Who can tell me why the "i don't believe in evolution because there's still monkeys" argument is a bad one

Question

Pay attention anti-evolutionists

Answer 1

If Christianity evolved from Judism...then why are there still Jews?

If Protestants evolved from Catholics, then why are there still Catholics?

If space shuttles evolved from airplanes, then why are there still airplanes?

If 6 cylinder engines evolved from 4 cylinder engines, then why are there still 4 cylinder engines?

You get the point. Just becomes something evolves doesn't meant that EVERYTHING evolves all at once.

Answer 2

Couple of reasons. One is that no one is claiming that we evolved from a species of ape that is currently alive today. We didn't evolve from chimps, baboons, orangutans, or gorillas, or any other known primate. We all had a common ancestor which, in fact, does NOT exist today.

The other reason is along the lines of DougDoug's answer; If man were made from clay, why is there still clay? Entire species don't just go to sleep one night and wake up as some different species. If that's how they think evolution works, then they've never even looked at the very basics of it, and there's no reason they should be trying to discuss it. I'm talking grade-school basic, here.

Answer 3

Because in spite of the distorted rantings of christians, evolution does not say we evolved from monkeys, only that we came from a common ancestor. Even if we did come from monkeys the explanation why they are still here would be obvious to anyone with even the most basic knowledge of evolution. Putting it in greatly oversimplified words : A species adapts (evolves) over time to changing environments. a monkey in an unchanging environment will stay the same. The adventurous monkey who migrates may in time find himself in an environment that will necessitate change. Small changes on a generational level can equate to huge changes over tens of thousands of generations.

Answer 4

In short, because it is logically unsound. Just as Darwin's finches were all the same species yet had different features, so natural selection behaves with all species. It is the result of a catalyst which forces a species to adapt to a given environment in order to survive or compete against others for things such as food, water, etc... On the other hand, the massive variation in species living within the same environment, particularly when one species is said to be related to another, begs the question of why such incredible variety would occur. As anyone who has read my posts know I am an avid Intelligent Design proponent, but I also believe in "good science"

Answer 5

>> "i don't believe in evolution because there's still monkeys"

Of course there's monkeys. The fact is that we evolved from a common ancestor. That common ancestor used to live in a homogenous ecological niche ( http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ecological_niche ). However, at some point, the ecological niche was compromised (food source shortage, etc.), thereby splitting the group into smaller groups - forever separating the common ancestors into different "camps". One camp went off and became the various primates (going through several splits itself), and our camp went through more splits of our own:

http://www.mnh.si.edu/anthro/humanorigins/ha/a_tree.html

So, when someone says "why are there still monkeys", they don't understand what the evolutionary argument actually is. We all came from a common ancestor, and in fact, apes are closer along the phylogenetic tree to us (that is, they were furhter along the same path with us) than monkeys are.

Answer 6

It shows complete ignorance of the mechanisms involved in biological evolution and the reasons why it occurs. If a particular species of monkey, or primate, fills a niche in its habitat it has no need to evolve whereas environmental pressures might act on another species and cause it to adapt and go through the evolutionary process. It's not rocket science but apparently it's too complicated for the little creationist brain cells to grasp.

Answer 7

My standard reply:

"Evolution only occurs when a population is under pressure to adapt. Populations under no threat to their existence have no need to change. Sharks and crocodiles have remained unchanged for more than 200 million years. An ape populations finding itself in competition for resources had two options: adapt or die. In most cases these choices faced by any organism will result in the second outcome, and species will become extinct. It is possible that the first will occur though, and the members of that population will deviate from the original. Over time it becomes a different species. Populations elsewhere facing no pressure will not change. They will remain apes, while we evolved into humans."

Answer 8

We didn't evolve from monkeys. No one except Creationists ever claimed we evolved from monkeys. We evolved from an ape-like ancestor who is no longer around. Monkeys took one path of evolution and humans took another...not out of a conscious choice but because of the pressures of the environment. Where monkeys developed, small size and agility gave them an edge to survival. Where humans developed, cleverness and brain power was the key to living long enough to reproduce. It's pretty much that simple.

The entire question is a clever-sounding soundbite that has no substance to it when examined. Thank you, Kent Hovind, may you rot in a cell for life.

Answer 9

This is an argument which uses false logic. Evolution occurs when the conditions are right to cause mutations. Obviously a group of monkeys started mutating to become human and other groups did not.

Answer 10

There are 133 different species of monkeys living in our world right now which has drastically decreased over the years. Different species evolve at different rates, hence extinction (natural selection.) Species that evolved quicker survive becuase thier evolution enabled them to adapt to the survival skills needed in the modern world.

Answer 11

Because a long time ago, a branch of primates split off from the rest of the bunch, forming a new species. This new branch would continue to evolve into humans while the other primates (due to environmental and behavioral reasons) evolved in a different way.