1. "Evolution is just a theory"

In casual conversation, "theory" is short for guess, but to scientists, it refers to an extensively tested explanation with loads of evidence behind it. Evolution Theory has been tested through fossils, genetics, changes in species observed, and more. It's as much a theory as gravity is - and no one questions gravity when their phone drops to the ground.

2. "Humans evolved from monkeys"

We didn't descend from the monkeys that exist today. But humans and today's monkeys have a common ancestor who existed millions of years ago. That ancestor branched out into various groups - some turned into today's monkeys and apes, and one group turned into people.

3. "Evolution means progress"

Evolution does not strive for intelligence or perfection. It's about adapting to the present environment. At times, that involves getting more complex, but at other times it involves losing characteristics that are energy wasters. Cave fish, for instance, lost their sight because in complete darkness, it was no use having eyes.

4. "Individuals evolve"

You can't develop in your lifetime. Evolution occurs in populations across generations. People can change in ways such as gaining muscle or acquiring skills, but unless these are genetic changes, they won't be inherited by the subsequent generation.

5. "Survival of the fittest means strongest"

In evolution, "fittest" refers to being most successful at reproducing, not most skilled in combat. A tiny insect that gives birth to thousands of offspring can be much more "fit" than a giant predator that does not breed.

6. "No transitional fossils"

Transitional fossils abound - they're just not as well-known as dinosaurs or mammoths. Archaeopteryx displays characteristics of birds and reptiles, Tiktaalik fills in the transition between fish and amphibians, and Australopithecus indicates the step between apes and humans.

7. "Evolution explains origin of life"

Evolution addresses the way that life transforms once it emerges. The question of where life originated from non-living things is a separate area known as abiogenesis. Evolution and abiogenesis are distinct but connected.

8. "Evolution occurs by chance alone"

Mutations that produce novel features are random, but natural selection isn't. The environment "sieves" features so that helpful ones will survive and propagate and the features that harm will vanish. That sieving makes evolution directional according to circumstances, and not simply good luck.

9. "Evolution makes useless half-formed parts"

Evolution doesn't progress towards an end result, and it doesn't create "half-done" body parts to be finished off. Each stage has to be functional at the moment. Take limb-like early stages in some dinosaurs, for instance. They weren't being made because the "target" was flight. They were already useful - assisting with balance, catching prey, or gliding over short distances. Feathers would have probably first evolved for insulation or showing off. These traits only came together later to produce actual wings for flying.

10. "Species evolve because they need to"

Evolution does not care about need. When an environment shifts, a species will not suddenly gain a beneficial trait because it "must." Rather, random variations may already be present in some individuals, and if those variations assist survival, they propagate across generations. If no variation assists, the species can become extinct.