Evolution Misconceptions Project – With Answers
1) Charles recently went on a vacation to the Galapagos Islands. He noticed that on
islands with large seeds, the birds had large beaks, and on islands with small seeds,
the birds had small beaks. He concluded that the birds on each island decided which
type of beak to have, because it was best adapted to the environment. Is he correct?
1 – Hint: Can birds decide what physical characteristics they have?
1) Charles is correct that on each island, you will probably find birds that are well
adapted to the environment. However, he has the process down wrong: the birds don’t
decide which type of beak to have. Organisms can’t really change physical things about
themselves. However, birds that have random mutations for the right type of beak will
probably survive, reproduce, and pass on their genes at a faster rate.
2) Ben argues that the theory of evolution is not possible, because scientists say that
humans evolved from apes, and there are still apes around. “I aren’t evolved from no
monkey,” Ben grunts as he picks the lint out of his belly button. What is Ben’s
misconception?
2 – Hint: Do humans and apes share a common ancestor?
2) Ben is partly right – humans DID NOT evolve from apes! However, humans and apes
DID share a common ancestor. Both humans and apes evolved from that common
ancestor.
3) Sam is taking a test and sees a graph. He interprets it as: In the following graph,
some bacteria decided to become resistant to bacteria, and then they survived and
reproduced
3 – Hint: Can bacteria decide whether or not they are resistant to something?
How does the ability to become resistant to bacteria show up in a population?
3) Bacteria cannot DECIDE to become resistant to bacteria. A mutation for resistance
probably showed up in one of the bacterium. That bacterium was able to survive,
reproduce, and pass on its genes.
4) Jack says that his teacher is full of it. The teacher says that evolution is a real
process, and that it helps to explain that humans and fish have a common ancestor.
Jack says that there’s no way to know if that’s true, because it happened 10,000
years ago and we don’t have a time machine to see if it’s a true theory or not. Is Jack
right – is there any evidence for evolution?
4 – Hint: Is there any evidence at all for what type of life existed 10,000 years
ago? What about 5,000 years ago?
4) Jack is wrong – scientists do have evidence for evolution: the fossil record! Scientists
are able to look at fossils to help find out how species evolved over time.
5) Jim is concerned. He wants to raise a daughter who is in great physical shape so
she can make it to the Olympics some day. However, Jim is in very poor physical
shape. So, he decides he’s going to start working out
5 – Hint: If Jim cut his arm, would his daughter come out with an injured arm?
Can changes made to someone’s physical characteristics be passed on to their
offspring?
5) Jim is wasting his time. Jim’s DNA makes up something called his genotype. Jim
cannot change his genotype. Jim’s DNA can impact his physical appearance – his
phenotype. However, he can also make changes to his phenotype by doing things such
as exercising. But, those changes are not made to his DNA, so they will not be passed on
to his daughter.
6) Melanie is very concerned. She recently received a nasty sunburn from staying
out in the sun too long. She read that the UV rays from the sun can cause mutations
in skin cells, and that such mutations from sunburns can cause cancer. While the
chance of developing skin cancer is scary to Melanie, she’s even more concerned
that when she has children, they will also get cancer. Should Melanie be scared?
6 – Hint: What type of cell in Melanie’s body will be used to pass on her genes
to her offspring?
6) Melanie should only be scared if she thinks she has a mutation to her gametes – her
sex cells. Changes to Melanie’s body cells (somatic cells) cannot be passed on to her
offspring.
7) Elizabeth is walking through Central Park one day and sees two flying animals: a
hawk and a butterfly. She thinks “I remember my biology teacher saying that
animals that share a common ancestor often have similar body structures. Because
the hawk and the butterfly both have wings, they must be closely related.” Is
Elizabeth correct?
7 - Hint: Is it possible for two animals to develop flying independently?
7) Elizabeth is getting the difference between HOMOLOGOUS and ANALOGOUS
structures. Homologous structures came from a common ancestor: they often appear
similar but serve different functions. Analogous structures did not come from a
common ancestor: they evolved independently in both species. In this case, the wings of
each animal are analogous: they serve the same function, but are not due to common
ancestry.
8) Jennifer recently took a trip to Antarctica for a research project through her
university. While there, she observed polar bears with very thick fur and thought,
“those polar bears have thick fur to keep warm in Antarctica”. She also observed
seals that had a thick layer of blubber and thought “those seals have a thick layer of
blubber to keep warm in Antarctica.” She concluded that because both animals had a
mechanism to keep warm, they must be closely related. Is she correct?
8 – Hint: When two things look alike, does that mean they must be closely
related? What is the difference between ANALOGOUS and HOMOLOGOUS
structures?
8) Jennifer is confusing ANALOGOUS structures with HOMOLOGOUS structures. Polar
bears with thick fur were able to survive and reproduce, passing on their genes. The
seals with thick blubber were able to survive and reproduce, passing on their genes.
The two ways of keeping warm are ANALOGOUS: they serve a similar function, but are
not from a common ancestor.