Despite the teaching of biological evolution in the classroom for decades, the learning of concepts related to evolution continue to pose difficulties for students, due to their inability to see the relevance of evolution their everyday experiences. In this study, we report the results from questionnaires composed of twelve multiple-choice items derived and modified from the literature in order to determine the prevalence and severity of alternative conceptions related to soft inheritance and use-and-disuse. In the open-ended section after each item, students were also allowed to describe their reasoning behind the answers they chose. The results showed that while both types of alternative conceptions are present in our respondents as reported in other studies, the rate of application of alternative conceptions dipped tremendously when human-based scenarios were adopted as compared to scenarios involving other organisms. This is especially true for the concepts related to soft inheritance. We attribute the differences to familiarity with elements in the items, and a lack of consistency in applying their biological knowledge. The results suggest that learners tend to apply the correct principles of inheritance only for phenomena that constitute part of their everyday experiences, and have implications for how evolution should be taught.