Death and Mutations

“The secrets of evolution are time and death. Time for the slow accumulations of favorable mutations, and death to make room for new species.”– Carl Sagan, Cosmos, program “One Voice in the Cosmic Fugue.”

I see this succint description as a contradiction of the holy scriptures. Genesis teaches that the actions of the first humans brought death into the world. As for time needed in the mutation process, the vast majority of mutations are detrimental or fatal to the organism in question, time-frames notwithstanding. A tiny percentage appear beneficial, but only to the individual creature. There still is a genetic loss of information, so the damage appears over time, not immediately.

Reading the self-assurance of Sagan's words, one would think that Benjamin Franklin might have stated--in his scientific capacity--"But in this world nothing can be said to be certain, except death and mutations."