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Table 4 The percentage of evolution misconceptions observed in popular media (N = 73, with a total of 140 misconceptions)

From: Popular media and the bombardment of evolution misconceptions

Misconceptions found in popular media references

Percentage of times observed in a popular media reference (%)

Individual organisms evolved instead of populationsa

22

Teleological: organisms intentionally evolvea

16

Evolution was depicted or described as a linear process

16

Only the fittest survive. The fittest organisms in a population are those that are strongest, healthiest, fastest, and/or largesta

14

Humans directly evolved from apesa

14

Adaptation was used as a means of trying to evolve

10

Changes in the environment cause mutations

2

There is a conflict between religion and evolution

2

Dinosaur and humans lived at the same time

2

  1. arefers to misconceptions found among students in our population