2007-11-11 05:13:25 · 22 answers · asked by spaced out muppet 1 in Social Science ➔ Anthropology
All scientific propostitions are called theories...
Evolutionary changes are facts...
In a half million years from now, when Homo sapiens split into a new type of Homonin, then they will be able to ask the same question...
"If we came from humans, why are there still humans?"
That is, unless they ate all of the humans by then....
2007-11-11 05:32:24 · answer #1 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 1⤋
"If the theory of evolution is true" - most likely is
"and man evolved from monkeys" - did a creationist put that idea into your head? That's just absurd.
"then why are there still monkeys" - like I said, what an absurd comment. Man did not evolve from monkeys. Monkeys are our cousins, however, since we share ancestors millions of years ago. Different species branch off into their particular niches over time.
2007-11-11 13:52:09 · answer #2 · answered by khard 6 · 2⤊ 0⤋
Evolution isn't inevitable. Imagine two populations of monkeys living in different areas. One area remains environmentally the same, the other is subject to change. It is possible that the latter group of monkeys may evolve in response to the changing circumstances. A few millions of years later you have 2 quite different species. As the first group is already 'fitted' to its environment, there is no 'need' to evolve.
2007-11-11 10:21:39 · answer #3 · answered by apollonius 5 · 2⤊ 0⤋
I believe this is where the "missing link" comes in to play. At some point in a long ago time man slowly evolved away from apes. We went our way and the apes went theirs. Where this divergence started there should be some evidence, or "missing link", to show man's change. Why man was able to evolve and the apes didn't, I have no idea.
I don't believe in this anyway. I think God gets a big laugh out this....hopefully musing, "leave it to man and he'll make a monkey out of himself ever time."
2007-11-12 12:56:11 · answer #4 · answered by celticlady 1 · 0⤊ 0⤋
we didn't evolve from monkeys, we shared a common ancester with monkeys. if you want to go farther back, we evolved from fish, and before that we evolved from single celled organisms.
our evolutionary path split from chimpanzees millions of years ago, and they survived just like we did, that's why they are still here.
when someone says "well i'll be a monkeys uncle", they're just kidding.
as for the human race evolving into two different species, you can see the many splits already beginning with race. African Americans have evolved an extra calf muscle, while euopeans evolved fair skin due to the cloud cover (presumably)
2007-11-11 05:21:12 · answer #5 · answered by Anonymous · 4⤊ 0⤋
The monkeys and chimps that are alive today are not the same ones that were around millions of years ago. They have also evolved and changed. When people say "common ancestor" they mean that is the last species that is both in the chimp family and the human family. From that species BOTH chimps and humans around today eventually evolved, in their own separate ways, over the course of millions of years.
That's the REALLY abridged version.
2007-11-11 15:50:30 · answer #6 · answered by Heather 4 · 2⤊ 0⤋
There are "links" that are missing (Australopithecus, for example, and earlier homonids) that we don't necessarily see leading up to the development of modern day humans. Evolution is a slow process, and its never perfect. There is no 'goal' of evolution either, its a series of adaptations (or mutations) to better adapt to one's environment. Monkeys and apes still exist because they filled different niches than the early 'humans', and humans developed adaptations SEPARATE from apes, and thus formed their own evolutionary branch. Humans developed to fill a variety of niches, and live primarily on the ground. It's why say, fish and sharks still exist and one doesn't out-evolve the other- they are separate.
2007-11-12 05:39:42 · answer #7 · answered by AM 2 · 2⤊ 0⤋
You're looking at evolution the wrong way. Its not a progression to "better and better" its a series of adaptations. Some of the monkeys reacted to the changing environment in Africa by becoming bipedal ground dwellers while other members of our family stuck to the trees. Your mistake is in assuming that humans are "better" evolutionarily speaking than monkeys. They're not.
2007-11-11 05:29:24 · answer #8 · answered by Anonymous · 3⤊ 0⤋
There are no reputable scientists who dispute evolution.
There are individuals, who attack evolutionary theory and who falsely claim to use the scientific method. They suffer from a form of religious dementia, that causes them to feel that they must defend their faith against those who question its basic understandings.
Evolutionary theory does not suggest that simply because a species has evolved, it must die out. A viable species can readily survive alongside other species which have evolved from it.
2007-11-12 04:13:00 · answer #9 · answered by jotacar 7 · 2⤊ 0⤋
Because one tribe of monkeys pulled off the tails of another tribe of monkeys. The tailless monkeys then became mad and it changed their brains. They became apes. Now some of the apes got over being mad but others didn't. This anger kept working on the brains making more and more changes until one ape lashed out and hit two rocks together and man came about out of this. This anger eventually lead to the creation of the atomic bomb.
2007-11-11 18:51:14 · answer #10 · answered by Heart of man 6 · 0⤊ 1⤋
man did not evolve from monkeys
we and apes have a common ancestor
maybe you evolved from a monkey
2007-11-11 05:44:27 · answer #11 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 1⤋