How to disprove the idea that humans are monkeys (evolved)?

Question

I have to formulate an argument for my critical thinking class disproving the idea that humans are just monkeys (evolved). Need reasons.

scientific is probably the strongest point.
then she said we could use biblical also.
any cites or ideas to recommend?

well so far no one has helped and for all your information i did not say evolved from monkeys I said that we are all monkey (humans are really monkeys) this is what i am trying to disprove. we watched a youtube video saying that humans are all monkeys. so that clarifies that. And She said we could pick whichever side we wanted to in the argument and I dont know about you guys but i dont belive we are monkies. What my professor is looking for is the scientific way to say the difference between humans and monkeys. so if your not going to help me find a cite for it please dont post. Thank you!

again i would like to say thank you once again for being no help at all. If i was looking for your opinions i would have asked for them. So thanks. Now it seems to me the only way to get you people (yes i said people) to understand what i am trying to disprove would be to show you the youtube video so here the link
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a15KgyXBX24

now My professor is not stupid, this is not a christian college, she is trying to teach us aboute formulating arguments and this was an assignment to choose a side from one of the point mentioned in this video and come up with supporing reasons for your side (claim). so if you watch this and you can be of help and only help to me then please post if not keep your annoying analyzing to yourself. Thank you.
sorry if i sound rude im just a little annoyed no one answered my question yet.

Answer 1

OK. Here's something that may help.

Has anyone in your class noticed that in the entire video there is not a *single* image of an actual monkey? Not one. There's one orangutan at the start, and all the rest are chimps ... but not one monkey. (Orangutans and chimps are *apes*, not monkeys. Hint: Monkeys have tails.)

So the author is blurring the distinction between apes and monkeys ... in the same way that he is blurring the distinction between humans and monkeys.

In other words, it's really, really important to understand that this video is a *POLITICAL* statement, and nowhere even close to a *scientific* statement.

[Aside: the reason people were so unhelpful is that you entered a science forum arguing against a statement that NO SCIENTIST BELIEVES. We are constantly barraged with this CARTOON version of evolution that creationists have in their heads ... "those atheist scientists are saying we're nothing but monkeys!" And it's just not what evolution is about.]

Now, to answer your question, and hopefully help you ... don't try to refute the "humans are monkeys" premise of this video from a *biology* point of view. (It is trivial that scientists do not classify humans as monkeys ... mammals? yes ... *primates*? yes ... even *apes*? yes ... but not monkeys.) The author of the video is clearly not being scientifically rigorous ... so to respond with scientific rigor would just make it sound like you're missing the real point.

So the first step is to understand what the author is saying. By calling us "monkeys" in the video, he is saying that we are no different than a bunch of screaming, dancing, killing, and ultimately confused monkeys with over-developed brains and not enough sense to use them.

The connection to monkeys may have nothing at all to do with evolution. The author could just as well be referencing the fact that humans are in the same classification group as monkeys (the order called *primates* ... there are about 285 species of primates ... 264 of them are monkeys ... so to call all primates "monkeys" is understandable). His point is to bring us down off our high pedestal ... and to look at ourselves as just another species of primates ... he uses 'monkey' to make a political point, not a scientific one.

If you want to disagree with the video, focus on the spriritual, emotional, psychological differences between humans and monkeys. Your point is that we are fundamentally *different*. You need to make that point. You're not going to find much in Biology to help you ... because biologically we *are* very similar to the other primates. Our differences are in the way we *ACT* and (depending on your beliefs) our spiritual existence.

I hope that helps.

{previous answer deleted ... as it was unhelpful}

Answer 2

This is pretty easy to do - humans are not monkeys. Humans are apes, like chimps and gorillas.

If this whole thing is an attempt to disprove evolution then I'm afraid this is pointless as well. Unlike religion, science is not based on dogma. Scientific "truth" is nothing but theory, and theory can never be proved. This allows science the flexibility to improve old ideas and come up with new ones.

