If humans descended from apes, why are their still apes?

Answer 1

Humans *are* apes, and we're closely related to other apes such as chimpanzees and gorillas. The most recent common ancestor of both humans and chimpanzees was approximately 6 million years ago.

The way to understand our origins is to remember that living organisms are in a state of constant change - It's not that evolution *can* occur, but that it *must* occur, simply because there is no mechanism in living organisms to ensure perfect, flawless reproduction for ever.

Suppose you could study a population of chimpanzees in the jungle, on a timescale of millions of years. Clearly, each individual only lives a few decades, so the population is constantly being succeeded by individuals which are different from their parents - and remember, this is *inevitable*. It can't *not* happen. All the time this population is inter-breeding, the genes are getting mixed together, and only genes which work well with all other chimpanzee genes will tend to get passed down to successive generations (because individuals with genes that don't work well together will tend not to survive and reproduce).

However, suppose that circumstances arise which cause a group to become genetically isolated from other chimpanzees. This could be as a result of an accident of geography (e.g. an impassable river) or breeding preference or simply great distance. There will develop two distinct groups of chimpanzees which can never again exchange genes, because they have become different enough that mating will not produce viable offspring. This is what biologists define as speciation - i.e. the population has forever split into two distinct groups. Biologists have observed many instances of speciation, so there is no doubt that it occurs.

Assuming that both groups continue to survive, it is again *inevitable* that they will diverge genetically - There is no possible way that both groups, isolated and independent from each other, can change in exactly the same ways, and the longer they continue to breed, the more different they will become. Over millions of years, given that the rate of genetic change via mutation tends to remain fairly constant, the two groups will become as distinct as today's chimpanzees and humans are from each other, and from their most recent common ancestor.

All this is based on what we *know* is true - it's not supposition or guesswork, and remember it's not just possible, it absolutely *has* to happen, because there is no mechanism in biology to make reproduction a 100% perfect, flawless process.

The evidence is there if you want to read about it, and no reasonable person could dispute it.

Answer 2

humans didn't "descend" from apes. At one point in time, one branch of apes took a different evolutionary track, and evolved into humans. Many other branches remained, and produced apes, monkeys.

it's a bit as if you said, "all life originated from bacteria, so why are there still bacteria around".

if an organism is so successful for its habitat, that mutations do not really increase the odds of it spreading its genes, then it won't evolve much if at all (crocodiles have been largely unchanged for about 100 million years). Evolution means that by chance (mutation), an organism gets a trait which increases the odds of that organism to spread its genes (i.e. bear offspring). As a result of that organism having more offspring, its gene pool will be larger, relative to the population, in the next generation. and if the gene is still favourable, it will spread further, and can end up becoming a feature of the species.

Answer 3

Evolution is not a direct path through history. not all apes evolved at the same rate. depending on their environment some apes evolved faster than others, for instance in an area where food is bountyfull where is the need to learn to grow crops? Apes are still around because humans evolved into humans as we are now and apes evolved into different apes better suited to their environments. thats why there are so many different types of apes, from gorilla to marmasett.

Answer 4

I think apes and humans are cousins, not parents and children. Why don't you say something original and try thinking for yourself, rather than mindlessly repeating nonsense that Morris and other creationists concocted to try to discredit Evolution? They only discredit themselves with their nonsense, and you do too by repeating such stuff without being able to tell that it makes no sense. If Genesis creation was true, why are there still men and men with ribs, if Eve was made from Adam's rib or ribs? It had to be a big one or more. Why is there still dust of the Earth, if Adam was created from it? Aha, Morris and you didn't think of that, did you? Oh well, creationists don't think, period. In Evolution, only one small group may evolve into another species. Of a species of primates, most remain as they are, and only a few become man-like. Both can survive, unless extreme conditions arise that exterminate the least fit to survive. That doesn't happen very often, so there is no reason why man's ancestors didn't co-exist with him. I suggest you learn much more about Evolution, and you are likely to accept it and discard the naive myths you now believe.

Answer 5

A good question...but there are many reasons to it...
Firstly Mutation is not limited to a specific gene like everytime the same gene is mutated it keeps varying depending upon the billions of proteins that are swimming in your body......The second most important reason is Evolution si largely dependent on Environmental Habitation. Just like Africans has black skin due to the tropical heat and the europeans have fair skin due to the cold environment.

So the bottomline is the apes who tried to evolve and change their habitat forced muatations to survive the new environment resulting in Humans the other who didnot bother are still apes hahhahah...

Answer 6

Direct from source: "1. Humans and other apes are descended from a common ancestor whose population split to become two (and more) lineages. The question is rather like asking, "If many Americans and Australians are descended from Europeans, why are there still Europeans around?" Creationists themselves recognize the invalidity of this claim (AIG n.d.). "

Answer 7

Apes are descended from a similar, as yet undiscovered, primate as human beings. And specific there'll be a hyperlink to a pair primordial single celled organism. As for the theory that we are being lied to, what motivation does technological know-how could desire to deceive us approximately this?

Answer 8

this is why we need to actually have evolution taught at schools, because when people learn about evolution from church, they get it wrong.

humans didn't descend from apes, humans and apes shared a common ancestor. there is a huge difference between those two things.

Answer 9

humans descended from a ancient ape species way different from apes now

Answer 10

I think reality is acquired not created. Fick it, do you think that apes realize that the radical seas that make the descent of man make the apes extinct? NO~! I think, you have to dock the ape in evolution. Nuke it. Man is the only ape, no other ape but man.