10 Misconceptions About The Theory Of Evolution

LAUSANNE — Of all the scientific fields, evolution probably carries the most common misconceptions. Who, for instance, has never heard that humans descend from apes? Or that only the strongest organisms survive? Although widespread, these beliefs are nevertheless completely false.

"It's only a theory"
Many believe evolution is simply a theory, an opinion like any other. But "there is no doubt about the fact of evolution," says Laurent Keller, a biologist from the University of Lausanne, in Switzerland. "Fossils prove that species have disappeared, while current species have not always existed." The misunderstanding could well come from the ambivalence of the word "theory." It implies a personal and speculative idea. But for scientists, a theory designates an explanatory framework that allows them to understand natural processes. As such, the theory of evolution is a real scientific theory, and not just a simple intuition that Charles Darwin once had.

"Evolution is not observable"
We often assimilate evolution processes to events happening over millions of years. "Wrong," says the University of Lausanne's Tania Jenkins. "The resistance of bacteria against antibiotics is proof that organisms can evolve over much shorter periods of time." Insects, viruses, bacteria. Every organism capable of reproducing at high speed generally evolves rapidly. The influenza virus, which returns every year in a slightly different form, is proof of this.

Darwin 200-year anniversary coin. Photo: CGP Grey

"It's for atheists"
Is it necessary to put aside religious beliefs to accept the theory of evolution? "There's no need...