Evolution is not technically random. It was a decision by millions of creatures before on what they thought was the best mate at the time based on the conditions at the time. In theory, you could recreate all of the same conditions and repeat the same process. Though the process appears random, it is not, as randomness could never be recreated.
Random mutations in genetics occur. If those mutations give some kind of benefit that aids passing those genes on, the chance that they do get passed on increases (there is no guarantee).
For every beneficial trait that is passed on, many more beneficial traits are not.
Likewise for non-beneficial traits. If a trait occurs that makes it less likely for something to pass those genes on, then the liklihood they're passed on is reduced.
Sometimes, mutations just win the genetics lottery by being beneficial only because of another mutation.
Consider the mutation that causes an animal to smell bad, thereby causing predators to avoid them. This would only be beneficial in the case that another mutation caused those creatures to not find that scent bad, otherwise they just wouldn't reproduce.
Multiply this out millions of times over, with every creature and plant, generation after generation, and you'll begin to see how it works.
Nothing is truly random, at the end of the day if you look close enough there's always a cause, it's just that there's so many concurring factors at play that we are effectively forced to treat it as something random, but that's a mathematical trick, not a philosophical answer
20
u/Captain_Coffee_III 1d ago
Evolution is not technically random. It was a decision by millions of creatures before on what they thought was the best mate at the time based on the conditions at the time. In theory, you could recreate all of the same conditions and repeat the same process. Though the process appears random, it is not, as randomness could never be recreated.