Sudden Evolutionary Change—Or Slow and Gradual Processes?

The word evolution usually implies slow, gradual changes over long periods of time. However, examples from the fossil record and two new discoveries challenge Darwin’s theory, suggesting that changes within an organism can happen very quickly.

In preparation for writing a new paper, researchers studied 10 generations of fruit flies and looked at characteristics such as reproductive success and temperature resistance. During a short period of just four months, the researchers found a “staggering number” of genetic changes.

Another new study revealed an additional case of supposed sudden evolutionary change. Scientists examined a population of columbine flowers that quickly lost their petals and nectar spurs (tubes leading to the plants’ nectar) because of a mutation in a single gene.

These and other examples from the fossil record indicate that changes can occur very quickly, a longstanding problem for Darwin’s theory. But now, a new research paper seeks to reconcile abrupt changes with slow and gradual processes.

The paper presents a new statistical model that says sudden changes within an organism are still guided by a series of incremental changes—a process known as “directional selection,” when natural selection pulls a particular trait in one direction. The authors of the paper claim that “these occurrences can be understood as ‘normal’ changes that draw on the natural variability that evolution routinely adds to natural populations.”

Evolutionary scientists will continue to interpret evidence based on their worldview, changing the narrative in evolution’s favor.

But rapid changes are not a problem for biblical creationists. Natural selection acting on variation agrees with what we read in the Bible. After the fall and the flood, animals spread out around the world. Natural selection acts on created genetic diversity that organisms possess, allowing populations of animals to adapt and survive.