Common misconceptions about evolution by natural selection

Geoff: Just a few quick points, hopefully to at least clarify some of the misunderstandings that are repeatedly voiced in this forum.

1. Humans evolved from apes.
No, humans and modern apes all evolved from a common ancestor.

2. Evolution is all about fossils.
No, fossils give us a good idea of what life forms were like in the past, but they are not the best evidence for evolution. The whole "missing link" argument is flawed because the best evidence for common ancestry between species (the nub, crux and jist of evolution), is comparing the physiognomy and genetic structure of any two species.

3. Evolution couldn't have come up with the eye, elbow, bacterial flagellum, etc...
Um, Darwin busted this one over a century ago. The idea that evolution couldn't occur in structures which need all pieces functioning together is flawed unless you can also prove that it did evolve from a completely different structure (adaptation), or that it has been refined from a more complex, yet less efficient version (scaffolding).

4. That evolution is just a theory.
Well, all I can suggest is that you don't need a ladder, because so is gravity. And stop using a computer, because so is electro-magnetism.


There are many more misconceptions, mainly held by people who don't want to accept evolution for whatever reason. My only suggestion to them is to accept that the truth really doesn't give a damn what you want.

duncan124:
Arguments about Evolution belong in America. No one has an argument with it around here.

duncan124:
Infact Polititians were taking about devolution.

Geoff: The purpose wasn't to point at politicians, but those wire members who seem to trot out the same arguments again and again.

duncan124:
I have n,t seen any Wire Club posts against evolution.
,if thats what you meant by "same arguments again and again"

Geoff: Consider yourself lucky. Every thread on science, if allowed to wander for long enough, will end up with the whole evolution vs creation fight.

And the anti-evolution arguments generally revolve around one of the four points I outlined.

duncan124: But no one else has said anything.

Geoff: Not here - but in countless other threads, I felt a clean thread with some clear points might avoid some occurrences in the future.

CoIin: In addition to your list above, Geoff, I find that one of the most pernicious misunderstandings implicit (but seldom articulated explicitly) in a lot of posts around here is that evolutionary theory is somehow "normative", i.e. it's about "ought" rather than "is".

Many religious posters seem not to understand, especially with respect to evolution, that scientific theories are descriptive and not prescriptive - that is to say they tell us what happens, not what "should" happen - or else they claim to know this, but this "knowledge" is belied by their lamentations of moral relativism and what-not.

We do not look to the processes describing nuclear fusion in stars, any more than we look to evolutionary theory, for moral guidance.

Attacks on the nuts and bolts of the theory are, I think, rather a symptom of what they perceive as the menacing nature of the theory as a whole.

duncan124: Looks like a religious hate thread.

Geoff: Did I say anything anti-religious?

I should point out that the two largest Christian denominations fully accept evolution, so it isn't about religion, its about wilful ignorance.

duncan124: Was the last anti-evolution thread a very small one because I can,t see it.

Geoff: This one is entirely about evolution:
Topic: Science

This one strays into evolution:
Topic: Science

Both of which are pretty long. I could search for more links of threads I've encountered in my 3½ years on wire, but I think that any evidence that there are anti-science minds in wireclub's forums is sufficient motive to try to make them understand a little more about the subject they reject. Perhaps I should expend more effort pointing out that evolution can and does exist harmoniously with religious beliefs.

If I had been wanting to start an anti-religion thread, believe me, this would have been posted in the religion forum.

CoIin: Another common misconception is that evolutionary theory and The Origin of Species are one and the same thing.

Scientific theories are seldom, if ever, static entities - they're better thought of as, um, evolving.

duncan124:
Nether of the threads are recent, the first is from a year ago and says the video is withdrawn because of copyright and no one seems to say ' Evolution'. the other one is Big Bang which could stray in to evolution I am sure but I can,t see any evolution arguments there.

You did n,t just you were feeling too healthy in the warm weather and decide to hate something or someone?

You Americans are known to suddenly turn on people.

Aura: Wait you're complaining about him hating 'someone or something' and then you add 'You Americans are known to suddenly turn on people'. How is that not doing exactly what you were complaining about?
....
Was that just added to put more weight to your argument maybe?
Eh,you know how you win arguments? by keeping the facts straight. At least that's how you 'should' win

Geoff: a) Both of those threads have seen activity in the last two weeks.

b) I am not American, neither is Colinian. And even if I was, assuming that 300,000,000 people all act in the same manner is both highly insulting to the Americans I know, as well as being more than a little racist.

Geoff: And if you would like to know what specific event promoted this thread, I suggest you take a look at the 'Landover Baptist Church' website, where they claim (in all seriousness) that the Tyrannosaurus Rex was in fact a carnivorous variant of kangaroo. It is a tragedy worsened in that they describe the first skeleton they display as an "Austrian kangaroo".

And, as I said before, there is no religious reason to be so blatantly ignorant. Both the Anglican and Catholic churches have accepted evolution as "How God gets things done". Just because most of the people arguing against the evidence are religious doesn't mean it is reason for me to dislike their religion.

Wild__: I don't dislike anyone's religion until they knock on my door and try to push it on me.

StuckInTheSixties:

What if they're not knocking on your door with a pamphlet, but they're pooling their financial resources to sway local elections and obtain enough seats on your school board so they can force their religious agenda into high school biology classrooms?

duncan124: Its a legal fact in the US that Americans sit on their porches with a few tins and get to wild talk, or just angry at someone and commit crimes against that person for no sane reason.

If Geoff did n,t like the Church web site what did he go there for?

Geoff: I find myself unable to sit idly by while others are lying for an ulterior motive. I feel the need to call them out before others are swayed by such duplicity

duncan124: So what did you say to them?

StuckInTheSixties:

Havin' fun, Geoff?

Hyenablood: SITS, what is this I hear about you and a pinecone ?

Wild__:

SITS says,

What if they're not knocking on your door with a pamphlet, but they're pooling their financial resources to sway local elections and obtain enough seats on your school board so they can force their religious agenda into high school biology classrooms?

And I reply,

If a Jehovah Witness knocks on my door but my stereo is so loud that I cant hear it....