If man evolved from monkeys and apes, than why do we still have monkeys and apes?

Answer 1

Oh puh-lease, not this old chestnut again. Well, OK, if you insist.... Because man didn't evolve from monkeys and apes. Monkeys and apes are modern species. Man evolved from a common ancestor of monkeys. Man then set off on a different evolutionary path, and monkeys continued to evolve on their own path. And somewhere along the way, trolls mysteriously popped into existence.

Answer 2

(wonders if this will ever be put to rest) Man did not evolve from MODERN apes, rather, modern apes and humans share a common ancestor that would best be described as ancient apes. Modern apes are our cousins, other descendants of the same ancestor.

It is important to remember that the random nature of genetic mutation means that changes in just a small number of organisms (often just one!) can spread out over the entire gene pool in a relatively short time. It is very likely that the entire human race is descended from a single tribe of these ancient apes, and certain that not more than a few tribes are involved. The ape-to-man process took "only" a few hundred thousand generations.

Other strains of ancient ape evolved into modern apes. Many, probably most, strains fell by the wayside and died out.

Next time you go to the zoo and look at the chimps, our closest living relative, consider that that chimp is could well be your three-millionth cousin.

Answer 3

That is almost identical to asking why there are still wolves if the domesticated dog descended from them.

Now ask your self this question: do you think humans are mammals? We have all the characteristics of a mammal, so most people say we are. As you refine the taxonomic characteristics to smaller groups, it's clear we have fingernails, 5 fingers including a thumb, binocular vision, and every characteristic of primates. One step further, and we have every characteristic of the family Hominidae. Look that word up and you'll find it means "great apes". We didn't evolve FROM apes, we evolved AS apes.... and until you can come up with some characteristic that makes us physically different from all other great apes at a level about equal to the difference between a walrus and a dog, you have no intellectually honest reason to disagree.

Answer 4

Hi,

The above answers are quite true in a way.
But, Then again, there is still that missing link that has not truly been found.
Could it be that some other creature came to this ball of rock, saw the apes and monkeys and decided to try the own genetics for a reason, lets say theirs was dying out for one reason or another, and we are the result of that gene splicing.

Answer 5

we still have monkeys and apes because man chose (or evolved) not to live in trees. without competition from man, monkeys have a perfectly good habitat, so why would they die out??

great apes have not been so lucky. with the invention of gunpowder, man has done to them what a million years of evolution couldn't.

Answer 6

In evolution, the original species often remains. It works in a branch-off method. All life originally evolved from single celled organisms, and yet there are still trillions of microbes.

Also, I think this question is in the wrong category.

Answer 7

Wow...think about it this way...did your grandfather die out when your father died? Did you father die when you were born? Just because an offspring come forth, doesn't mean that the parent dies off or disappears.

it's the same thing with species...when a species branches off from another it doesn't mean that the "parent" species disappears. It can stick around.

Answer 8

Because we evolved from a certain type/species - not the same ones we see today.

Answer 9

i used to wonder the same thing! the smartest ones evolved into humans and the dumber species didnt evolve yet!

Answer 10

Because monkeys are hilarious!