• Question: is it true humans started of a monkeys

    Asked by suzy to NULL, Chloe, Irene, Uday on 17 Nov 2015. This question was also asked by HannahPotter.
    • Photo: Chloe Huseyin

      Chloe Huseyin answered on 17 Nov 2015:

      That very much depends on if you believe in evolution or creationism… That is a personal matter about what you want to believe.

      If you’re interested in reading about how similar humans and chimpanzees are I found this awesome link that tells you all about similar (and how different) human and chimpanzee DNA is.

      http://www.amnh.org/exhibitions/permanent-exhibitions/human-origins-and-cultural-halls/Anne-and-Bernard-Spitzer-Hall-of-Human-Origins/understanding-our-past/dna-comparing-humans-and-chimps

      One thing I can say is that you weren’t born as a monkey and just grew up human!

    • Photo: Irene Regan

      Irene Regan answered on 18 Nov 2015:

      Great Q:)
      I believe the following;

      Humans did not evolve from monkeys; humans and monkeys both evolved from an extinct common ancestor.

      Evolution is tiny little changes over millions and millions of years. Each little change is a mutation.
      Maybe a mammal was born that was taller and stronger, so this mammal would live longer and have more children, all of which could be taller and stronger.
      Then one of that mammal’s great great grandchildren would have a bigger brain, and live longer, and pass its bigger brain onto its children. Then this creature eventually evolved into us humans.

      Meanwhile there was another set of mammals that mutated to be better at jumping through trees, or using tools. These then evolved into the monkeys we all know!

      So monkeys are here because they evolved one way and we evolved into another.

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