If we evolved from primates, why are they still here?

Question

If we came from apes, then why are they still on earth and why are there so many different thoeries on how we became human. I understand that there are many different types, but was a certain type of primate better than others, and that;s the one that turned into a human? I just don't believe that i came from a Monkey!

Answer 1

You misunderstand. Humans did not descend from apes. Rather, humans and other primates descended from a common ancestor.

And your question about "better" primates - all of the different species of primates that are alive today are "better". They survived while thier ancestor species died off, which I guess makes them "better".

So, in a very simplified view, here's how it works: Imagine a species. Now within that species, a mutation occurs which causes some of them to have some certain trait (like maybe a longer neck or something), we'll call these members set A. Now imagine that another mutation which cause it's member have another trait (say a strong neck), we'll call this set B. Then imagine another mutation which cause some members to have yet another trait (say a small, thin neck), we'll call this set C. And we'll call the remainder of the species set D. Now imagine there is a change in climate for which a long neck and a short, thin neck are advantageous, but all other necks are a liability. So this means that the members of group A and B have an advantage over members of C and D in the new climate. So the members of C and D die out, but the members of A and B live on. This is (sort of) how evolution works. So in this senario, you can think of us and other modern day primates as groups A and B and our common ancestor as the original species, to illustrate the concept.

Answer 2

Monkey, ape, primate, human. You throw those words around like the are all the same species. Well, they are not. The reason there are other primates and monkeys is because they are all different species. However, humans and primates, had a common ancestor. You know all present day birds had common ancestors. Is that so difficult to believe?

There are NOT a bunch of theories. Only one Evolution. Something you should have learned in high school biology. Please take the time to become more familiar with it.

Better? What do you mean by that? Obviously certain primates adapted and survived. You could say they were better at adapting.

http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/aso/tryit/evolution/
http://www.talkorigins.org/faqs/homs/
http://www.mnh.si.edu/anthro/humanorigins/

Answer 3

Evolution does not work in a linear fashion, with a monkey on one end and humans on the other. It is a branching process which is difficult to trace because all we can see is the ends of the twigs. The spots where the twigs joined no longer exists and this applies to the branches and certainly the main trunk as well. Fish with legs no longer exist because amphibians replaced them. We know these fish once lived however, because of the fossils they left in rocks.

Scientists rely mostly on fossils to help understand how the tree looked as a whole. Monkeys and apes are not the same thing. Apes evolved from monkeys and humans then evolved from apes.Humans began evolving from apes about 6 million years ago. If this creature were still alive it would look very much like a chimpansee. Its ancestors began to walk upright, but only reciently have humans lost the last traces of their ape like appearance. Our last ape like ancestor lived about a million years ago. If it were still alive, it would probably be concidered a "missing link". It walked fully upright, cooked with fire and may have even been able to talk. It still had a very ape like face and was probably as hairy as a chimpansee.

Answer 4

As most of the others pointed out, we did not evolve from the extant primates. Instead, those primates and we have a common ancestor species at some point in the distant past

What a number of people miss is that an organism CAN evolve from an earlier organism WITHOUT requiring the earlier organism to disappear.

Thus, there is no absolute reason that our earlier, common ancestor could not still be around. They aren't, but that's because they died out, not because evolution says they had to be replaced by their evolutionary off-spring. As species evolve into newer species, not all individuals of the orginal species die out. If they both find an ecological niche where they can reproduce successfully, both lines will continue on into the future as related species.

Answer 5

To oversimplify - The predominant theory is that humans and apes have the same roots. Humans did not evolve from monkeys. Apes and humans share a common ancestor. Chimpanzees, Bonobos, Orangutans, Humans are all end-results of their evolution - from a common ancestor.

Answer 6

The current thinking is that all primates, humans included, come from the same mammalian ancestor. As time went on, mutations resulted in different species "branching" off this evolutionary "tree", and we, or our ancestors, became one of these branches. We didn't come from monkeys (or chimpanzees or apes or orangutangs) as we know them today, because they have also evolved from the form of their ancestors. However, it is a known fact that we share between 95 and 98% of our DNA with chimpanzees, and this certainly supports the common ancestor theory.

Answer 7

Because families of animals seem to have common ancestors.
Evolutionist extrapolate that into; all life having a common ancestor. A common designer is a better answer for the homology* of all life. The former proves Genetic Inheritance. (Mendal's scientifically accepted law!) and a very slight amount of inherited mutational traits. The later is pure conjecture; and has no proof. In fact, most evidence runs against such conjecture! But it is so POPular, it has a life all it's own.

*homology: similarities of design, present in all life.

Answer 8

Remember that evolution and change is not caused only by the internal factors.
meaning, that the changes were induced by external
factors such as the environment, therefore, even though
A and B are from same group, depending on what type
of environmental exposure they were introduced to may
cause, natural selection to take effect. This may explain, to a small degree why there are primates who are still around to this day that may have shared a common ancestor with humana.

Answer 9

Why are there different types of fish? I don't know you, but I'm going to take a guess that you look more like a monkey than a fish. Yes, before "you were" a monkey "you were" a fish, but no self respecting fish would associate his evolution with a single celled oranism, which "you were".
Learn to praise your primate heritage. Invite a monkey to family gatherings. This is a good time to make Thanksgiving plans. Show your appreciation to the primordial soup that "you were", instead of putting them down. Amen

Answer 10

Does anyone ever read anymore. This question was asked two days ago.

Other primates and humans evolved from a common ancestor that no longer exists. Evolution causes branching and eventually those branches become very different, though related.

For example, your pet kitty and a tiger. Very different but undeniably related.

A dingo and a Labrador. Very different but still related.