According to the theory, all the stages undergone as one living thing evolves into another need to be advantageous. To put it another way, in a process of evolution from A to Z, all the intermediate stages, B,C,D … W,X,Y, must be of some benefit. Since it is impossible for natural selection and mutation to consciously identify an objective in advance, the theory depends on the assumption that all the systems in living things can be "reduced" to myriad small steps, and that each individual transition from one step to another is beneficial to the organism. That is why Darwin said, "If it could be demonstrated that any complex organ existed, which could not possibly have been formed by numerous, successive, slight modifications, my theory would absolutely break down."
2006-06-06
08:45:42
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20 answers
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Biomimetik
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