Evolutionists: If I understand the theory of evolution correctly, we evolved and continue to do so. Is that?

Question

correct? If we evolved from an ape, ape like creature, or monkey, does that mean the older members in your family tree are closer to being an ape than you are? If mankind continues to evolve then changes, however slight, must be continuing all the time. That should stand to mean that your older siblings, parents, grandparents, great great grandparents, etc. etc. are/were closer to being a monkey, ape, whatever, than you are. Is this true?

Answer 1

I didn't read any answer that did your question justice except the first. Let me explain...

According to the theory of evolution, we have evolved from ape-like creatures, if not apes. You are correct in this statement. What you failed to understand (and no one bothered to explain) is that evolution does not necessarily occur in each generation. Remember, the theory of evolution theorizes that one *species* evolves into another *species*.

I'm not going to go into evolution mechanisms here, for one because I am no expert on the matter. But evolution requires more than just adaptation. To explain this point: imagine a warlike society which valued only redheaded people. Imagine that they attained military superiority and destroyed all non-redheaded people on the planet, and likewise killed all non-redheaded children. In a few generations, all other hair color might be removed from the gene pool altogether. The fact that the race as a whole *changed* in a particular way is *not* evolution. The surviving redheads are *not* an evolutionary step forward. Although it is, in a manner of speaking, natural selection (only the redheads were able to survive), there is no evolution occurring here. They are all still 100% human.

What is required in evolution is a genealogical change from *one species* to *another*. This *requires* genetic mutation. Genetic mutation occurs naturally, but rarely. In other words, there is no reason for anyone to believe that their parents, grandparents or great-grand-parents are any less human than they. *Statistically*, the farther you follow your family tree, the more likely there are to be mutations, but there is no guarantee of mutations, either positive, negative, for any given period.

In other words, evolution is not *necessarily* continuing all the time, in all members of a species. It could be that I possess an overall genetic advantage over my parents, but that does not mean that it is an evolutionary one. It could also be that I have an overall genetic *disadvantage* when compared to my parents - that does not mean that I have devolved, either.

As one answer suggested, if you believe in evolution, then you believe that your ancestors are (generally!) closer, genealogically, to the creature that humans evolved from. This does *not* mean that they are more ape-like! It only means that their genetic makeup, though wholly homo-sapiens, is likely closer to the genetic makeup of our evolutionary predecessor, though that predecessor would have been wholly homo-whatever.

I hope this helps explain some things.

Jim, http://www.life-after-harry-potter.com

Answer 2

Thing is, evolution is a very slow process and back when we were apelike creatures, the creatures that are today apes, might not have very apelike back then. And evolution only causes change in a species characteristics when there is a motivator. With modern medicine the way it is today, people with genetic weaknesses can still survive and procreate so there's no motivation for evolution to make changes to human characteristics. But if a virus or some killer of humans comes along, those with a genetic predisposition to tolerate and survive the killer will be the most dominant members of our species and their genetic material and individual characteristics will be the most dominant of the entire species.

Answer 3

Do you understand the definition of evolution? Really, all it is is change. It's a process of growing and changing. It happens every day, but you just don't notice it because it's not instantaneous, nor is it done on such a grand scale that it's noticeable. I bet the things you like now have changed since you were say, 10. In that way your personality has evolved to what it is now. This is a very oversimplified explanation of evolution, but it's the only way I can explain it to where people might understand.

Answer 4

yes, we did evolve from apes (not modern apes though), so taking the view that all descendants of something that was an ape are apes, we are in fact apes (of course this can be taken to silly extremes, we are also fish in this view but no one says it that way). our common ancestor with chimpanzees lived approximately 300,000 generations ago. by approximately 10,000 generations ago our ancestors were recognisably human. however you slice it though, one or two generations is not significant compared to thousands of generations. also there is nothing to say that the rate of evolutionary change must be constant with time. it depends on what environment the organism is in - modern humans are fairly comfortable so with some exceptions such as AIDS there is probably not a lot of evolution going on.

Answer 5

There's no such thing as "evolutionists". Do you call people who understand gravity "gravitationists"?

Also: This question is in the wrong category; it has nothing to do with religion.

Our species is Homo Sapiens; we've been that for hundreds of thousands of years. But technically, you're right - there's less one less generation between your parents and any predecessor than between you and that same predecessor - that goes without saying.

It really depends on how you define "closer" - do you measure it in generations? DNA changes?

Finally, technology removed/removes much of the selection pressures in humans, so human evolution is much, much slower than it used to be even a thousand years ago.

Answer 6

We still have some genes that are similar to monkeys like the rhesus factor (the one that determines whether your blood type is positive or negative). But our ancestors... yes, the yprobably had more genes in common with monkeys. But not like grandparents or even great great grandparents. You'd have to go pretty far back.

Answer 7

Well, I'll tell you something....when I look around at some of the men today,,,I don't think they are evolving quite as fast as they should be...they are awfully close to their ancestors in appearance....have you ever really looked at your husband, girls, on Sunday morning when he won't shave and runs around barefoot with nothing on but a pair of shorts.....eeooeeoo I tell you he even grunts when I serve him breakfast..

...besides when things are planted and replanted from the same plant, they don't get stronger , they get weaker,,,any one who has a garden knows that.

Answer 8

unlike other animals , we focus on brain , thus i believe human from a million years from now are considered genius here while they are jus barely average in their own time.

other animal could evolve into a better swimmer etc to help them hunt , or stronger then now , but humans focus on intellect .

Answer 9

On average, yes, but not necessarily in particular.

Answer 10

Learn about Evolution by NATURAL SELECTION before you come on here.