If man evolved from apes, how come there are still apes today?

Answer 1

Why are Reptiles there....If Birds Evolved from them?

Answer 2

This is a silly question for *two* reasons. One (which everybody else is pointing out) misunderstands human evolution, and the other (which other people have not mentioned) misunderstands evolution itself.

First, as many other people are saying, the theory of evolution does not say that "man evolved from apes" but rather that modern man and modern apes have a common ancestor ... an ancestor that *did* go extinct.

Second, even if man *did* evolve from some species that still existed (call it species 'A'), there's nothing contradictory about the two species continuing to survive. I.e. it doesn't mean that *all* members of A became early humans ... it means that *some* members of A became early humans. Other members of species A could continue to live quite happily as As.

Another example: "If amphibians evolved from fish, why are there still fish?"
Answer: Just because *some* fish found ways to survive on land, doesn't mean that *all* fish need to follow onto land ... water is still a great place for fish to live.

The same applies to Rick O's example:
If birds evolved from reptiles, then why are there still reptiles?
(You guys really need to learn *something* about logic.)

Maybe this analogy will help:
It is exactly the same logic as the question:
"If early Americans descended from Europeans, then why are there still Europeans?"
Answer: Just because *some* Europeans came to America doesn't mean that *all* Europeans came to America.

Seriously, think about it!! You may *think* you sound awfully clever, but it makes you sound precisely the opposite!

Answer 3

Quoting from Answers In Genesis, a Young Earth Creationist group...
"the main point against this statement is that many evolutionists believe that a small group of creatures split off from the main group and became reproductively isolated from the main large population, and that most change happened in the small group which can lead to allopatric speciation (a geographically isolated population forming a new species). So there's nothing in evolutionary theory that requires the main group to become extinct.

It’s important to note that allopatric speciation is not the sole property of evolutionists—creationists believe that most human variation occurred after small groups became isolated (but not speciated) at Babel, while Adam and Eve probably had mid-brown skin color. The quoted erroneous statement is analogous to saying ‘If all people groups came from Adam and Eve, then why are mid-brown people still alive today?’"

The question can also be asked as, "If many Americans and Australians are descended from Europeans, why are there still Europeans around?"

Even some creationists recognize that this question is invalid, but others still continue to use it to attack evolution. These creationists seem to conveniently forget that criticisms of evolution, even when the criticism is valid (which in this case, it is not), does not constitute proof that we were created from scratch via magic.

Further, populations do not have to be geographically isolated (allopatric speciation) to evolve. Speciation can occur without the geographical separation (sympatric speciation). In either case, the speciation is usually gradual, not immediate.

Species that are asexual or hermaphroditic can evolve very rapidly because they do not need to find mates.

But even if we did evolve from apes, which is not even what evolutionary scientists believe (They think we split off from a common ancestor millions of years ago), would it make us any less human? Any less saved? Any less loved by God? Obviously, we are not who our relatives are, and if we have distant relatives who are criminals, that doesn't mean we will become the same.

Ultimately, the criticism that we descended from monkeys is a fallacy (Wishful Thinking). What we want to be true doesn't make it true.

Answer 4

Excuse me, but even Charles Darwin never said man evolved from Apes. I know, I read his books.
What early evolutionist did say, that sparked all the controversy, is that long long ago, Apes and man had a common ancestor, that was neither Man nor Ape but a unique being.
But many people could not comprehend that and chose to make fun of it instead of try and debate it.

Answer 5

Humans evolved alongside apes. You say how did we evolve from apes if they still exist? Right? Well which apes (primates)? There are over 145 surviving types of primates today, us included. Each adapted to its own evolutionary needs, and surroundings. And of the ones that are still around today, there are countless others that we are discovering as fossil remains every year. And of those primates we are discovering, there are some that closely resemble today’s humans. And still others (ie. Neanderthal man) that we once thought to be our ancestor actually was another primate evolving alongside us, living when our ancestors did. Such as chimpanzees are right now evolving alongside gorillas. We all share a common ancestor, but we have all branched off (evolutionary speaking) at different points in history. Humans having done so longer ago than say when chimpanzees of today branched off, versus when the orangutans did; which are more closely resembled too each other (longer evolving = more time to change = less resemblance to other primates). If you can imagine the world long ago. Let’s say there was only one type of primate on earth just to make it easy. Ok? In one corner of the world things are going well in the trees, and there is lots of food. On one half of the world the same primates have been plagued by locus and all the leaves and food in the trees are gone. These primates leave the trees in search of food. Once they figured out how to find food they continue doing so, (lets say the locus hung around for a while, or there was a beetle that killed all the trees, something) so these primates get used to finding food on the ground. One or two generations goes by. The trees come back but they don’t need to go back to them now, because they know how to get calorie rich high protein insects and small mammals on the ground not to mention roots, berries, and a host of other things. Now it’s only been a few years, but we have the same species with two different needs and each has changed its habits to adapt. But crawling around on the ground hunched over hurts the back...so the slowly (over thousands and thousands of years) they begin to stand up and walk erect. (This also has other advantages). Now we have two species on stemming from one. Now with our world multiply that be the thousands of climates, micro climates and isolated areas around the world. Side by side.

Answer 6

We didn't evolve FROM apes....we evolved WITH apes. They are our distant cousins. Somewhere on the timeline of our evolution....ape branched off into their own category. Apes and human did evolve from the same creature but somewhere we became different depending on where in the world we lived. Half became ape the other half continued to evolved into humans.

Answer 7

The apes that may have formed into man was in a different location then the other apes. They say apes started walking upright because a land slide IN THEIR AREA destroyed the trees and they had no choice but to survive without trees. Because of the high weeds and grass, they had to walk upright to watch out for predators. The ones that didn't walk upright, didn't survive.

Answer 8

Humans and apes both evolved from a common ancestor. And. no, that's what the Bible says. But they didn't have the internet when the Old Testament was written, so what did they know?

Answer 9

Humans did not evelove from apes, if you believe in evolution and science then the theory would be that humans evolved from the same type of primate that apes and monkeys came from. Imagine something like the mythological creature "Bigfoot" that's supposedly what they looked like.

( I agree with officeressi )

Answer 10

I'm not sure that human and apes have a relationship but you should know that even that fact is true, human is only another kind of apes. There are many same cases like that in nature like Dogs and Bears or Cats and Cougars.............

Answer 11

Ive heard about men who change into apes after they get married, but Ive never heard about an ape that had changed into a man!!!