Evolution?

[newood2]

A question for the more highly developed scientific minds on this forum.
If man evolved from apes, why are apes still around?
Are they genetically stuck in a time warp?

[radhak]

A question for the more highly developed scientific minds on this forum.
If man evolved from apes, why are apes still around?
Are they genetically stuck in a time warp?

I am guessing since everybody (everything?) evolves, the apes we see were not apes when our ancestors were; they must be the evolved form of - dunno, birds? lizards? anyway - of whatever apes themselves evolved from.

Please note, that's just a wild swing; no science involved

But i sure am glad we did evolve; I'd not have liked to get permission for buying my next tool from a female gorilla !!

[leehljp]

So, does that put us with lowly developed scientific minds in the category of pseudo-intellectuals? My daughter graduated with a major in physics, so does that count to be able to answer?

CAUTION:
There are lots of intelligent, bright, philosophical and highly educated people on this forum who do not or may not believe in evolution - as from apes.

This subject can quickly raise the ire of those who do not believe in evolution and they should not be thought of as "lacking scientific intelligence". It is also a policy of this forum to not get into or allow "religious" discussions. As such, provocation from an anti, non~ religious stance should be held in check please!

IF you do not hold to evolution, please hold your emotions in check.
IF you do, watch the provocation!

Wisdom on this forum is regarded much higher than intellectualism.

[cabinetman]

I heard a rumor that modern (looking) man, preceded the ape. IOW the ape came after man. They were the ones that didn't like industrialization, modernization, technology, or civilization as we know it. They became the part and looks as the "ape" to adjust to the plain and simple outdoor lifestyle.

[cgallery]

A question for the more highly developed scientific minds on this forum.
If man evolved from apes, why are apes still around?
Are they genetically stuck in a time warp?

No, it is because they meet the minimum requirements for survival within their enviroment. As mutations began within a small part of the population (as a way to survive), other non or less-mutated parts of the ape population continued on.

[jseklund]

The reason for this is that the evolution of a species is not mutually exclusive to the extinction of the "previous" species. Basically, evolution has to do with survival as the result of a genetic change or mutation- not a genetic change or mutation itself.

For instance, there are white cats and black cats. Perhaps at one point in time only white cats existed. Then the genetic code of one of the off spring was altered in some way (randomly?), and a black cat popped out. White cats were doing just fine surviving, and the black cat did not threaten that survival- so they both carried on their genes.

Through some form of mutation, an ape had offspring that was more closely (but not directly human), who had off spring even more close to a human, etc. Possibly, the fact that apes are different enough than humans actually helped their survival. For whatever reason, competition with the new species (human and human like creatures seem to be highly competitive for space, food, etc)- the species most suited to its environment stayed alive while the other species could not survive (or were killed off).

Apes probably, by this point, were not direct competitors because they had become different enough to survive on their own (and perhaps in a different environment). Perhaps the original species (apes) was also much stronger than the second, third, fourth, etc species/mutations and thus those mutations died and the apes survived.

[dkerfoot]

This is a side track, but hopefully a helpful one. Something about evolution that many people miss is that for it to work, the mutation has to be of direct immediate benefit.

It doesn't do me any good to have half developed wings that will someday benefit my descendants. In fact, that would be a hindrance and would make me less likely to survive.

For evolution to work, the wings (or lungs, gills, eyeballs, opposing thumbs, etc) gotta work today.

[Santa Clarita Len]

OK, I am holding my tongue, but when I see a Buick I know that somewhere there is a Buick maker and when I see a Universe I know..........well, enough said.

[DonHo]

OK, I am holding my tongue, but when I see a Buick I know that somewhere there is a Buick maker and when I see a Universe I know..........well, enough said.

I'll second that!!

DonHo

[Rand]

Organisms mutate. Traits that enhance survival pass to the next generation. Traits that decrease the odds of survival die out because the organism often doesn't live long enough to breed.

That evolution exists is obvious. For proof that evolution exists just look at dog breeds. All dog breeds descended from wolves. Now we have a Yorkshire terrier and a Great Dane that are the same species! Through centuries of selective breeding mankind has created 2 types of the same species that don't bear much resemblance to each other.

These changes occurred in a few thousand years of human tinkering. Stretch that time scale out to millions of years of survival of the fittest and it's not that hard to believe.

The apes of today share a common evolutionary ancestor with humans. Apes have continued to evolve right along with humanity. You may as well ask if housecats and lions descended from a common ancestors why they are both still here?

Unfortunately, unless humans change their ways and quit destroying the Apes habitat there may not be any Apes left

[LarryG]

After the recent, lengthy discussion about forum rules, this long-time member finds it most discouraging that people continue to test the boundaries of the envelope in an apparent effort to see what they can get away with -- here, and in the "Al Gore" thread. The results of those actions can only be divisive, and disrupting to the community that we have lovingly crafted here. It doesn't matter which side of these issues you're on, these discussions are clearly contrary to the rules! These two threads were outside those rules beginning with the very first post, and they're getting nastier by the moment.

I fail to understand what people find so difficult to understand about the following:

IF YOU WANT TO TALK POLITICS AND RELIGION, TAKE IT SOMEWHERE ELSE!

[cgallery]

I fail to understand what people find so difficult to understand about the following:

IF YOU WANT TO TALK POLITICS AND RELIGION, TAKE IT SOMEWHERE ELSE!

Don't get me wrong, I see the point to the rules. And I don't want them changed. But I do think there is a very reasonable explanation for why violations will tend to occur more and more often:

As btcentral (or any online forum) evolves (sorry), the users become more inquisitive as to other member's positions on social issues.

[Alex Franke]

If man evolved from apes, why are apes still around?

I think scientifically speaking, man is in fact an ape himself. (Yes, that's left wide open for jokes.)

Great apes = hominids, which include gorillas, chimps, orangutans, and even humans. All of which, according to evolution, evolved from some ancestor -- possibly a long gone one.

[MilDoc]

People talk about evolution without understanding at all what the term means. It's more than just "survival of the fittest." Most humans have multiple "mangled" genes many of which would be fatal, except that we have 2 of each and the "good" gene allows us to live.

And, no, evolution does not have to be immediate. Wings can start small and evolve to functional status if they offer an advantage.


The evolutional tree "branches off," thus apes survive while another branch follows a different course.

Does this mean there is no "higher power"? Not to me. Belief in both is possible if you understand the tenets of evolution.

[leehljp]

Don't get me wrong, I see the point to the rules. And I don't want them changed. But I do think there is a very reasonable explanation for why violations will tend to occur more and more often:

As btcentral (or any online forum) evolves (sorry), the users become more inquisitive as to other member's positions on social issues.

FOR ALL, not just CG:
And this "more inquisitive" ~ness is beginning to border on "direct provocation" instead of wisdom! DON'T be the next person to push the envelope by adding . . . "Just one more word" . . . "its not that much more," . . . "a little bit more gray." Immaturity!

A third side to this - The "immature" person who deliberately pushes deep into the gray area just to see if he can get the thread locked. We do not want to do this and we do not want to censor by locking a thread, but lately there are a some who seem like they want to see how far they can push the envelope - intentionally and just to be inquisitive! Why do people value the guise of intellectualism more than wisdom?

One more provocation (as judged by the moderators) and this will be locked. Use a lot of restraint and a little bit of wisdom. FREEDOM IS NOT WITHOUT RESPONSIBILITY . . . and a little bit of wisdom.

Show some wisdom along with your intellect!