Evolution: common misconceptions

If your child says… “Miller made living cells.”

Ask together

Does the product label identify molecules or cells?

What’s true

Miller's experiment produced organic molecules under proposed early atmospheric conditions without added oxygen.

If your child says… “Doing the same job proves a shared origin.”

Ask together

Does the butterfly wing have the bird wing's bones?

What’s true

Similar functions can evolve independently in structures with different origins.

If your child says… “Soot makes moths and their offspring dark.”

Ask together

Was a dark variant already present before the background changed?

What’s true

Selection favours existing inherited variants without necessarily eliminating every less successful variant.

If your child says… “The strongest individual is always the fittest.”

Ask together

How would a strong individual with no offspring pass on its traits?

What’s true

Fitness depends on reproductive success, not strength alone.

If your child says… “Organisms make mutations because they need them.”

Ask together

Does a DNA change know which conditions the population will face?

What’s true

Mutations produce new gene versions without anticipating whether they will help.

If your child says… “Stabilising selection favours both extremes.”

Ask together

If stabilising selection favours middle forms, which selection favours both extremes?

What’s true

Disruptive selection favours both extremes, breaking our calculation's assumption of no selection.

If your child says… “Land animals appeared before land plants.”

Ask together

Do these dinosaur and mammal tracks show when the first land animals appeared?

What’s true

In this broad sequence, plants colonised land before animals.

If your child says… “Chimpanzees are the step just before humans.”

Ask together

Does the chimpanzee branch lead into Homo sapiens or continue separately?

What’s true

Chimpanzees and humans descended along separate branches from shared ancestors.