As far as anti-evolutionary arguements are concerned, the only one which shows any honesty and/or intelligence is fossil dating techniques. Fossils are dated according to radioactive decay. Living organisms accumulate naturally ocurring isotopes in their bodies while they are alive. When they die, no more isotopes are taken in, and the ones present begin to decay at a precise rate. Specimens are dated by measuring the levels of isotopes remaining in the fossils.

This technique relies on the assumption that the isotopes were as abundant in the environment then as they are today. If not, then the dating technique is inaccurate. Biblical scholars state the world is 6,000 years old, based on the geneology in the old testament. If no fossil is older than just 6000 years, this means isotopes were practically non-existant when everything extinct was turned to stone. This opens the question why isotopes suddenly became as abundant as they are today, but this would be a moot point to religious scholars.

If evolution really is the issue here and the bible is being used to disprove the theory, then there is still one problem - the doppler effect. A train's whistle is a constant pitch when it is in the station. However, this same pitch changes as the train passes somebody. This is due to the fact a moving object creating waves decreases their frequency ahead of it, and increases the wavelength behind it. This is why the pitch falls as the train passes.

Light travels at a constant speed, but the wavelength differs. We experience this as the colors of the rainbow. Red light has a longer wavelength than blue light. Astronomers looking at stars can calculate their precise location due to the "red shift". The distances are so great, they are measured in light years, the distance light travels in a year. It is not uncommon for stars in other galaxies to be millions of light years away from earth. This means it took the light millions of years to reach earth.

If genesis mentions the heavens were created after the earth, then this disproves the assertation the world is 6000 years old. If created before, then the six day cycle of creation had very long "days" and the day man was created was a very short one.

Answer 3

If you saw a youtube video saying we are all monkeys,you saw a falsehood.We ARE all PRIMATES.Humans are not just monkeys(evolved).Monkeys are every bit as "evolved" as humans.Evolution did not have man,or intelligence,as a goal.The bacteria in your stomach are the product of 4 billion years of evolution,just as you are.People get offended by the "we are related to monkeys"as if it were an insult.Yes,we are related to monkeys,that's evident just by looking at them,how similar they are to us.They can learn sign language,we dress them in clothes,they ride bikes,they even smoke.You can look at a lion and tiger and instinctively know they are related.Same goes for humans and apes and monkeys.Here's is where "we came from apes" is not an insult,but natures ultimate compliment.Evolution doesn't say we are monkeys,We EVOLVED,that's the key.We are Homo Sapiens sapiens.Able to peer at the inner workings of an atom and see to the edge of the universe.Evolution means we CHANGED.We are no longer that species we descended from,but a species capable of abstract thinking,art,poetry,and incredible science.That monkeys share an ancestor with us is not degrading.We are not what we were,we are what we are.That's the whole "evolve"thing those opposed to it do not get.We are not a chimpanzee,we are humans,related doesn't mean the same.

As far as "why are there still monkeys?" that is often asked,as if it were some sort of challenge to TOE.Populations evolve,not individuals.At the dawn of man.Africa was fully forested.Ape like creatures got along just fine,as they were adapted to forest dwelling.Then,the southern half of Africa dried up,and went from heavily treed forest to grassland and desert.The apes in the north,where it was still forested,had no evolutionary reason to change.In the south,where the trees were gone,it became better for survival the more upright one could stand(to see predators,such as tigers)those that were more upright,were more likely to see predators and live,thus spreading the upright trait among the population through attrition.There was no longer a biological need for a tail,so we lost it.Humans are still born with a small tailbone to this day.Absolutely no reason for it to be there if we never had tails.These survival traits,over millenia,changed the population of the southern half of africa over time to a distinct species.Meanwhile,the apes in the north never had the environment to change,so there is no reason for "monkeys not to exist"

