There is no proof that we evolved from apes. Period

the Sunday Telegraph ^ | 9/11/05 | Vij Sodera

[flevit]

Simon Schama appears to have little understanding of biology (Opinion, September 4). With an ostrich mindset that tries to ignore reality, pseudo-scientists continue in the vain hope that if they shout loud and long enough they can perpetuate the fairy story and bad science that is evolution.

You don't have to be a religious fundamentalist to question evolution theory - you just have to have an open and enquiring mind and not be afraid of challenging dogma. But you must be able to discern and dodge the effusion of evolutionary landmines that are bluster and non sequiturs.

No one denies the reality of variation and natural selection. For example, chihuahuas and Great Danes can be derived from a wolf by selective breeding. Therefore, a chihuahua is a wolf, in the same way that people of short stature and small brain capacity are fully human beings.

However, there is no evidence (fossil, anatomical, biochemical or genetic) that any creature did give rise, or could have given rise, to a different creature. In addition, by their absence in the fossil record for (supposed) millions of years along with the fact of their existence during the same time period, many animals such as the coelacanth demonstrate the principle that all creatures could have lived contemporaneously in the past.

No evidence supports the notion that birds evolved from dinosaurs, nor that whales evolved from terrestrial quadrupeds, nor that the human knee joint evolved from a fish pelvic fin. And the critically-positioned amino acids at the active sites within enzymes and structural proteins show that the origination of complex proteins by step-wise modifications of supposed ancestral peptides is impossible. In other words, birds have always been birds, whales have always been whales, apes did not evolve into humans, and humans have always been humans.

But you might protest that it has been proved that we evolved from apes. In fact, the answer is a categorical No. Australopithecines, for example, were simply extinct apes that in a few anatomical areas differed from living apes. If some of them walked bipedally to a greater degree than living apes, this does not constitute evidence that apes evolved into humans - it just means that some ancient apes were different from living apes.

[Paradox]

Actually, the theory is that both man and apes evolved from a common ancestor.

[The_Republican]

Of course not - This is how it all began as everyone knows: The "Block" insipired the apes!

[flevit]

yes a bacterium like organism...even less likely

[phil1750]

If apes evoloved into man, why is there still apes?

[flevit]

nope, bacteria like organism, the common ancestor to all...or
as chemical evolution, an inorganic molecule.

[Kelly_2000]

*sigh*

I am just tired of these kinds of debates posting the real facts to anyone who is not a scientist is problematic

[Gefreiter]

Lloyd Pye explained it all on Coast to Coast AM the other night:

http://www.coasttocoastam.com/shows/2005/12/13.html

Humans are actually bio-engineered and not native to planet Earth.

[Paradox]

My statement is correct. I was merely correcting your initial mistatement.

[theFIRMbss]

>Simon Schama appears to have little understanding of biology (Opinion, September 4). With an ostrich mindset that tries to ignore reality, pseudo-scientists continue in the vain hope that if they shout loud and long enough they can perpetuate the fairy story and bad science that is evolution

Simon Schama is
a smart, entertaining guy.
But his specialty

is art history.
If he's talking science then
he's like you and me.

[HereInTheHeartland]

No Helen Thomas photos?

[flevit]

Vij Sodera was born in India and has lived in England since the age of 4 years. He attended St Clement Danes Grammar School in London, gaining major school prizes for academic achievement and art, and graduated from Sheffield University Medical School in 1975 with distinction in chemistry. He became a Fellow of the Royal College of Surgeons of Edinburgh in 1981.

mmmmm.

[steve-b]

Trying to explain biological science to this clown is like trying to explain economics to a DUmmie socialist.

[manwiththehands]

"People who refuse to recognize evolution have a Quranic mindset ... "

The weaker the postition, the stronger the attacks and accusations.

I learned that from Libs/'Rats.

And I'm offended, 'Zulu'.

Go throw spears.

[flevit]

http://www.onesmallspeck.com/author.html

I take it you didn't look at the link

[ZULU]

"Go throw spears."

"The weaker the postition, the stronger the attacks and accusations."

I ain't no liberal, and I'm offended by your equating me with one.

If you want to believe that God intended the Bible to be a scientific text for a tribe of neolithic shepherds, instead of a guide to life and promise of eternal salvation through a Saviour, be my guest.

As I stated, their is absolutely nothing I can say or demonstrate to change your mind.

[ZULU]

???????????

[oldleft]

To treat this as a serious question, because volcanic activity took place in Africa a long time ago and split the continent into a dry eastern half and a wet western half. When the east half of Africa dried up because moisture was blocked by the mountains and became the Savannah we know today, swinging from trees was no longer practical. Only animals which could travel long distances at a relatively fast pace could survive. That's why people are bipedal and have incredible endurance compared to other primates. The apes on the western side of Africa survived just fine as it was still wet and covered with trees.

That's why.

[null and void]

Much better.

[Popping popcorn]...

[flevit]

a bacteria (like thing) is THE common ancestor to every living thing (supposedly) it is your grandfather given (supposedly) enough generation...ape/humans is just up the chain of grandfathers.

[RexBeach]

George Carlin used to say "If we're descended from apes, how come there are still apes?"

Hey, what do I know? I was history major!

Now, if you want to talk about the Fredrick Jackson Turner Thesis, well OK!