Biology

Not a fact anymore

Coelacanths became extinct tens of millions of years ago.

What we know now

Living coelacanths survive today in two known species, Latimeria chalumnae and Latimeria menadoensis.

Status: Overturned
Category: Biology
Changed approximately: 1938–1939

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Not a fact anymore

Living organisms such as microbes can routinely arise spontaneously from nonliving matter under ordinary present-day conditions.

What we know now

Microorganisms observed in decaying or fermenting material come from pre-existing organisms or their spores. Ordinary biological reproduction follows biogenesis.

Status: Overturned
Category: Biology
Changed approximately: 17th–19th centuries

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Not a fact anymore

Species are fixed, separately created forms that do not change into new species over time.

What we know now

Populations evolve across generations, species share common ancestry, and new species can arise when populations diverge genetically and reproductively.

Status: Superseded
Category: Biology
Changed approximately: 19th–20th centuries

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