evolution

[Twinkle_Toes]

if we evolved from ape into man, why do we still have apes on earth? would they not have all evolved into man with us?
apologies if this is a stupid question!

x

[Fitzer]

Not a stupid question but a fairly simple answer, we didn't evolve from modern apes but from an apelike ancestor. The apes that live today evolved from their ancestors, we evolved from ours, hope that makes sense, possibly one too many glasses of wine :-))

[jake-the-peg]

Actually it's one of those questions that sounds simple at first but tends to be more complicated.

It's true that we didn't evolve directly from modern apes but that's not really the point

When you get a mutation or series of mutations it doesn't affect all the individuals of a species some will go on just as they always have what you will get is a branch off of the main group of individuals.

Now you'd think that would be that but you may now have two groups with different characteristics competing for the same or similar resources so in some cases one group will out compete the other and one will become extinct.

This may well be what happened to neanderthal man. we know humans and neanderthals were around at the same time, but we made it through to today and they didn't.

That doesn't mean that will be the cases in all situations because there may be sufficient resources for both groups or one evolutionary adaptaion may allow them to access different resources.

[Twinkle_Toes]

thank you so much! it's cleared up a lot : )