Did human beings really used to be monkeys?

Sometimes people say, "Scientist claim we used to be monkeys!" But that's not quite right. Scientists say we share a common ancestor with today's apes.

Just as you and your cousin have grandparents in common, so you and those monkeys you see at the zoo have a common ancestor. But that common ancestor lived millions of years ago!

Monkeys, apes and humans are all primates. And all three share certain common characteristics - like ten fingers and ten toes, flattish faces and large brains. But there are obvious differences, too - and those differences are due to evolution.

Scientists say that our closest living relatives are chimpanzees, but that doesn't mean that we used to bechimpanzees. We have been evolving seperately for about the last six million years. From a common primate ancestor, two unique species have developed - chimpanzees and homo sapiens(that's us).