Monkey To Man...

[thepheebster]

I'm confused. If monkey's evolved into men/women...then why aren't they still evolving?

[andy hughes]

They didn't. The evolutionary chain consisted of the primeval ape, a species much larger than current ape family, which split into two groups - apes (gorillas, chimps and so on - monkeys have tails) and homo sapiens.

[SteveD]

They are, but evolution takes millions of years.  Have a read of "A Short History of Nearly Everything" by Bill Bryson - fascinating!

 

[kifaru]

Evolution, or at least the theory, takes time. It certainly seems the most likely cause, but this argument comes down to religion (God creating man and all). I'd just like to state that in modern terms, a monkey is a primate that has a tail, an ape does not. Hence, we'd be evolved from apes. But if evolution works the way science has so far discovered, we're all relatives anyway. Archeology has yet to find the missing link. For more info, look up The Piltdown Man. There is still no discovered fossil that links us to the evolution of primates. A good argument for religion, yes? No, I don't believe in religion, but without proof on both sides, I never discount a theory. Some believe that alien interaction (bear with me) due to aliens trying to interbreed with homosapiens, so they can live in our atmosphere, is the cause of the so called missing link. If eveolution takes millions of years, a recent missing link (only thousands of years) because of aliens makes sense, right? That doesn't make it right. Some things we'll never know the answer to. Just enjoy life... if there is any meaning, you're only going to find out when it's too late to do anything about it.

[mokwepa]

I get asked this a lot as Head of Education in a zoo and to build on what the other answerers have already said, it's important to stress that evolution doesn't finish with a species until it's extinct. Probably 99% of all species that have ever lived are extinct now. Those that are still on the go are still being operated on by natural selection. Just below the species level, if there are significant enough differences between (usually geographically separate) groups then they are designated, sometimes controversially, as subspecies. Recent DNA analysis has resulted in the two subspecies of Orangutan (Bornean and Sumatran) being reclassified as separate species. You might think of subspecies as a manifestation of incipient speciation - evolution in visible action. Hope this helps!

[Clanad]

Before one can have a meaningful discussion about the merits of the theory of evolution, one must have an understanding of the terms used.  Evolution is generally spoken of in terms of macroevolution... the theory envisioned by Darwin, or microevolution... the fairly new aspect that small adaptations occur for a variety of external reasons.  Macroevolution, simply put, says that all higher life forms evolved from simpler ancestors.  That idea has largely been abandoned because, as Darwin feared, there is a total lack of undisputed intermediate or transitional forms. Some will say that such forms just haven't been dicovered as yet.  However, my background education in geology from a US university indicates the geologic column as being virtually complete with literally millions of fossils in museums and libraries worldwide and no such forms exist that are not in dispute.  Microevolution on the other hand, does describe adaptation by species to climate, radiation, etc.  However, these adaptations have not been demonstrated not lead to new speciazation.

You may wish to read Darwin's Enigma, by Luther D. Sunderland for a reasoned approach to this question... Good luck!

[Weaver]

to go off of kifaru's post,  There are explainations of why that haven't found "the missing link".  One of these theories is that evolution takes place in leaps.  For example the peppered moth.  before the introduction of suity coal into this one town this moth species was white, but after a short period the majority of the moths were black or pepper colored.  What happened was that a mutation may have occured, and the colored moths were favored by selection because it may have helped them to avoid predators.  Causing a dramatic change in a very short time period.  Some believe that the reason why they can't find "the missing link" is because the evolution of the species can be so sudden and drastic that there would be no fossil record of a gradual change between species because it wasn't gradual.  Not to say that there isn't gradual evolution also. If we look at todays society we are evolving.  Maybe not into a new species but there are different qualities that are being selected for.  I mean seriously I know some kids that could never have surived 100 years ago, they have so many allergies, and heath problems, but they thrive in todays world because they are book smart and can sit in front of a desk for hours (something that is really hard for me to do).  SO we'll see what the future brings.  Hope this helps!