Evolution on Earth Occurred 'Faster' During Warm Periods

According to the results of a study at the University of North Carolina in the United States, the process of evolution in early life forms on Earth occurred at a much faster rate. As reported by Science Daily, Dr. Richard Wolfenden, a well-known professor in biochemistry and biophysics, and his colleagues found that the rate of change in certain specific DNAs, which are primarily responsible for evolution in organisms, significantly increases with rising temperatures. These scientists state that these findings, alongside new evidence indicating that Earth was much warmer in the past than it is now, suggest that genetic mutations in the evolutionary cycle of living beings occurred 4,000 times faster than at present. Dr. Wolfenden says, 'At higher air temperatures, which seem to have prevailed in the early years of life formation on Earth, evolution occurred at a much faster rate.' A higher rate of evolution means that living organisms adapted to their environmental changes much faster than they do now, which was vital for their survival at that time. In the early years of life formation on Earth, the planet faced extensive environmental changes such as massive floods, devastating fires, earthquakes, and active volcanoes on its land and oceans. In the debate between evolution opponents and proponents, it has always been assumed that the speed of evolution has been relatively constant over time, which scientists now claim is not true. The website Physics.org, in a report published on this subject, states that the Earth formed about 4.6 billion years ago from a cloud of hot dust and gases until about 4.3 billion years ago when some of these gases cooled and the formation of oceans began. Researchers say that new evidence obtained from Australian rocks indicates that life emerged 4.1 billion years ago, almost immediately after the formation of oceans. At that time, the temperature on Earth's surface was close to the boiling point of water, that is, one hundred degrees Celsius; seventy-five degrees higher than the average temperature today.