Intro to Evolution Misconceptions Survey

Evolution Survey

Multiple Choice

Evolution is something a person should either believe in, or not believe in.

• true

• false

1. Evolution is something a person

should either believe in, or not

believe in.

O FALSE!

O Beliefs are based on faith.

O Evolution is based on observable evidence

that has been repeatedly tested (challenged)
and found to survive all tests.

O EVOLUTION IS BASED ON FACTS

Multiple Choice

Evolution is a process that includes the origin of life.

• true

• false

2. Evolution is a process that

includes the origin of life.

O FALSE!

O Biological evolution is about the origin of

species (different kinds of life) after life came
into existence.

O Scientific ideas about the origin of life are a

separate issue.

Multiple Choice

Evolution is primarily concerned with the origin of humans.

• true

• false

3. Evolution is primarily

concerned with the origin of

humans.

O FALSE!

O Evolution applies to all living (and once

living) organisms.

Multiple Choice

According to evolution, people came from monkeys a long time ago.

• true

• false

4. According to evolution, people
came from monkeys a long time

ago.

O FALSE!

O According to evolution,

modern monkeys and
humans evolved
separately long ago from a
shared ancestor that was
neither monkey nor
human.

Multiple Choice

Evolution was first proposed and explained by Charles Darwin.

• true

• false

5. Evolution was first proposed

and explained by Charles Darwin.

O FALSE!

O Writings about evolution were taking place

ever since the time of the early Greeks.

O During Darwinʼs life, many were talking and

writing about evolution.

O Darwin is most noted for developing a

detailed testable explanation for how
evolution happens.

Multiple Choice

Evolution is something that happened only in the past; it is not happening now.

• true

• false

6. Evolution is something that
happened only in the past; it is

not happening now.

O FALSE!

O Evolution has been operating ever since life

came into existence- and is still happening
now.

Multiple Choice

Evolution is only a theory.

• true

• false

7. Evolution is only a theory.

O FALSE!

O If by theory, you mean mere speculation or

opinion, than evolution is not that at all.

O Evolution is an inferred fact- overwhelming

evidence that supports it, with no evidence
against it.

O Many correctly say that evolution is both a

theory and a fact.

Multiple Choice

Evolution is like a chain, with each group of organisms evolving into the next "link" in the chain.

• true

• false

8. Evolution is like a chain, with
each group of organisms evolving
into the next “link” in the chain.

O FALSE!

O Itʼs more like a

branching tree.

Multiple Choice

Fossils reveal many problems that evolution cannot explain.

• true

• false

9. Fossils reveal many problems
that evolution cannot explain.

O FALSE!

O Evolution provides the best explanation for

virtually all observations of fossils and living
organisms.

Multiple Choice

Evolution has been tested and challenged many times, but has always been supported by the results.

• true

• false

10. Evolution has been tested and
challenged many times, but has
always been supported by the

results.

O TRUE!!

O …and nothing has been observed that

threatens the validity of evolution…

Multiple Choice

Big dinosaurs were common during the time of early humans.

• true

• false

11. Big dinosaurs were common
during the time of early humans.

O FALSE!

O Dinosaurs went extinct

about 65 million years ago.

O The earliest human fossils

are only about 6 million
years old.

Multiple Choice

According to evolution, new species usually result from major mutations in a single generation.

• true

• false

12. According to evolution, new
species usually result from major
mutations in a single generation.

O FALSE!

O Most new species arise gradually, over many

generations.

O More and more new features accumulate as a

mosaic, until members have become significantly
different from the previous group.

O Each new feature is usually due to a new

combination of genes rather than a new
mutation.

Multiple Choice

The formation of complex structures, like the eye, can now be easily explained by evolution.

• true

• false

13. The formation of complex

structures, like the eye, can now
be easily explained by evolution.

O TRUE!

O There are multiple species currently in

existence that show gradual stages of light-
and image-perception.

O Complex systems and structures very likely

evolved from functional but simpler systems
and structures.

O DNA studies have confirmed this.