Poll: Do you believe humans are apes?

[hardlymotivated]

A) The definition of an ape is any organism belonging to the Homonoidea superfamily.

B) Humans are a member of the Homonoidea superfamily.

C) Humans are apes.

I'm not quite sure why people are having so much trouble with this. It's not a matter of "opinion" or "belief", it's a matter of current taxonomic consensus and evolutionary theory.

 

[Stone Wera]

We're apes? I always thought we were more monkey... I'm more comfortable with being an ape.

 

[^=ash=^]

Well for starters, if evolution did occur then why aren't all apes human? Our skeletal systems are different, they lack the ability to learn, their hands and feet are very different from ours. Simple facts.

A..a..are you serious?

Our skeletal structures are incredibly similar (with exception of limb length), they do learn (hence chimps using tools to get food etc.), and their hands and feet are almost identical with minor differences in length of fingers/toes.

http://www.accuracyingenesis.com/skeleton.gif

Spoiler

http://www.soulcare.org/images/chimp_human_hands.jpg

 

[Nautical Honors Society]

Well for starters, if evolution did occur then why aren't all apes human? Our skeletal systems are different, they lack the ability to learn, their hands and feet are very different from ours. Simple facts.

For your first point, evolution doesn't say they have to. I'm not sure how your other points are really relevant, though I would like to say the all mammals learn.

But learn enough to have rational thought and contribute to society? Only humans have that, which is what makes us different from any other animal

Yes we may be different than any other animal, but we are animals nonetheless. Just very very smart ones.

Also hasn't it been proven that many animals create a sort of pseudo-society to which they contribute? And how do we know wether or not animals have rational thought? There is always the possibility.

 

[diasravenguard]

We evolved from apes be we are not, we are hominids.

You might be better off doing a bit more research before making that kind of statement. The entire family is classified as apes but we are classified as a great ape as a distinction within that family, there are two branches of apes (Hominoidea) one is the Hylobatidae which are gibbons (we call this branch the lesser apes) the other is the Hominidae (which is often anglicized as hominids) are all larger apes which is why the branch is called the greater apes. There are also old world monkeys which as you can see from the image evolved separate from these two branches!

 

[crudus]

No, it's impossible. There are disincentive differences that separate us completely

No........ Because we are clearly not....

You two are going to have to explain. There is nothing "clearly" about it since I don't get it. What are these disincentive differences of which you speak? For future reference: it is bad form to just make a statement without anything backing it up.

No need to believe in what is true.

That made me laugh. Good call sir.

Technically, the great apes are classified under Homo-(insert second name here, IE. Erectus, Sapien, etc.) so we're a class unto ourself.

No they aren't. We are the only living species in the Homo genus. All others are extinct. Ape are defined by any animal in the Hominoidea superfamily of primates which does in fact include humans.

 

[Nautical Honors Society]

Spoiler

http://www.soulcare.org/images/chimp_human_hands.jpg

Fixed that video for you.

 

[hardlymotivated]

Perhaps I may be pointing out an answer that has an 'obvious' answer but...

How are there still 'lower apes' after all these millions of years we are supposed to have evolved from?

We didn't evolve from the ones which currently exist today, but rather from a common ancestor from which our evolution diverged.

 

[Glademaster_v1legacy]

We are apes not because of evolution but because of what defines an animal as an Ape. Am I am a mammal? Do I have a spine? Opposable thumbs etc. Also on the whole evolution thing there are massive holes in it I was meant to watch a show explaining them but my DvDplayer didn't kick in and tape it. Surprisingly it needs to be turned off to record things and I always forget to turn it off.

 

[deadguynotyetburied]

I'm curious. Why would anybody care whether the users of a website dedicated to gaming and entertainment reviews (and massively intrusive advertising for the same products) believe that humans are apes? I can't think of any use for the results of such a survey.

 

[fenixkane]

I voted no not because I don't believe in evolution but because we are only related by ancestry to apes. Apes are not our lower forms. They grew in parallel to us. We did not come from apes but from some other animal with an earlier stage in evolution. We branched off quite a long time ago.

 

[bad rider]

To quote the kinks "I'm an ape man, I'm an ape ape man, oh I am an ape man."

 

[BlackStar42]

No........ Because we are clearly not....

Imagine a gorilla in a tracksuit cap and horrible jewellery.
BEHOLD! Your average Brit.

Brits are fans of track suits?

I thought that was more of a....eastern European thing.

Spoiler: Tada!

That is not a Brit. That is a Chav, a subspecies of human, known as Homo moronicus. Unfortunately, they are infesting our fair isle and breeding like rabbits. For some reason, it is against the law to bludgeon them to death under the guise of pest control, and Lord knows I've tried...

 

[Nautical Honors Society]

Scientifically speaking humans are apes. Actually we are members of a group of apes known as the "Great Apes"

[Source] http://www.wisegeek.com/what-are-great-apes.htm

But I know there is a lot of argument about wether or not humans are actually apes, because of religious views or what not.

In my opinion humans are just extremely intelligent apes, and science agrees with me, but what do you guys think?

EDIT: Wow, I used the word "apes" quite a lot there.

It's "Do you believe in classifying humans the same way you classify animals?"

Yes. This is exactly the purpose of this thread.

 

[Canadamus Prime]

Hmmmmm, I though apes were a species of primate unto themselves.

 

[conflictofinterests]

No........ Because we are clearly not....

Imagine a gorilla in a tracksuit cap and horrible jewellery.
BEHOLD! Your average Brit.

Brits are fans of track suits?

I thought that was more of a....eastern European thing.

Spoiler: Tada!

That is not a Brit. That is a Chav, a subspecies of human, known as Homo moronicus. Unfortunately, they are infesting our fair isle and breeding like rabbits. For some reason, it is against the law to bludgeon them to death under the guise of pest control, and Lord knows I've tried...

Homo sapiens moronicus would indicate the subspecies, and would be rather ironic. "Same wise one idiot"

 

[Jonesy911]

By very definition humans ARE apes

A) The definition of an ape is any organism belonging to the Homonoidea superfamily.

B) Humans are a member of the Homonoidea superfamily.

C) Humans are apes.

I'm not quite sure why people are having so much trouble with this. It's not a matter of "opinion" or "belief", it's a matter of current taxonomic consensus and evolutionary theory.

Yeah, pretty much that.

 

[diasravenguard]

I voted no not because I don't believe in evolution but because we are only related by ancestry to apes. Apes are not our lower forms. They grew in parallel to us. We did not come from apes but from some other animal with an earlier stage in evolution. We branched off quite a long time ago.

I don't think evolution has anything to do with this question... it's asking if we are classified as apes or something else.

I know I'm not a plant that means I'm either an animal or nothing... (ok I could be acea (sp?) but since i don't have the odd cell membrane i'm thinking I gotta be an animal and the classification I fall into is greater ape which is an ape...)

Ego-check's make better people!

 

[Buccura]

I'm in a class on this and, no, we aren't apes. We are related to Apes in our evolutionary line, and we have a common ancestor, but that's like saying just because your distant cousin is, say, Swedish, then you are Swedish too. That's just a random example but you know what I mean.

 

[HentMas]

Thats a missconception given to us by the Matrix because it haves to categorize us in "some" level, and it still sees us as animals, and the closest animal it can find is an ape

so no, we are not apes "BELIEVE" "THE THRUTH IS OUT THERE"