Page 152 - A Chain of Miracles

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tats will survive in the struggle for life. For example, in a deer
herd under the threat of attack by wild animals, those that can
run faster will survive. Therefore, the deer herd will be com-
prised of faster and stronger individuals. However, unquestion-
ably, this mechanism will not cause deer to evolve and transform
themselves into another living species, for instance, horses.
Therefore, the mechanism of natural selection has no evolu-
tionary power. Darwin was also aware of this fact and had to
state this in his book The Origin of Species:
Natural selection can do nothing until favourable individual
differences or variations occur. 74

Lamarck’s Impact

So, how could these "favorable variations" occur? Darwin
tried to answer this question from the standpoint of the primi-
tive understanding of science at that time. According to the
French biologist Chevalier de Lamarck (1744-1829), who lived
before Darwin, living creatures passed on the traits they ac-
quired during their lifetime to the
next generation. He asserted that
these traits, which accumulated
from one generation to another,
caused new species to be formed.
For instance, he claimed that gi-
raffes evolved from antelopes; as
they struggled to eat the leaves of
high trees, their necks were ex-
tended from generation to genera-
tion.

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