What Are Two Common Misconceptions About Evolution?
There are two common misconceptions about evolution: . “Survival of the fittest” means “survival of the strongest.” To biologists, fitness is a measure of reproductive success not strength. Thus the fittest individuals are those that leave the most descendants. . Evolution involves some grand plan of nature in which species become progressively more perfect. From a scientific standpoint, no plan or goal of perfection exists in the evolutionary process. Cockroaches, the bugs many people love to hate, have (1) been around for about 350 million years and (2) are one of the great success stories of evolution. They are so successful because they are generalists. The earth’s 4,000 cockroach species can (1) eat almost anything (including algae, dead insects, fingernail clippings, salts in tennis shoes, electrical cords, glue, paper, and soap) and (2) live and breed almost anywhere except in polar regions. Some species can go for months without food, survive for a month on a drop of water from
