Hi George
This Forum has hosted many discussions about how “random” mutations supply the variation in genomes upon which selection acts in neo-Darwinian theory to produce new species. Mathematicians and scientists might make a case for NON-randomness in this process, but for the average PIP (person in the pew, including me) this still remains a matter of chance in which God does NOT take a role. On the other hand, if (as de Duve suggests) there are a number of inheritable traits, acquired through individual life experience, that are NOT written into the DNA sequences but accompany the DNA in germ cells and influence subsequent events in the fertilized egg, a type of non-random, Lamarkian evolution should be included in any improvements in neo-Darwinian theory. Even if this addition to evolutionary theory does find experimental support, it will probably only apply to the Homo sapiens whose brain has been transformed into Mind and experiences can be passed on to succeeding generation through language.
Much of this is well beyond my field of expertise, and so I welcome comments by those better informed, including, of course, Dennis Venema.
Al Leo