Myths about evolution theory…

1. The Historical Development of the Idea of Evolution…excerpt from “Principles of Planetary biology” by Tom E. Morris

2. Myths about evolution theory… Myth no. 1 – The theory of evolution was first contemplated by Darwin. Many earlier naturalists, including the ancient Greeks and even his own grandfather, considered a natural evolution of life on Earth Myth no. 2 – Charles Darwin developed the theory of evolution. He didn’t develop the theory. He discovered the theory, and then described his discovery. Scientific theories seek to describe reality by seeing patterns in its organization. If Darwin and Russell hadn’t discovered it, then someone else would have.

3. Myth no. 3- Evolution is a unique and separate biological process. There is no such thing as an evolutionary process. There is no separate biological phenomenon called ‘evolution.’ You cannot go out into nature or into the laboratory and observe evolution ‘happening.’ There is no technique with which to detect the evolutionary phenomenon because evolution doesn’t happen. Life happens. The term ‘evolution’ is a label that biologists use to describe a result.

4. Myth no. 4 – Evolution theory predicts that humans evolved from apes. First, the theory has no capacity to interpret itself. All the theory does is provide a framework for inquiry into such interesting questions as the evolution (or not) of humans (and all other kinds of living things. The theory provides a tool by which investigators may consider their observations. Second, the idea that humans evolved from apes is a popular misconception and misinterpretation of the theory.

5. Myth no. 5 – Living things adapt to their environment. There is no way that any living thing can evolutionarily adapt to their environment. In reality, an individual copes (or not) with its environment. Individuals don’t adapt. This notion also implies that evolution is some kind of response to environmental conditions. You may perspire on a hot day (physiological adaptation) but you cannot evolve a sunshade in response to the burning sun.

6. Myth no. 6 – Survival of the Fittest. This expression should be stricken from all evolutionary, and other forms, of literature. It is a tautology which means nothing more than ‘survival of the survivors.’ It’s like saying the finishers are the runners who finish the race. Myth no. 7 – Only the strong survive. Hmmm…he who turns and runs away lives to fight (or eat, or reproduce!!) another day. The strong may be dead at the end of the day. No reproduction for them.

7. Myth no. 8 – Evolutionary biologists ‘believe’ in evolution. The scientific enterprise is not in the belief business. Science’s primary mission is to understand the reality of how things work. This is purely an intellectual activity and does not require operation of any faith or belief system. Myth n0. 9 – Humans will evolve into creatures with bigger heads and weak bodies because we need bigger brains and we don’t need strong bodies. Directional changes like these can only happen after many, many generations in which women prefer skinny, big-headed males.

8. Myth n0. 9 – The Planet of the Apes phenomenon. These movies assume that should humans suddenly disappear from the Earth, apes (chimps, gorillas?) will evolve into a technological species. Evolution theory is incapable of making predictions about the evolutionary trends of any type of living thing. The system described by the theory is a dynamical system. Life occurs in a dynamic environment such that not all situations can be predicted.

9. Myth no. 10 – The main purpose of an individual’s life is to reproduce. Actually , the primary mission of a living individual is to maintain the living state – which means, to stay alive. Reproduction is an inconvenience imposed upon individuals at the behest of the type (species). The chemical behaviour modification imposed upon us by puberty results in our spending too much of our resources and time in attracting a mate. Reproduction can be harmful to the individual. When the individual reaches sexual maturity, the species exploits the individual by turning them into a genetic messenger.

10. Myth no. 11 – Evolution theory contemplates the spontaneous origin of life on Earth. Evolution theory is not concerned about the origin of life. Myth no. 12 – It’s just a theory. Everything we understand about how things work in the world is ‘theoretical.’