2007-11-13 04:39:09 · 11 answers · asked by ayanda357 2 in Science & Mathematics ➔ Biology
We did not 'come from monkeys'
We (and the monkeys) descend from a common primate ancestor.
2007-11-13 04:43:56 · answer #1 · answered by Raymond 7 · 2⤊ 1⤋
I always hate answering these questions.
1) Humans did not evolve from monkeys. Monkeys and what are now humans and the great apes split off from a common ancestor more than 25 million years ago, and maybe as long as 40 million years.
2) Humans and the great apes broke apart from each other 10 million years ago, give or take a few.
3) Monkeys do not become humans because they can't - they would have to go back DOWN the evolutionary tree, and then UP another set of branches. And evolution doesn't work that way. Perhaps some day monkeys could break apart again and one of those breakoff groups could become ape-LIKE, and maybe one of those ape-LIKE groups could become human-like (this is called convergent evolution, by the way), but those human-LIKE apes will never be human, because they won't have the genes that make them so.
4) Please, please, PLEASE read about evolution from a reputable source. Pick up the book "The Beak of the Finch." I strongly recommend it.
EDIT: Follow-ups
5) The reason we still have monkeys is because WE DIDN'T COME FROM MONKEYS. That's not what evolution says. Monkeys are, as of this moment, the end point of an evolutionary branch. That doesn't mean they won't evolve, that just means that they are where they are and they haven't broken off into anything else yet. Monkeys are very good at doing what they do - eating fruit or leaves or insects, and having sex. So there will always be monkeys as long as they can keep doing those things.
2007-11-13 12:45:23 · answer #2 · answered by Brian L 7 · 6⤊ 0⤋
The simple answer is that we did not evolve from modern-day monkeys - we evolved from a primate that is no longer alive today. Depending how far back you go determines how many common ancestors we had in common - monkeys and people had a common ancestor tens of millions of years ago, but we don't exactly know what these creatures were.
In short, monkeys can only evolve forward from their current point. Even if monkeys could evolve to appear and act like human beings (convergent evolution), they would still be completely different from us genetically, and have a different direct ancestor.
2007-11-13 12:49:07 · answer #3 · answered by michelsa0276 4 · 3⤊ 0⤋
A theory in scientific language is not exactly the same as a theory in common language. It doesn't mean that the theory and fact are not the same. Eg. The "theory" of universal gravitation and the apple falling to the earth.
2007-11-13 13:09:53 · answer #4 · answered by msako 4 · 1⤊ 0⤋
because we didn't come from monkeys and monkeys didn't evole into humans, it's physically impossible....
2007-11-13 12:49:22 · answer #5 · answered by ~*.:Kyla:.*~ 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Because we didn't come from monkeys. That's where the evolution theory fails, in my opinion. If we evolved from monkeys, there wouldn't be any left...why would "evolution" and "survival" leave behind things that needed to be changed?
2007-11-13 12:48:00 · answer #6 · answered by Alecto 5 · 1⤊ 6⤋
If Christians came from jews...why are there still jews?
2007-11-13 14:28:25 · answer #7 · answered by Franklin 7 · 2⤊ 0⤋
Everyones talking about the "theory" of evolution.
2007-11-13 12:50:25 · answer #8 · answered by Vires 3 · 0⤊ 3⤋
I agree
2007-11-13 12:47:00 · answer #9 · answered by mel s 6 · 0⤊ 2⤋
They do it all the time. I meet a lot.
2007-11-13 12:42:26 · answer #10 · answered by Anonymous · 2⤊ 1⤋