• Question: why aren't apes still evolving into humans now ???:)

    Asked by crazy16eloise to Adam, Emily, Thad, Thomas on 13 Mar 2015. This question was also asked by Superstar_FIFI, #Muhammad Khan.
    • Photo: Thomas Clements

      Thomas Clements answered on 13 Mar 2015:

      The best way to explain is by this great poster:

      As you can see monkeys, apes, orangutans and humans all come from a common ancestor, but humans did not directly evolve from a gorilla or chimp!

      Let me know if you have any more questions!

    • Photo: Thaddeus Aid

      Thaddeus Aid answered on 14 Mar 2015:

      Hi,

      Humans and apes share a common ancestor. This means that millions of years ago in the past there was a species that gave rise both to us and to the apes. For instance 6 million years ago we split from the Chimpanzees and Bonobos. So for the past 6 million years the Chimpanzees have taken a different evolutionary path than we have. So they have a bunch of different mutations than we do including we had two chromosomes join into one so we have less chromosomes than chimpanzees do. This is why chimpanzees cannot become humans, they don’t have the right mutations. However this also means that humans can’t evolve into chimpanzees because we don’t have the right number of chromosomes or the right mutations.

      But did you know that chimpanzees can learn sign language? It is true! They are so closely related to us that they can learn how to communicate with us using sign language! Check out this chimpanzee, Washoe, for some awesome details: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Washoe_%28chimpanzee%29

      Washoe even taught another chimpanzee how to use sign language!

      There is a less well known group of apes called the bonobos (who are very cool) who are an offshoot of chimpanzees (so they are just as related to us as chimpanzees are) and they have learned some amazing stuff. Kanzi the bonobo can make and use stone tools! Just like a cave man!
      https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PljsEwjGSn0

      Kanzi can even use fire and roast marshmellows!

      Then there is another bonobo that can drive!
      http://www.animalfactguide.com/animal-facts/bonobo/

    • Photo: anon

      anon answered on 16 Mar 2015:

      As Thad and Thomas have said, humans haven’t evolved from any of the other types of apes that we can see in the world today, we just share a common ancestor with them (like how we share our grandparents with our cousins).

      Humans and other apes are still evolving. But it’s not that humans are the best evolved of all the apes and that the others will all gradually become humans. Each different type of ape is evolving to suit the environment in which it lives so chimpanzees are evolving to become better adapted chimpanzees and humans are becoming better adapted humans…

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