The theory of evolution tells us that humans have evolved from a common ancestor of primates – such as gorillas, monkeys and orangutans – over the course of several millions years. Almost everyone has been exposed to this type of propaganda in school textbooks, public media and visits to zoos and museums; all of which are adorned with evolutionary half-truths about our origins. Who can forget those famous images, cleverly crafted without any anatomical proof, showing an ape going through the different evolutionary stages and ending with a man walking upright and neatly dressed? Although there is some degree of similarity between apes and man, we have to be careful not to get caught up in the all the hype that they are distant relatives.

There are some common characteristics between humans and monkeys, as demonstrated in color stereoscopic vision, fingernails, two mammary glands, usually single births (and not litters), large brain size compared to body size, and external appendages such as hands and feet. Many evolutionary enthusiasts are passionate about these similarities, completely losing sight that these same characteristics can be found in other animals as well. For example, single births are not just common for humans and apes, but also for large animals like bears, giraffes, horses, donkeys, kangaroos, and even aquatic mammals such as dolphins and whales. Eagles, hawks and many other birds of prey possess color stereoscopic vision, just like humans, but have this characteristic to a much higher degree with the ability to see more clearly from farther distances. Observe the hands and feet of possums and raccoons. They certainly look similar to humans, even in their attached fingernails. Elephants have two mammary glands in the front of their abdomen, as well as a large brain case, and are also considered highly intelligent animals. This is the bottom line: evolution proposes that all of these properties, although they are not unique in biology, came together through the inadequate processes of natural selection and beneficial mutation to produce primates which include humans.

Darwinian evolutionists claim that these similarities are proof of our common ancestry, but they are unable to produce the ancestor fossils that prove this to be true. There is an embarrassing absence of transitions in the fossil record, and these gaps exist for every distinct group of organism including “ape-to-man.” In the period of evolutionary time where the divergence is supposed to have taken place between apes and man, there is not one chimpanzee, gorilla or orangutan fossil that has been found. The final verdict is that the fossil evidence simply does not support Darwinian common descent.

The famous expression “the devil is in the details” is where the man-to-ape comparison totally collapses. In one of many resources that address this issue, a United Kingdom website entitled, “Earth History; A New Approach” (earthhistory.org.uk), is particularly valuable. The site presents 23 principal differences between ape and man, boldly stating, “In total, these differences represent a high mountain for Darwinian evolution (natural selection working on chance mutations) to climb – to say nothing about mental and spiritual differences.”

Referring to some of these differences, consider that chimps have no neck and therefore lack mobility to move like humans, who stand upright and need flexibility to move about. Humans have an “S” shaped spine that allows them to walk upright on two legs, while apes have “C” shaped spine because they are designed to walk on all fours. Humans have the potential of making at least 250,000 facial expressions, because of 54 subcutaneous muscles that directly connect to the skin, whereas chimps have only 30 facial muscles. The use of these muscles and expressions help humans perform social interactive relationships that are extremely complex, leaving a colossal and inexplicable gap between humans and chimps. Chimps have a short thumb that is relatively weak, compared to a human’s strong opposable thumb that includes three additional muscles and a special saddle joint to make the human thumb extremely mobile. And let’s not forget that the ape’s hands are exact replicas of their feet, with an opposable big toe designed for grasping and holding on to tree branches. From the evidence at hand, the similarities are only very superficial, while a closer look reveals huge differences between apes and men.

These are just a few examples that speak of the vast differences between apes and men. The list is much longer, especially when we address the differences that exist on the molecular DNA level. This evidence contradicts evolutionary theory, regardless of what the liberal public media has reported. In Genesis 1, “after its kind” is mentioned ten times, affirming that God has preprogrammed every living organism to replicate itself. As we have already noted, the anatomical evidence and the fossil record leave no room for evolution. Creationism is the antithesis of evolution, which has as its centerpiece a “no God” mentality. Contrast this with the biblical truth that the Creator personally breathed into man, giving him the spirit of life and a special position in the entire cosmos. As it states in Genesis 2:7, “And the Lord God formed man of the dust of the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and man became a living being.” As you can see, when we examine the actual facts surrounding the ape-to-man controversy, the bulk of the evidence supports the biblical account of, “In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth,” (Genesis 1:1).

Tom DeRosa is the Executive Director and Founder of Creation Studies Institute, a national creation ministry whose mission is to reach the church community with the truths of Creation and the Gospel of Jesus Christ. He is an author, teacher, and sought out speaker with a passion to equip other believers with the tools needed to refute the lies of evolution.