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Introduction : myths and misconceptions
1. Ideas about evolution
Evolution is a theory not a fact
Evolution is completely random
All evolutionary changes are adaptive
In evolution, bigger is always better
Natural selection always works
Some species are more evolve than are others
Humans lived at the same time as the dinosaurs
2. Human origins
If apes evolved into humans, then apes should not exist today
"Ramapithecus" was a human ancestor
Humans and African apes split from each other over 15 million years ago
Gigantopithecus was the ancestor of "Bigfoot" (assuming Bigfoot exists)
Human traits all evolved at the same time
Large brains evolved very early in human evolution
The common ancestor of African apes and humans walked like a chimpanzee
Bipedalism first evolved on the African grasslands
Lucy was so small because she was a child
Australopithecus was a killer ape
Human evolution can be described as a "ladder"
All hominin species have probably been discovered
There are no transitional fossils in human evolution
3. Evolution from the Genus Homo
Only one species of Homo lived 2 million years ago
Early Homo had modern human brain size
Only humans are toolmakers and have culture
We can identify species by the stone tools they made
Homo habilis definitely made shelter
Our ancestors have always made fire
Early humans got all of their meat from hunting
Species with larger brow ridges are more ape-like
Neandertals walked bent over and were dumb brutes
Modern humans appeared first in Eurasia
"Mitochondrial Eve" is our only common female ancestor
Neandertals did not interbreed with modern humans
We do not need fossils any more to learn about human evolution
All recent human species had large brains
4. Recent and future human evolution
Each of us has billions of distinct ancestors
The first Americans came from Europe or the Middle East
The first Polynesians came from South America
The origin of agriculture led to an improvement in health
Civilization has been influenced by extraterrestrials
The recent increase in life expectancy was due initially to antibiotics
There are three distinct shades of human skin color
Biological race is useful for understanding human variation
All African Americans have the same genetic history
Genetic ancestry is the same thing as cultural identity
Sickle cell anemia is a "black disease"
There is a strong genetic relationship between brain size and intelligence test scores
Humans are no longer evolving
Blond hair will eventually disappear
We can predict future human evolution.
1. Ideas about evolution
Evolution is a theory not a fact
Evolution is completely random
All evolutionary changes are adaptive
In evolution, bigger is always better
Natural selection always works
Some species are more evolve than are others
Humans lived at the same time as the dinosaurs
2. Human origins
If apes evolved into humans, then apes should not exist today
"Ramapithecus" was a human ancestor
Humans and African apes split from each other over 15 million years ago
Gigantopithecus was the ancestor of "Bigfoot" (assuming Bigfoot exists)
Human traits all evolved at the same time
Large brains evolved very early in human evolution
The common ancestor of African apes and humans walked like a chimpanzee
Bipedalism first evolved on the African grasslands
Lucy was so small because she was a child
Australopithecus was a killer ape
Human evolution can be described as a "ladder"
All hominin species have probably been discovered
There are no transitional fossils in human evolution
3. Evolution from the Genus Homo
Only one species of Homo lived 2 million years ago
Early Homo had modern human brain size
Only humans are toolmakers and have culture
We can identify species by the stone tools they made
Homo habilis definitely made shelter
Our ancestors have always made fire
Early humans got all of their meat from hunting
Species with larger brow ridges are more ape-like
Neandertals walked bent over and were dumb brutes
Modern humans appeared first in Eurasia
"Mitochondrial Eve" is our only common female ancestor
Neandertals did not interbreed with modern humans
We do not need fossils any more to learn about human evolution
All recent human species had large brains
4. Recent and future human evolution
Each of us has billions of distinct ancestors
The first Americans came from Europe or the Middle East
The first Polynesians came from South America
The origin of agriculture led to an improvement in health
Civilization has been influenced by extraterrestrials
The recent increase in life expectancy was due initially to antibiotics
There are three distinct shades of human skin color
Biological race is useful for understanding human variation
All African Americans have the same genetic history
Genetic ancestry is the same thing as cultural identity
Sickle cell anemia is a "black disease"
There is a strong genetic relationship between brain size and intelligence test scores
Humans are no longer evolving
Blond hair will eventually disappear
We can predict future human evolution.