Common misconceptions about evolution
1.Evolution is a theory about the origin of life
Reality: Evolutionary theory deals mainly with how life changed after its origin. Regardless of how life started, it branched and diversified. Evolution theory focuses on the processes that change life after its origin.
2.Evolution is ‘just’ a theory
Reality: Yes, but a scientific theory which has explanations that are based on lines of evidence that have enabled valid predictions, and have been tested in many ways
3. Evolution is like a ladder of progress; organisms get better with time e.g that humans evolved from chimpanzees
Reality: Humans and chimpanzees are evolutionary cousins and share a recent common ancestor but have each evolved traits unique to their own lineages: for more detail please read article by
Erez S. Garty, Ph.D.
Editor in Chief, Davidson Online
Davidson Institute of Science Education
Weizmann Institute of Science