the things we do on uncontested thoeries that are excepted until discovery of something that makes it not so. Fossil fuels have been accepted as the main fuel source with our inability of harnessing solar energy or another energy source that is both cheaper and more efficient. Recently they have found such a source that will change the financial structure of our world. For about 60 years the only source of motor power was that of fossil fuel and the capitalists all elbowed and fought to control the gas and oil industries. With the development of smarter and crushing a 60 year thoery now it will be possible to use water as the source of power, It will not leave harmful toxins as it burns clean, the supply is very plentiful as the earth is 2/3's water and no one controls the oceans and now we have a thoery of fossil fuels that won't hold water any longer. haha. sorry couldn't resist. Wow a fuel that does not give off a harmful afterburn no carbon monoxide to contribute to global warming, and the nuclear implications for travel or use of antimatter creating antigravity flight with no vapor trails what a concept. Could that be about 2/3 solution to global warming solutions.? Gee will we kill ourselves before we are smart enough to stop?

Answer 4

I'm looking at all these long, drawn out answers and I have to step outside to have a good belly laugh. It appears that none of them have read your question.

Your question, for some reason, assumed that scientists are keeping some key reasoning a dark secret, and have only given us a partial reason. You dare ask for a rational and understanding response to a question that is not based on rationality?

Give us a break! What are you trying to do? Make me break my oath to the sacred scientific community that I will not divulge the final secret that will prove evolution?

Answer 5

I think we are related to monkeys through Apes and way back men and Apes broke from each other. They must think it because they have found some evidence of it. That is, animals who's sculls are somewhat the same shape and size as ours have been found and those findings have been progressively
closer to us than the one older before. DNA has been used more recently to show our relativity to other species on earth.
I believe that our DNA from time to time shoots off a trial set of instructions that become mutations. Some of them work and some do not. Consider our appendix. Many years (Thousands or millions) ago it may have been a second stomach. We must have needed it then. Maybe we were grass eaters and needed the second stomach as do cows today. Just guesses on my part.

Answer 6

Prior to the discovery of DNA, know-it-all people discovered that humans and monkeys have similar morphology (i.e. shape and physical characterstics). In particular they discovered that all primates have opposable thumbs. Cows do not have opposable thumbs, so despite what people say, your mother isn't a cow.

Later they discovered that the amount of DNA that two species have in common matches how much they are related. Are frogs similar to humans? Yes, they have spinal cords, lungs and eyes similar to a human, unlike say an octopus or a housefly. Is your uncle a frog? Happily this is also not true, despite what misinformed creationists try to claim about evolution.

Answer 7

I don't get your question. It's not complete. Are you looking for a reason other than the one given? What one given? Evolution? If it's the one given, how do you know there is one they *haven't* given? Are You looking for an alternate theory, other than evolution, that primates are 'related' to humans? You mean like monkey sex? Or like Alien intervention?

I'm not aware of any unpopular subversive scientific theories, but perhaps if you did some research in the primatology archives, you could find some. But, you'd have to be very aware that they are not accepted theories and that they are fringe theories.

Answer 8

Dna similarity and behaviorial similarity between Humans, chimps and the bonobo provides inarguable evidence of a common ancestor. I don't think I can do the best job of explaining it so I will instead suggest you check out a book called our inner ape By Frans De Waal. It is an informative and fun book, that explains things far more eloquently than I am capable of doing.

Answer 9

Though they are missing the evidence that "proves" their theory, they are upholding the theory (unproven hypothesis backed by some evidence, but not enough to be conclusive) of evolution.

In fact, humans and monkeys are very similar, but that's just the way God made us.

P.S. don't generalise "scientists". there are many scientists who do not hold the theory of evolution as fact.

Answer 10

A few of the reasons I have heard are that we look like them, and that we "share 95-98%" of our DNA with them. Of course, looks can be decieving and we also share about 92-94% of our DNA with frogs, but whatever...