Monkeys and Typewriters

If an infinite number of monkeys on an infinite number of typewriters will eventually recreate the complete works of Shakespeare, then one monkey at a computer will surely produce only jibberish.

It has been written about before, but I'm not sure who started it. The idea that genetic mutations leading to adaptive changes in a species is a process that can happen more quickly than just by chance. Think about it. Some genetic changes are bad, producing disease or death. These changes are weeded out of the next generation. Whereas genetic changes that are beneficial are passed on. Positive selection. Speeding along the development of adaptive traits.

But I do NOT believe this is the primary contributing factor to the evolution of a species. Rather, I believe sybiotic relationships lead to acquired genomes and this can lead to profound changes in an organism's physiology and biochemistry. Lynn Margulis is a strong advocate of this paradigm. However, she is admittedly not a pioneer in the idea. Many Russian scientists before Darwin believed sybiosis was an important life-changing process. Unfortunately, much of their research has been lost in political turnovers, or is in need of translation into other languages. There are some monkeys currently at work on this. More later.