Well, I'll Be a Monkey's Uncle...For Real

[Jdailey1991]

This is our closest living relative:



Often misinterpreted as our ancestor, we actually share a common ancestor with the chimpanzee. Who that was, we still don't know.

Popular culture has further distorted our relationship with chimpanzees, branding them as "monkeys", even though they really are apes. Even so, the chimp=monkey mentality persists, right down to the saying, "Well, I'll be a monkey's uncle."

But what if, in an alternate Earth, humans DID evolve from monkeys? I have two likely candidates for which monkey would be considered our closest living relative in an AE:



Mandrillus



Papio

Both are fairly large, very social and exclusively African. So if humans did evolve from monkeys and are closely related to either one of these genera, would I expect some behavioral and morphological differences from ape-evolved humans? If yes, then what, specifically?

 

[CupofJoe]

A first guess; your AE Humans would have more upper body hair, large hairless bum-cheeks and a tail,
As for "specifically" I think you are going to be disappointed again. It looks like you might need a PhD or two and 3-5 million years to really know the answer. For me, there are way too many variables and unknown questions. The first two would be; Are there apes as well? And if there are, why didn't they develop into proto-humans?

 

[Agam Ridelle]

You can create a history in which all humans evolved from all types of monkeys/chimpanzees or even all animals. Then the humans divide into clans worshipping their animal ancestors like Gods and each having a physical trait, like Blue Butt Clan and Red Butt Clan and Bee Stung Clan.

Just some thoughts

 

[Jdailey1991]

You can create a history in which all humans evolved from all types of monkeys/chimpanzees or even all animals. Then the humans divide into clans worshipping their animal ancestors like Gods and each having a physical trait, like Blue Butt Clan and Red Butt Clan and Bee Stung Clan.

Just some thoughts

This doesn't answer the question.

 

[Agam Ridelle]

This doesn't answer the question.

There’s no way to answer your question, since the current scientific view is that humans did not evolve from monkeys. So I offered suggestions to go around that. If you want to infuse logic, I think it’s safe to assume there would be differences between the apes and monkeys-evolved humans. The same ones that differ monkeys from apes.

 

[Jdailey1991]

There’s no way to answer your question, since the current scientific view is that humans did not evolve from monkeys. So I offered suggestions to go around that. If you want to infuse logic, I think it’s safe to assume there would be differences between the apes and monkeys-evolved humans. The same ones that differ monkeys from apes.

There is ALWAYS a way to answer any question. This is a speculative scenario, which fits the definition of worldbuilding.

 

[Devor]

Look at the shoulders of the chimp, and then at the monkeys.

I'm not sure that sapient life evolved from a monkey would be close enough to refer to as human. The big difference here is posture. Without broad shoulders and an upright posture, you start to lose what it means to be human, physically. Other primates are stronger, but the human body and upright posture is built for endurance, and that endurance is key to keeping the human brain fully functional. Insomuch as we're talking hard science, it's easy to question whether higher cognitive functions even could develop without those physical requirements.

Of course, this is fantasy, so if you want a world full of people in buttless jeans to show off their red monkey posteriors, then by all means.

 

[CupofJoe]

Of course, this is fantasy, so if you want a world full of people in buttless jeans to show off their red monkey posteriors, then by all means.

Displaying the bum like this could mean a different place for tattoos and the like.

 

[skip.knox]

>There is ALWAYS a way to answer any question.
Yes there is. I'd love to hear yours.

 

[Agam Ridelle]

There is ALWAYS a way to answer any question. This is a speculative scenario, which fits the definition of worldbuilding.

I'l rephrase. I don't know how to answer your question any differently then what I offered. Hopefully, someone else will be able to.