Each time I hear/read someone dismissing the science of evolution because “man didn’t evolve from chimps/monkeys”, I wonder if the individual is (1) trumpeting his ignorance or (2) constructing a strawman in the mind of his audience

David’s truncated line may well cause miscommunication.
Modern chimpanzees are not the ancestors of man. Modern chimpanzees are our cousins, not our forefathers. Richard Dawkins has made this point clear in answering an ignorant question (“Will chimpanzee become man some day?,” something like that.).

The article “Ardipithecus: we meet at last” clarifies that Ardipithecus ramidus were our ancestor but they were already on different line from the ancestry line of modern chimpanzees. According to the article, Chimpanzees have evolved to adapt to live on trees rather than on land: chimps’ ancestors were not that adroit on trees as modern chimps are. (But it is out of question that the ancestors or man and the ancestors of chimps came from their common ancestor.)

I liken the relationship between man and chimp somewhat like this: Van Jones is not the ancestor of George W Bush. Van Jones’ grandfarther was not the ancestor of George W Bush’s father, either. Man is known as to have evolved in Africa. But it does not mean that modern black people are the ancestors of white people.

Judging from David’s truncated line, David seems to deny evolution. But I am not sure. David, do you mean you deny evolution or you just confirm that modern chimps are not the ancestor of man?

It just occurred to me that chimps don’t have religion. Where along this evolutionary line did it become beneficial to be superstitious?

In the future, the chimps will evolve into meek….or rather engineered. then they will take over the world