Evolution is a non-random directed process

[ProfMoriarty]

The notion of Intelligent Design is often raised as a potentially acceptable alternative to evolution. The claim is often made based upon the following supposition:

– evolution is a random process, so how could it have produced the complex organisms we see today - but an Intelligent Designer could have intervened and directed evolution to produce all the world's creatures and man.

However, evolution is not a random process.

The issue I want to raise for discussion is:

"Darwinian evolution is a non-random directed process. "

This is strictly in accord with both Darwin's original discussions in On The Origin Of Species, and also with current evolutionary theory, and is what enables evolutionary theory to be able to explain adaptive change and speciation.

[otseng]

We also see, I hope, that mutations can only change existing features. The limbs in this scenario remained limbs, but acquired novel characteristics by subtle alterations of the developmental programs that construct limbs.

I've created a thread to explore this idea further - Mutations and new morphological features.