What are some misconceptions of evolution?

Question

What are some misconceptions of evolution?

Answer 1

Evolution does not invent things, have a direction, or a goal. Gene duplication and genome expansion has led to reuse of structures in new situations and with novel results but with no initial need driving the change. Rather the change occurs and is not immediately lethal. Instead it is mildly useful so an extra copy of a functional gene or process that evolved for one purpose is released from positive selection on the original copy to possibly come under a selection for a new function.

http://www.proteinscience.org/cgi/conten...

Selection neither goes to ever increasing structural complexity nor is it always one way since genetic regulation can reverse or redirect developing structures. Organisms will lose structures and functions with loss of selection. Cave fish lose eyes. Snakes lose legs. Slugs lose shells.

Gastropods evolved shells and then a spiral to become snails. Slugs evolved from snails but since the genetics for the snail's developmental stages exist to alter them required over writing with new regulation during growth that supersedes the genes already expressed. So the shell is begun but not grown, it is vestigial. These organisms must still contort to fit a spiral but then their newer genes kick in to de-tort them as the juveniles grow. A result of this contorting/de-contorting is that the right-hand-side organs are reduced but a population of gastropods effectively 'shed the shell' as it became a liability on land against newly evolving predators.

http://snailstales.blogspot.com/2005/04/...

Answer 2

Five major misconceptions here -

http://www.talkorigins.org/faqs/faq-misc...

Answer 3

That it is a true theory to represent origins of life.

Answer 4

There are two big ones that really bug me.  The first is that the theory of evolution deals with the formation of the universe, that somehow evolution and the big bang are intertwined.  My very favorite example of this in the Y!A community is: "Evolution can be disproved in one single sentence:  Evolution says that nothing exploded and created everything. There... I disproved it."  Yes, that's an actual quote.

The second is that evolution occurs spontaneously, with one species instantly giving rise to another (i.e. a monkey having a human baby, or a dog giving birth to a cat).  In fact, it's this sort of event that would *disprove* the theory of evolution.  Evolution relies on changes throughout a population over many generations with each change remaining small enough that it doesn't restrict reproduction within the population.  An organism could, by sheer chance, undergo a drastic mutation that boosts its fitness... but if it can't pass that trait on, then the adaptation is moot.  The trait has to be passed on to the next generation, and over time, be distributed throughout the population to be established as a stepping stone in the evolutionary path.

Answer 5

One misconception is that we didn't evolve from monkeys and apes (see Peter S responding for an example of this).

The truth is we did not evolve from MODERN monkeys.  We did not evolve from MODERN apes.  We did evolve from monkeys, and we did evolve from apes.  "Monkey" and "ape" are inclusive terms, and cover species both extinct and extant.

Our last monkey ancestor was about 25 million years ago.  Our last non-hominid ape ancestor was about 5 million years ago.  We are classified as a "great ape" today, so, technically, since your parents are "great apes," you're definitely evolved from great apes.

Answer 6

Evolution: 24 myths and misconceptions:

http://www.newscientist.com/channel/life...

Defender's Guide to Science and Creationism:

http://www.vuletic.com/hume/cefec/

Misconceptions of Evolution:

http://faculty.evansville.edu/de3/evolut...

Top 15 Misconceptions about Evolution:

http://listverse.com/science/top-15-misc...

http://scienceblogs.com/pharyngula/2008/...

Answer 7

The biggest misconception is that man evolved from apes.The real statement is that man and apes evolved from a common ancestor

Answer 8

Sophia J said it best.

I would, however, like to emphasize that evolution says NOTHING about how life began, only on how it changes. If you're wondering about how life began you need to look into abiogenesis.  

Answer 9

1. That evolution deals with how life originated.  It deals with how life has changed, not how it began.

2. That humans evolved from chimpanzees.  We share a common ancestor, similar to how you share an ancestor with your cousin.

3. That there is an intended direction.  There is no forward or backward in evolution.  Traits that promote reproductive success are passed on, those that hinder it are lost.

4. That it is "only a theory" or "it isn't proven".  A scientific theory represents a massive accumulation of facts and tested hypotheses.  You cannot get any more certain in science than a theory.  You never prove anything in science because we are always gathering more information to add to our understanding.

5. That there is serious disagreement among scientists over whether evolution occurs.  The vast majority of scientists understand the overwhelming evidence for the theory of evolution.  Disagreements center on the pace and the specific causes, not whether it happens.

6. That evolution denies the existence of a god.  The theory of evolution by natural selection has nothing to say about whether or not a god exists.

7. That evolution by natural selection is completely random.  While you could potentially argue that mutations are somewhat random, natural selection is certainly not.  Adaptations that promote reproductive success get passed on, those that hinder it are likely eliminated.  This isn't random.

8. That there is a big division between "micro" and "macro" evolution.  Changes in allele frequencies is evolution and this can lead to small intrspecific changes as well as bigger changes that divide species.  These aren't two distinct processes, but a continuum of degrees of effects.

Answer 10

1. that humans are the greatest organism to be created by it (we are just well suited for this environment.  

2. evolution disproves the bible. (it does not say how life started, just how certain species evolve)

3. it is only a 'theory' (it has thousands of individual studies to support it and very few, if any, to disprove it)

4. evolution is only caused natural selection (it is caused by genetic drift, natural selection, mutations, and nonrandom breeding)

Answer 11

I think the most disturbing misconception relates not to the mechanics of the theory but to the degree to which it is taken seriously in the scientific community.  Creationists claim, with straight faces no less, that there is turmoil in the research community and a mass exodus towards intelligent design is coming.  

Nothing could be further from the truth.  The number of legitimate scientists who don't believe in evolution is so small as to be statistically insignificant - it's actually clearer to say ALL scientists believe in it than to say SOME dont, because SOME implies sufficient numbers to be able to get a group discount at the Creation Museum.

These people live in an intellectual ghetto, but they are alarmingly successful at appearing to be an honorably struggling group of free thinkers rather than the closed minded mythologists they really are.