12th January, 2018. ‘Mutations’.

Returning to a point from blog 4th Jan. the varying ability of creatures to see in the dark (to varying degrees), whatever physical forms it takes, is a result of evolutionary change. Charles Darwin (above), 1809-1882, said to be the ‘Father of Evolution’ didn’t actually use the term ‘evolution’ until the 6th edition of his book On theOrigin of Species, first published 1859. Up to that point he had used the phrase ‘mutations of the species’, that is that tiny mutations from the then norm of a species physiology might actually give it a small advantage in the struggle for survival, an advantage that would then be passed-on to future generations so that across the generations this original ‘mutation’ would become the norm. Such was the process by which species evolved (changed) to a degree which eventually led to the development of new species.

Taken to its logical conclusion such a philosophy/science concludes that life/species had a common origin, but also that evolution is on-going. Unfortunately the single life-span of any species is such a comparatively small period of time that only time will tell.

On the Origin of Species was, surprisingly, a commercial success given that it was published at the height of the ‘Gothic Revival’ movement and ‘Oxford Movement’ in the Church of England when a literal interpretation of the first chapter in the Bible’s Book of Genesis was still accepted by most people. The fact that Darwin’s theories could stand ‘shoulder to shoulder’ with fundamentalist theology signalled one of the most important points in modern history, but also a broadmindedness in the British personality.