Darwin’s theory of evolution says random mutation + natural selection + time = evolution; however, scientists have never been able to explain how this could be.
The two longstanding problems with Darwin’s theory of evolution were 1. that mutations are nearly always destructive, not beneficial, and 2. natural selection couldn’t account for the biological complexity we see in the allotted time.
But the theory of evolution is evolving. Scientists are learning that the changes that cause positive evolutionary progress are not random (i.e. purposeless, without direction) mutations but rather structured reordering of genes through transposition, symbiogenesis, genome doubling and horizontal gene transfer.
This is overturning the Darwinian doctrine of a thoroughly gradual, continuous transition from one species to another. In addition, this new information explains why the fossil record so often shows a series of sudden jumps. It’s also one reason why there aren’t nearly as many transitional forms as Darwin predicted.
While natural selection plays a role in evolution by weeding out the weak, it is not the driving force. It is the cells themselves adapting to new circumstances by modifying their genomes in response to stress.
The driving force behind evolution is intentional adaptation, not random mutation.
Adaptive variation + natural selection + time = evolution
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Note: Our ever-increasing knowledge of “simple” cells and their abilities is already beginning to show promise in the fight against diseases as rapid advances are being made using gene therapy.
Related:
Dating the Broken Hill skull: Homo heidelbergensis was younger than we thought
Genesis and the Genome: Genomics Evidence for Human-Ape Common Ancestry and Ancestral Hominid Population Sizes
Hard-Wired Conscience
Muddling Through the Universe 