• Question: If we evolved from monkeys why aren't we still evolving today?

    Asked by to Daren, Lynne, Phillip, Simon on 23 Jun 2014. This question was also asked by .
    • Photo: anon

      anon answered on 23 Jun 2014:

      Evolution happens really slowly – you won’t be able to notice it in a lifetime. Human beings are still evolving. Just think, we’re a lot taller and stronger than we were historically. That’s because, traditionally, we pick taller partners because we think they will give us stronger and healthier children!
      Evolution only happens when changing one characteristic gives you an advantage over others so that you live longer or have more children! I think technology will start making things more even – we now have ways to help out people who have disabilities, so that they’re not at any disadvantage over anybody else.

    • Photo: Daren Fearon

      Daren Fearon answered on 23 Jun 2014:

      We didn’t evolve from the monkeys you see today but we evolved from a common ancestor. We may still be evolving but it is a very long and slow process that happens over many generations due to certain environmental pressures. We have evolved to a state where we have reasonable control over our environment so we might not evolve as fast as before.

    • Photo: Phillip Manning

      Phillip Manning answered on 25 Jun 2014:

      We are still evolving. We did not evolve from monkeys. There are many misconceptions and misunderstandings of the evolution of our and other species.

      We might be evolving faster if we were still being chased by lions when going to collect food, but this does not happen in Tesco’s as a general rule.

      We and all species evolve due to selection pressures being placed on a population. Variation within that population allows for some being better adapted than others and increasing their chance of survival.

Comments