If we all came from a common ancestor, why aren't there any common ancestors anymore?

Question

oh wait, that actually makes sense, question withdrawn.

Answer 1

*snicker*

Answer 2

Actually, many supposed "common ancestors" are still here. Ever hear of the "coelacanth"? If it is still here, then why isn't the common ancestor of all primates still around? The idea that old species die out as they become obsolete is not really true, since we still have salamanders, scorpions, and ginkgo trees.

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Living fossil is a term for any living species (or clade) of organism which seems to be the same as a species otherwise only known from fossils and has no close living relatives. These species have all survived major extinction events, and generally retain low taxonomic diversities. A reason for this is that a species which successfully radiates (forming many new species after a possible genetic bottleneck) has become too successful to be considered a "living fossil". The term is frequently misinterpreted, however.

There is a subtle difference between a "living fossil" and a "Lazarus taxon". A Lazarus taxon is a taxon (either one species or a group of species) that suddenly reappears, either in the fossil record or in nature (i.e. as if the fossil had "come to life again"), while a living fossil is a species that (seemingly) hasn't changed during its very long lifetime (i.e. as if the fossil has always lived). The mean species turnover time (the time a species lasts before it is replaced) varies widely among the phyla, but is about 2-3 million years. So, a living species that was thought to be extinct (e.g. the coelacanth, Latimeria chalumnae) is not a living fossil simply due to that definition (though it may still be one because it hasn't changed much), it is a Lazarus species. Coelacanths disappeared from the fossil record some 80 million years ago (upper Cretaceous). If, however, other Cenozoic Latimeria fossil species were to be found, the coelacanth would be considered a true living fossil, as that would fill in the gap where the species is "dead". Of course, species do not just appear out of thin air, so all living Lazarus species (excluding disappearing and reappearing red list species) are nonetheless considered living fossils, if it can be shown they are not Elvis taxa.

Some living fossils are species that were known from fossils before living representatives were discovered. The most famous examples of this are the coelacanthiform fishes Latimeria chalumnae and Latimeria menadoensis and the dawn redwood, Metasequoia, discovered in a remote Chinese valley. Others include glypheoid lobsters, mymarommatid wasps, and jurodid beetles, all of which were first described from fossils, but later found alive (2 species, 10 species, and one species respectively). Others are a single living species with no close living relatives, but which is the survivor of a large and widespread group in the fossil record, perhaps the best-known example of which is Ginkgo biloba (the ginkgo), though there are others, such as the Syntexis libocedrii (the cedar wood wasp).

Answer 3

The only common ancestors we came from are Adam and Eve. Evolution is the biggest hoax ever perpetrated against the human race. Evolution is a religion. It takes a great deal of faith to believe that a dog can produce or come from anything but a dog. Cats ALWAYS produce some kind of cat, horses ALWAYS produce some kind of horse. To believe that the cat and the dog had a common ancestor is complete fantasy, unproven and unproveable - a religion. True science has demonstrated repeatedly that this cannot happen. It also requires a great deal of faith to believe that a loooooooong time ago, the dog came from a rock. If I remember high school biology correctly, I believe spontaneous generation (life from nonliving matter) was already disproven a couple hundred years ago.
People can look at this computer and believe that it was designed by someone intelligent, but then believe that the human body, which is thousands of times more complex than this computer, came about by accident. Some people are so stupid.

Answer 4

Spot on!

My parents tell me that I'm decended from Irishmen. I'm English, if I'm decended from Irishmen where are they? Where are all the "ancestors" they keep talking about?

All this "ancestors" stuff is just a theory. You can't prove it. I asked them to show me the bones of these so-called-ancestors. They came up with these pathetic excuses about "decomposition", "desecration of a grave" and "cremation". No, the world and all that's in it is no older than me - 21 years. (What's more is that it stays at 21 years forever!)

Answer 5

Because the descendents of those ancestors were better adapted, and out-competed them, pushing them to extinction. I thought I'd answer, just in case you hadn't noticed that THAT'S HOW EVOLUTION WORKS.

Answer 6

Im so tired of these religious excuses for denying the truth.
The Dinosaur is the Alligators ancestor ,Do you see any Dinosaurs still in existance ,or weren`t they real either ??????

Answer 7

George W.

Answer 8

ok ... i was abuot to answer that the whole basis of evolution is that new mutations are more advantageous to the environment and, therefore, the ancestor species would not be here given that they didn't have the mutation,.

Answer 9

If the USA evolved from one little colony in Plymouth, why isn't there one little colony in Plymouth anymore?

Answer 10

I was going to say its because of the enviroment.You evolve with your enviromental conditions!

Answer 11

Nice.