If human beings evolved from apes, why are there still apes?

Question

I am not religious, but I am wondering about this?

Answer 1

we didn't evolve from the ones that are around today, we came from another type of primate that migrated out into the plains, grew less hair, etc.
the difference is genetic as well as geographical
found this pic with some of the other species of primates that looked like modern humans but weren't what we evolved from:
http://www.theage.com.au/ffximage/2005/03/18/evolution_1903_wideweb__430x328,1.jpg
i remember a discovery/history channel(one of those) saying all of them died off and that modern humans ancestors were left

Answer 2

There is a lot of evidence that you don't understand how evolution works, but none so poignant than your inane question. Humans and modern apes evolved from a common, ape like ancestor. In addition, evolution of a new species does not eliminate the common ancestor. Thirdly, there is no conscious decision, selective pressure from the environment drives the changes. Such clear lack of education is the reason that you cannot be taken seriously by the vast majority of the world's population.

Answer 3

Don't worry. The way we are going there wont be any apes too much longer. Perhaps you have jumped the gun on the evolutionary time scale. It is right nor more like how are we going to be able to help the ape survive the next century? Come back then and see if there are any still around.

Answer 4

There are and have been, since the time of common ancestors with apes, several species of apes. Only one species can evolve in any particular direction. There were in fact many more species of apes around the time of the common ancestor. We didn't evolve from all the apes that existed. Only one of the lineages gave rise to humans and chimps . It left the trees and evolved into a bipedal land dwelling animal that required significant selection to change the animal into an ideal bipedal form. That selection pressure didn't exist for the species of apes that lead lifestyles similar to what they had always done. The branch that led to chimps retained the ability to climb trees and bipedal locomotion was not as great an advantage to them. Their selection pressure didn't include all our adaptations to upright walking. The branch that led to chimps needed to maintain the tree climbing and our ancestors didn't rely on climbing trees. We needed to walk large distances bipedally.

Answer 5

Some mutations, such as the often-referenced peppered moth, require organisms with the new mutation to compete for food sources. The result must then be that one group, either the original species or the mutation, must emerge dominant, and the other go extinct.
Other mutations, however, such as the first organisms that moved onto land, would not cause such a competition. Both the original species and the mutated one would be able to flourish in different habitats. This may have been the case with the evolution of humans.

Answer 6

We did not evolve from apes i think? I believe that we are unique because of the temporal lobe in our brain. This allows speech and advanced thought process. Many species have evolved from their environment yes we are apelike but due to the fact we came from Africa or all over the world we adapted by cooking food. This may have sparked some kind of protein synthisis in our brain to allow it to grow. We eat a variety of different foods this may alter our biology including our brains over time. Saying we evolved from apes incorrect.

Dogs are still dogs many different breed varieties some intelligence factors but still dogs. We are a species with advanced temporal lobes unique to this planet but probably not other planets I feel. I'm sure dolphins rival our lobe and brainwave ability because the use echos and waves to communicate. Chimps have been around forever they have not changed in domestication they do as well as dogs. So
Humans must be unique to this planet even though are cousins share so many characteristics our ability to visually and verbally communicate is so advanced in comparison it's crazy!

Answer 7

I don't think we evolved from apes I just believe we were always human just living as animals until we became smarter

Answer 8

You're making the mistaken assumption that apes today are exactly like the "apes" of antiquity (ancestors of both modern apes and mankind). While the modern apes are more like the "apes" of antiquity than we are, that is easily explained by the fact that we found a new niche (long-distance hunter-gatherers) significantly different from the traditional role of "apes" (arboreal gatherers), which put greater selective pressure for new characteristics. Hence why we're not so "ape-like".

Answer 9

This a wonderful question. You know why? I do not think or believe for a fraction of minutes that humans evolved from apes.

Answer 10

This is worded wrong, that's why there's so much confusion with it.

Humans didn't evolve "from" apes, only along the same lines as apes. Each, one might say, went their separate ways along the lines tens of thousands of years ago.

Now, with the advent of the new skull found in Africa, it might have been 3.5 to 4 million years ago.