You want to take the non-evolution side.Unfortunately,you will get creamed.There is mountains of evidence,and yes,there are transitional fossils.More compelling is the DNA.The same sciene that establishes paternity,convicts criminals.This same science shows us not that we are a "monkey's uncle"But that we are indeed,a cousin.THAT DOES NOT MEAN WE ARE CHIMPS.We are HOMO SAPIENS.That's the whole "evolve"thing.There is mountains of evidence for it.I don't know what kind of scholastic "exercise"this is.Evolution is not under debate.It is accepted worldwide,even by most theists.There has never been ANY evidence,zero,that refutes the Theory of Evolution.You will not be able to honestly defend any other position and maintain your intellectual integrity.It is undisputed

Answer 4

there really isnt any way to critically think on how to "disprove" that humans and monkeys are evolved. basically every single concept for anti-evolution can be blown out of the water. fossil record points to evolution. gaps in fossil record are nothing more than logistical problems, as there have been transition finds. DNA points to evolution. natural selection points to evolution. mutation points to evolution. common traits point to evolution. so i dont see where critical thinking would be applied here. the bible is no source for critical information, as it would be a fallacy to use. so this class is poorly structured to debate critically if this is how it goes about things

EDIT: for a class about critical thinking, why are you getting annoyed any someone making an analysis? yes, i didnt answer your question how you wanted, but thats missing the point. your teacher should be making you debate things where there is debate, not these hot topic issues simply because there is a hot head thinking its debatable. there is really no defendable position outside of making yourself look like an idiot when the other side blows a hole in everything you say.

if you really need points to defend an impossible side, use their usual lies. lie about there being no "true" transistion fossils. say man made people in his image. say evolution only works within species, and not to make new species. say the world is only 10,000 years old. lie that there is no evidence of human mutations. lie that monkeys are what we came from.

Answer 5

We're not monkeys. Our last monkey ancestor was about 22 million years ago. You can start by looking up the definition of "monkey" in a dictionary. I guarantee you, there will not be a picture of a human being illustrating it.

Are we monkeys, but evolved? Well, I said we had monkey ancestors, didn't I? But here's a question for you. Do you think of a golden eagle as a "dinosaur (evolved)?"

Answer 6

If you want to disprove that humans are not a kind of monkey, you should start by looking up what Zoology says are the defining characteristics of monkeys.

Edit: You will have to bear with the people here. As originally posted, your question wasn't very clear as to what you were looking for, and we are somewhat used to people coming here and making posts about evolution solely to get people riled up.

Answer 7

I think she want you to think what is different between the two. The best way would be descriptive. Two columns, 1.human, 2. monkey. Then differences. 1. hair 2. size(height weight 3. physical characteristics, like the size and shape of the head and the length of the arms relative to the body. 3. speech. 4. ability to use tools. 5. and lastly, critical thinking; their ability to overcome obstacles. I would use an example here like what would a monkey do if given a can of food.

Answer 8

you need to chill out. you're getting rude and annoying because no one is giving you the answer you are looking for. let me give you some advice, ask a better question next time. as others have said, we are not evolved monkeys, and just because something is on youtube does not mean it has any credibility.

you are asking scientists for their input yet you do not take the time and thought to properly ask the question you would like, and then get annoyed with them for correcting you.

you really expect too much!

Answer 9

This is simply rubbish. Humans are not simply evolved monkeys. The stupidity of the general public is understandable. According to evolution, humans and monkeys share a common ancestor. To say that humans are evolved monkeys is wrong. Let me give you an analogy. You have a piece of metal. You use part of that metal to make a ring. You use another part of that metal to make a hammer. Is this ring an evolved hammer? No. Is the hammer an evolved ring? No. They both came from the same piece of metal, but they are not evolved versions of one another. If your teacher is trying to get you to disprove evolution by quoting a fairy tale, then your teacher needs to be fired. If your teacher is trying to get you to reasearch evolution and find the facts and learn what evolution really is, then I applaud her ingenuity.

Answer 10

As someone else stated, we have a common ancestor with all primates and our closest relative is a chimp. We are primates and the argument that we are evolved monkeys could easily supported scientifically if you get your facts correct. Denying evolution is just chosen ignorance, religious or not.