For years, scientists have debated the origins of human beings. Are we descended from the monkeys we see now? Or are we something else entirely? In this article, we will explore the evidence for and against monkey ancestry, and determine which theory is more plausible.
What is DNA and where does it come from?
DNA (deoxyribonucleic acid) is the molecule that contains the genetic instructions for making proteins. DNA is found in all living things, including plants, animals and humans. The molecule is made of two strands of nucleotides that are joined together like a ladder. The sequence of these nucleotides determines the instructions for making a protein.
What did the ancient humans look like?
The prevailing view is that the ancient humans looked a lot like the monkeys we see now. However, there is evidence to suggest that they may have looked quite different.
One theory suggests that they may have descended from Australopithecus afarensis, which is known to have had a robust build and large teeth. This suggests that they may not have looked very different from their modern-day counterparts. However, further research is needed to confirm this theory.
How do scientists know that humans did not descend from the monkeys we see now?
There is a lot of evidence that humans did not descend from the monkeys we see now. For example, humans and monkeys have different numbers of chromosomes. Chromosomes are the pieces of DNA that make up our genes. Humans have 46 chromosomes, while chimpanzees and gorillas have 48 chromosomes. This difference means that human and chimpanzee DNA is not identical. It also suggests that human and monkey evolution happened independently of each other.
Another example of how humans and monkeys are different is that human brains are bigger than monkey brains. This difference is significant because it shows that human brains have evolved over time. Monkey brains are not as large as human brains because they don’t use language or tools to survive in the wild. Therefore, human brains have had to evolve in order to be successful in the world.
Another reason scientists believe that humans did not descend from the monkeys we see now is because apes and monkeys share a common ancestor, but apes do not share a common ancestor with humans. This indicates that ape and monkey evolution took place separately from human evolution.
Conclusion
In fact, we humans did not descend from the monkeys we see now. In all likelihood, we share a common ancestor with chimpanzees and bonobos, which suggests that our lineage has been evolving for some 5 to 7 million years. So if you’re looking to be mad science-y about your ancestry, it’s probably best to look elsewhere!