Why if we?

Question

why If we evolved from monkeys/apes, are there still monkeys/apes?

Answer 1

First things first: Humans are apes, descended from earlier apes. Our closest relatives are chimpanzees, and the most recent common ancestor of both humans and chimpanzees was approximately 6 million years ago.

Now, 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, because reproduction is imperfect - 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.

NB: The reason we're classed as apes is that there is no valid way to group all the other apes together that doesn't also apply to humans. In other words, whatever criteria you use to define what is an ape, in order to include chimpanzees, gorillas, orangs and gibbons, humans will also fit those criteria. Indeed, chimpanzees are more closely related to humans than to gorillas, and gorillas are more closely related to humans and chimpanzees than they are to orangs, so any classification that separated humans out from those other apes would not make any sense.

Answer 2

the evolution of 1 member of a species doesnt necessarily mean that the whole population of that species will evolve. in the case of humans, we probably evolved from monkeys/apes, but only a select few individual monkeys/apes had the traits of humans.

Answer 3

Only one species evolved into humans. The others evolved but not to the level of humans. Modern day monkeys and apes are far in advance of what they were when man was Homo Erectus.

Answer 4

Because they evolved into common day monkeys and apes and we evolved into humans! They are a different species from what we evolved from!
I think!!!

Answer 5

We didn't evolve from monkeys or apes. We have always been human and monkeys and apes have always been monkeys and apes.

Answer 6

Well monkeys etc have taken a different path where they may have hit an evolutionary cul-de-sac. They are so entirely suited to their environment that there is no longer a need to evolve. We have veered off however and are no longer entirely at the mercy of random mutation. We have taken the reigns so to speak. Carl Sagan gave an interesting theory. He reckoned we have become the architects of our own fate (in evolutionary terms) to an extent. For example, instead of waiting millions of years to grow wings, we invent aircraft.Or, instead of waiting again to get a brain and intellect the size of a zeppelin, we invented libraries where we exchange and compare information. We are the only creatures who are aware of ourselves and the environment. Unfortunately, it doesn't stop us from destroying ourselves and everything around us. Ho hum!

Answer 7

Evolution is tricky to grasp correctly. To say that we evolved from monkeys is a simplification of the truth. Humans actually are apes, and we are descended from ancestors that are also the ancestors of chimpanzees and gorillas. Thus our great-great-great-great (add loads more greats) great-grandparents were apes whos progeny would include chimps, gorillas and us.

Answer 8

we didnt evolve from apes, apes evolved from us. Read the Quran. Allah punished ppl to become different animals like pigs, rats, apes...etc. Thats why they have similar DNA to us. Get it.

Answer 9

AS MONKEYS EVOLVED FROM SQUIRLES
and marcupials
the process of evolutiom takes billions of years to cycle through a species
was your question rhetorical or literal?

Answer 10

I think confused Angel is Confused if he expects us all to have read the Quaran but my mother-in law still looks like an ape so that might be the answer..