If humans evolved from monkey's/apes, why are they still here?

Answer 1

Evolution does not say that humans evolved from apes. It says that they have a common ancestor.

Answer 2

your question highlights a critical flaw that is present in the thinking of people who would tell you that science is the "lust of the eyes" (re: the religious.)

That flaw is the idea that evolution is a ladder, where each progressive species is "better" than the other. Religionists don't bother to define better because in their mind it is just another reason why evolution is stupid.

Case in point. When the London subway systems were built, a population of mosquitos descended into the system. Without natural predators and a super abundance of food, these mosquitos grew to gargatuan sizes, to the point where they couldn't mate with any other mosquito. This mosquito has evolved from its diminutive ancestor into it's modern form.

This highlights an important concept in evolution. Say the London subway system was no more for whatever reason, and the giant mosquitos were forced to migrate back outside. In this more dangerous environment, the tiny ancestor mosquito is better suited for survival than the more recent giant mosquito.

This applies to humans and other primates as well. Humans emerged as THE land based primate. Cro-magnun, Australopithecus, and Neanderthals simply couldn't compete with their superior cousins, they died out. What kind of primates did survive?

Small little monkeys that were fast enough to dodge their larger cousins

or the great apes, who lived in isolated, remote areas away from humans.

Different environments produced too different kinds of creature. One is NOT better than the other, one is simply more adapted to a specific environment. Humans would go extinct if we had to live the life of a baboon, or a Chimpanzee.

Answer 3

For the same reason that we have both professional wrestlers and scientists.

There was a common ancestor. One of the descendants of that common ancestor was different--a bit stronger and smarter than the rest. That one managed to breed and the offspring were a bit smarter and stronger than the rest. So on....

Now the ones that weren't smarter and stronger were shoved off into lands that weren't desirable. They didn't breed with the stronger and smarter set.

Over time man became more erect and more successful. Apes adapted to their environments. No really great mystery.

Even today there are significant adaptations among humans. Tibetans have greater lung capacity than anyone born at sea level and survive on a diet we couldn't live on.

Eskimos can tolerate greater cold and their traditional diet is high in protein and almost nil on veggies.

There's even a marked difference between people born and raised in cities and those born in traditional rural areas.

Man adapts. Apes adapt, too, but on a much smaller scale. This is because they were not blessed with the gene that led to man.

Answer 4

Because they evolved from our common ancestor too. We humans got smarter. The great apes, including chimpanzees, got stronger. They are stronger than us humans. (A 180-pound chimp would wipe the floor with a 180-pound human, even a college wrestler.)

Here is a little something extra for you, what the Cajuns call "lagniappe", like the free cookie the baker gives the kids when Mom buys a big birthday cake:

Back in 1776, monarchists (Monarchists are people who want to be ruled by a king or queen, not butterfly fanciers.) argued against democracy as a form of government. They said it was absurd to believe that "All men are created equal" because anyone could see men came in different heights, weights and colors. Case closed.

My point is not about democracy. It is about debate. Before you argue about something, you should understand it. If you don't understand it, you'll look foolish. One night on the "Saturday Night Live" TV show, Gilda Radner argued vehemently against the "Deaf Penalty", instead of the "Death Penalty". She looked absurd and we all laughed until the beer came out our noses, which was what she wanted. You don't want people to laugh at you.

In a serious debate, you should understand the other side. Note that I didn't say "Believe". Understanding is not the same as believing. If you were to study 20th century European Political history, you would have to understand several forms of government: communism (the USSR), fascism (Germany, Italy), socialism (Lots of countries), socialist democracy, capitalistic democracy and constitutional monarchy. You would not believe in all of them; you COULD not believe in all of them at once. If you tried, your head would explode. You would, however, have to understand their basic concepts.

If you were to study comparative religion, you would have to understand what Jews, Christians, Muslims, Hindus, Buddhists, Sikhs, Taoists and Confucians believe. You would not have to convert to a new religion every week, but you would have to understand the other ones. You would not get very far in your studies if you dismissed all the other ones as "wrong". They believe their path is the right one just as strongly as you believe your path is the right one.

99% of the biologists alive today believe that species evolve, and that the theory of evolution is the best explanation we have for the diversity of life. Christian biologists, Jewish biologists, Muslim biologists, Hindu biologists, Buddhist biologists; Australian, Bolivian and Chinese biologists; 99% of them believe it is the best explanation. Yes, it is only a theory. Planetary motion - the theory that the earth went around the sun, not vice versa - was only a theory for a long time. Some people still don't believe it.

Your question has been answered, hundreds of times, by people more versed in biology than I. It gets answered ever week here at YA.

If you are truly curious, ask your minister to give you a short, reasoned explanation of evolution. If he says he can't because it is wrong, he is as ignorant as those monarchists I mentioned above.

Answer 5

Good question, and one I've posed to several non-believers of my acquaintance. Scientifically, it makes no sense since evolution means that the evolved species are a higher form of development, but in so doing, the lesser forms cease to exist, which is not the case. You're right -- we did not evolve from primates. From the religious point of view, God created man in his own image. Whether one chooses to believe that or not is his or her problem. But if they ascribe to the scientific theory, they're going to have to come up with a more convincing example than the ape. While there is a slight similarity between human beings and apes -- that similarity being that primates stand upright and do not walk on four legs as do other animals. However, that's where the similarity ends. Apes are developmentally and physically far inferior to humans, although I have to admit that many humans do occasionally make monkeys of themselves!:)

Answer 6

Monkeys and Apes are rare creatures than are commonly found in places where humans are not. Note how they kept their tree climbing skills which might have been useful in evading early humans.
Theory says we killed off even closer relatives when we were evolving, like Neanderthal-Beast type proto humans either with violence or natural selection.
I understand that Evolution is not a popular thought when confronted with beliefs and values. Its a hard sell, I know!
Read CARL SAGAN - DRAGONS OF EDEN
It suggests that science and religion can co-habit in our natural history!

Answer 7

Monkeys, apes, and humans all evolved from a common ancestor. ( the so called missing link) They took different evolutionary paths and all succeeded in their own way.

Answer 8

You mean the apes?? I don't think that we evolved from apes.
When I watch the Discovery Channel I see all kinds of science programs. Scientists really don't know how we evolved. They are always changing their theories.

Answer 9

well i have also put thought into this . this is what i came up w/ all monkeys/apes also are not the same . they have adapted to their surroundings also w/ what they needed to do to survive . as we may also have adapted to what we needed to do to survive we made it to different spots in the world and grew where they stayed behind and stayed as they are hope that explains it kevin

Answer 10

because the theory has never been proven false or true, and you could get some religious people who will telll you that it is proven true, but the theory says we came from a common ancestor adapted into three things 1 humans 2 apes and the like 3 monkeys and the like.