Why do creationists always pull the 'why are there still monkeys?' argument?

Question

I've noticed that a lot of evolution questions posed here are often answered by creationists with the argument:

"If we evolved from monkeys/apes/primates, then why are there still monkeys/apes/primates? Why didn't they evolve too?"

This kind of response only proves a lack of knowledge of evolution enough to prevent them from creating an inteligent answer.

The first problem with the argument is that they usually use monkeys or apes in the question. No one would be correct in suggesting that we evolved from either of these, evidence for evolution shows that humans and modern day primates (monkeys, apes, etc) descend from a common ancestor - that is a prehistoric primate that's evolution took different directions at some point in history, resulting in primates with tails (monkeys), primates without tails (apes) and the species that eventually evolved into humans.

This brings me too my second point - evolution takes multiple paths. ...

The reason we have monkeys, apes and man is the same reason we have mice, rabbits and hares. Mice, rabbits and hares are all rodents but mice bear little resemblence to rabbits or hares. Rabbits and hares on the other hand do bear a similarity but they are not the same species, they simply had a common ancestry.

Apes, monkeys and humans are on a similar level, they have similar skull structures and genetic similarities between some of them are minor (for example the similarities between chimps and humans on the genetic level). They are all difference species but all belong to the primate group and all share a common ancestry.

Those two points made, do you still see that the argument "why are there still monkeys?" makes any sense?

* on that note about mice, rabbits and hare - what I mean is that all three are different species but they are all rodents and all share a common ancestry.

In case that doesn't make sense to you, it means the reason there are still apes and monkeys and whatnot is because evolution involves a large amount of diversity - not everything evolves the same way. Monkeys and apes HAVE evolved, just not into humans. The monkeys and apes that are around now are not the same ones that were around 40 million years ago.


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Responses to answers start here
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Bad Cosmo - Please back up your claim that this involves stupidity on my part.

abdulaziiz & John Winston - I just explained why. Read the question, not just the title.

Sommer - Could the reason no evidence for such a creature has been found is because there never was such a thing? You only need to look up the transitional stages of ruminant to sea mammal to see something similar though. You don't need faith to believe that, just an mind unclouded by 'faith' in something with no true evidence.

DuckPhup, immappam - good to see there are some people here who can put together a decent argument. You guys/gals have my respect here.

fireball226 - You don't 'know' creation happenned, you just believe it because it says so in the Bible/Quran or whatever your religious book is.

Answer 1

This kind of argument can by rebutted by germs. Germs are mutating all the time, however there are always some germs left that do not mutate as do the others. You then wind up with a variety of germs from the same family. Also take the family of man, to the Creationist, we all came from one pair, Adam and Eve. Why then do we have so many genetically varied humans with different characteristics, they would be all the same if there wasn't the process of evolution.

Answer 2

For those that say that evolution does not account for new species... horseshit. Examples abound, both in the 'world' and in the laboratory. One of the most interesting examples, and the most enlightening, has to do with a kind of bird (plovers, if my memory is correct) that occupies adjacent habitats all the way from Siberia to Britain. Because of environmental differences in these adjacent habitats (topology, food availability, competitor species, predators, vegetation), natural selection has produced genetic differences between the populations in these adjacent habitats. Birds in adjacent habitats can still mate with each other... the genetic differences are small. However, the birds from the Eastern-most reaches of Siberia CAN NOT mate with those from Britain. Over the reach of MANY habitats, the accumulation of genetic differences makes them a DIFFERENT SPECIES.

Answer 3

Fantastic job... i couldn't have said it better myself. I have evolution questions queued on an rss feed... i see this argument presented at least once a day. It's sad that education has failed these people, and even sadder that many of them aren't even open to rectifying the discrepancy.

Answer 4

They're getting better about it.

After many many responses of people who understand evolution saying that there was a common ancestor, the people who posts those questions finally get it.

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Some people still remain boneheaded to the idea, never letting the information presented to them anywhere near their brain, resulting in them asking the question 20 more times thinking they never got a good answer.

Answer 5

I do not get involved in the creation/evolution debate. I really don't know why so many people can't get past it. I do believe that Science meshes with Scripture on a level we can't even comprehend. I honestly don't see the competing theories as mutually exclusive.

Answer 6

They're not interested in debate they're interested in obfuscation and covering up the fact that their beliefs about creation are fantastic rubbish. They are the most devious, disingenuous, intellectually dishonest group of people that I have ever had the misfortune to debate with. In fact they are in general pretty slimy human beings.

Answer 7

I evolved from Europeans, why are there still Europeans?

Answer 8

let's take something else that has "evolved", where is the fossil record that anything has evolved? lets say a dog with no legs but just fins. it takes more "faith" to believe evolution than creationism.

Answer 9

Let's just cut to the chase here... Is this going to help me save money on my car insurance?

Answer 10

You shouldn't fight alledged stupidity with stupidity.