When will people stop asking why, if humans evolved from apes, are there still apes today?

Question

I mean, let's put aside whether or not you believe in evolution; if you take biology 101 or just read a layman's explanation, it should become clear that in no way is it ever insinuated that humans evolved from the other primates in existence today. Why is this such a common fallacy?

Answer 1

I know!  I continually try and hypnotize the askers into an accepting submission to the reality of the situation with my long, detailed and example filled answers...

Yet we keep seeing this question a couple times a day of late.  I don't mind the question as I don't mind enlightening people on the processes of evolution and how we evolved from common ancestors.  What really gets me is that there are only three pages of anthropology questions and this question or ones very similar to it make up 7% of the questions.  

The other anthropology question which shares this habit of repeat postings at times...

"What are humans evolving towards", an equally as flawed question!

Answers' answerers, could make their answers' career out of answering these two questions alone!  I Do!

Answer 2

The Asker adds:

"Apes today are evolving equally with humans, just in a different manner dictated by their environment, genetics and so on. Please explain where you get the idea that they should be evolving in the same manner as humans?"

Why wouldn't they?

Your going to blame a thundershower, a desert, a snow storm? There's really not a lot of different things out there, after all.

Success thrives, right? Humans were successful, why don't all species become more intelligent?

If a certain species evolved into man, why didn't the rest of the species evolve with better brains and so on? To say that only one species evolved intelligence makes no sense. Whatever caused this certainly could have acted on the rest of the species for nearly the same effect.

The Asker adds:

"Have you ever tried to see what the theory of evolution has to say about such a question from a reputable scientific source (professor, text book,ect.)"

To which I answer, that is so lame! That is like giving up the argument. As I say below, these stories are not falsifiable. If you believe in evolution and natural selection then every species is the result of a successful adaptation and all results of successful adaptations represent today's species. It is circular logic.

It is easy to cast doubt on this chain of reasoning by looking how far some species go and how others don't evolve at all, despite the fact there is not much difference in the environment. Thus, the person vs. the ape problem. If man can evolve with intelligence, why didn't the ape do it, or the chicken, or elephant, or whatever.

Answer 3

The American education system is broken - it's that simple.  I've taught at both the college and high school level.  My college kids generally can't write a coherent sentence, think logically, or understand basic science.

The high school kids were worse - most of them didn't even TRY.

Ironically enough, it seems that the only kids who are learning solid science/biology/evolutionary theory are the ones who come from Catholic schools.

Answer 4

I blame it on the destruction of the school system by the hippie movement. & the fact todays "news" people went through that broken system without getting an actual education. these people actually believe an opinion is equal to evidence so if 60%believe something, that makes it true whether the facts support that opinion or not. no one is able to reason from first principles because they were'nt taught those principles & were never required to think so never learned how to reason.

Answer 5

All I know, is that it happened over time.

Answer 6

Because these same people have the mentality of a salad bar.

Answer 7

They will learn once they complete their first science class.  Prior to that all they have are their superstitions and myths.

Answer 8

They want to see themselves in print.

Answer 9

The problem stems from the complete lack of any evidence that one species evolved into another.

No one disputes that inside species there has been evolution.

Since there's been no link between species found in 150 years of searching, we have to consider that Darwin's Origin of Species is a disproven theory.

Even Darwin admitted that it would be difficult to prove.  He was hoping that we would someday, but the more we learn about genetics and DNA, the less relevant Darwinism becomes.

Answer 10

These people are being apish.

Answer 11

It is apparently one of the most basic concepts that needs to be taught first.  It is a valid question.  It is like the child who says why is the sky blue.  All it indicates is ignorance.

Answer 12

No one ever said humans evolved directly from apes, we are just closely related to them. People are stupid.

Answer 13

It seems to be a big thing on the creationist side, that whole "I ain't no monkey" thing.  I don't know why.  Maybe they think comparing us to animals is degrading and ridiculous?  Or maybe they think that it's patently absurd that great-grandpa Joe could be a baboon.  Unfortunately, a lot of people just don't seem to have a firm grasp on basic scientific principles.  We need, like, Mr. Wizard back or something.  Maybe another space race.  People just don't seem to care.

Answer 14

I think much of it is willful ignorance.

Look at a couple of the ignorant answers below. More will come, as their deluded position compels them to the lie in service of said position.

Angelwith4faces. You are a complete ignoramus. Just finding a human skeleton in the Jurassic period rock would falsify evolutionary theory, or the converse, a Dino skeleton in the Pleistocene. Neither of these things have happened, though we have fossils galore. As I said; willful ignorance.

I expected more deluded answers than just two. If this question had come up in biology, the delusional would come in droves. Dare I hope that the darkening ignorance that blots so much of our country is coming to an end?

Answer 15

Before  we get into a debate of evolution vs. intelligent design, we might never know why, until this debate is resolved.