A question about evolution.....?

Question

My question is this, ok say that a different kind of primate evolved instead of the one that we evolved from, would that different primate species contribute to having different physical attributes and appearance?

Ok humans evolved from primates(monkeys) but there is more than one species of primates(monkeys), what would happen if a different species of primate(monkey) evolved instead of the one that we evolved from, would they have different physical characteristics or would they still be human even though they came from a different primate(monkey) species?

Answer 1

This is a really interesting question ... and a tricky one.

First, you wrote: "...what would happen if a different species of primate(monkey) evolved instead of the one that we evolved from ... "

This wording implies that our branch of the primates "evolved", and the other branches "did not evolve."

Don't forget that *all* branches of primates evolved. The word 'evolved' means "changed" ... it does not mean "changed into humans."

So it is valid to say that "other primate species did not evolve our level of intelligence", but it is not valid to simply say that "other primate species did not evolve."

The second problem is that it is hard to understand what *you* mean by "human." If you mean "the species with a specific set of characteristics", then you would have to define for us what you think those characteristics are (intelligence?, emotion?, upright walking?, no hair?, no tail?, vocal language?, opposable thumb?).

For example, it is possible that another primate species could have evolved intelligence rather than us, but still have a tail and fur. Is that still human? Well if by human you mean "intelligent" then YES. But if by human you mean "intelligent, hairless, and tailless" then NO.

However, it is important to point out that many of the characteristics that we call "human" are connected. For example, it is hard to imagine an animal that is intelligent, but without articulate vocal cords or an opposable thumb ... because these things were necessary to produce our type of intelligence. And the ability to walk upright also contributed to our intelligence (as it freed up the hands for manipulating things), and to hairlessness (because it helped us to survive in the hot savannahs, got us off the floor, and changed the way we distribute heat ... and intelligence allowed us to re-use animal pelts for the colder nights, so we could shed our fur for the hot days).

So the answer to your question could be "yes" or "no" depending on what *you* mean by the word "human."

Answer 2

If you rewound the clock and played out the past 6 million years again, it is extremely unlikely that a species exactly like **** sapiens would be present now. It's possible that nature's experiment with big-brained apes could have failed altogether early on. It has yet to be determined that intelligence has an evolutionary advantage so we might soon be pruned from the evolutionary tree.

Evolution works with the starting material so if having bigger brains evolved a second time, the end product would still be recognizable as a primate. Somethings might be slightly different like stance, limb proportions and skull shape but you'd still have a primate.

In the words of Stephen J. Gould, ""**** sapiens [are] a tiny twig on an improbable branch of a contingent limb on a fortunate tree."

Answer 3

Humans would certainly be different if we evolved from some different kind of prehistoric ape (or other primate) than we did. Actually it's possible that we would never have evolved into humans at all, or at least not the super-sapient technological human species we are now. That's because there is always chance and luck involved in evolution and no change is certain. Even if we were to restart human evolution from the first species of ****, modern **** sapiens wouldn't necessarily evolve. Instead we could have something smarter or less intelligent, prettier or uglier, more robust or more lithe, depending on what kinds of mutations would have appeared in the evolutionary line after the restart. In the worst case scenario humans could even end up going extinct before present.

So, for any other primate taking the evolutionary direction our ancestors took about 6 million years ago, things would be even more uncertain. Even if they managed to duplicate most of the evolutionary innovations that resulted in us becoming superintelligent apes with language, art and web connections, they would be anatomically different from us. If they started up with tails, they might still have them, for instance. Some physical characters of the ancestral primate would probably be lost the same way humans have lost certain ape-like characters, like enlargened canines, while others would evolve, like humans evolved eyebrows and constantly growing hairs. All in all, it would be hard to even guess what the end result would be like, except for the fact that it wouldn't be like us.

Answer 4

Unfortunately for the lovers of the theory , evolution has tons of significant flaws which cast serious doubt on its scientific basis.

Perhaps I don't know what I am talking about , but surely the inventer of the theory does.

Darwin said in his book , The Origin of Species:

¨. . .The number of intermediate varieties, which have formerly existed on the earth, must be truly enormous. Why then is not every geological formation and every stratum full of such intermediate links? Geology assuredly does not reveal any such finely graded organic chain; and this, perhaps, is the most obvious and gravest objection which can be urged against my theory.¨

Do you understand what that says.
Charles Darwin doubted the scientific accuracy of his theory because there was no chain linking development and progression from one species to another in the fossil record.
Rather the fossil record shows large gaps and jumps from one group of specials and times to one another.

Perhaps , instead of everyone believing everything that they may hear they should actually read the book and find out for themselves.

Answer 5

I'm not sure I understand the question, could you rephrase or detail? Thanks!