Theory of Evolution

Darwin Re-visited by Dawar

1. Inter-breeding between distant cousins causes genetic mutations.

Genetic variations are not caused:

i)  randomly,

ii) by environmental pressures,

iii)due to acquired and learnt traits,

iv) by cosmic radiation or

v)  for adaptations.

None, indeed. If the genetic variations were caused by any of the afore said causes the life  forms would not have remained only in uni-cellular states for three billion years after life's appearance on the planet earth. All cells then used to divide themselves into two identical copies. The two daughter cells did not differ from the mother cell or from each other. For a long period of three billion years there was no evolution, no mutation and no diversification of life forms. The great burst diversity of life forms came about only after multi-cellular life forms appeared 800 million years ago and the sexual process of reproduction came into vogue.

The sexual reproduction was a revolutionary change in the history of life on the earth. Every individual born out of the mating of two parents was now unique in many tell-tale ways and distinctive features. He/she had a unique genetic profile. If the mating parents happened to be very distant cousins the profile of the offspring was likely to be very distinctive. It would differ a lot from both parents and all siblings.

2. In-breeding among siblings, close cousins, and other close relatives over many generations in closed geographical locations causes genetic similarities to develop among a large population which may, in course of time, form a distinct race, sub-species or a species.

Let us take an example. The typical Chinese facial features are easily recognized from typical Indian facial features. The two distinct appearances are not two phenotypes. They are only the outwards expression of two underlying distinct genotypes. Obviously these two distinct genotypes have developed because of in-breeding of the two communities separated by the Himalayan range. It would be wrong to postulate that the respective genotypes have been selected by the two different climates or two different levels of survival fitness of the respective features.

Similarly, the distinctive characteristics and genetic profiles of Chimps and Humans must have developed because of separate histories of in-breeding over long stretches of time and within the confines short width of space.

What am I today? I am the end product of my past history – the long chain of existential events that preceded me. I and my first cousin, say Mr.C, are very similar to each other. This is because we share a long common history of millions of generations. We are also slightly different from each other. This is because we have had separate histories for the last two generations. Similarly humans and chimps are very similar to each other because they share common history of billions of years. They are somewhat different from each other in certain respects, because they have had separate histories for the last six million years or so.

The divergent processes of inter-breeding and in-breeding briefly stated above, in my opinion, explain the evolution of life on the earth and the origin of species.

Baldev Raj Dawar

October 10, 2010

http://brdawar.blogspot.com