Mutation and its role in evolution: A beginners guide

Thanks for the primer, WK. I`m sure it will sort out a few problems in my mind as well in other members of EVC. Before we tackle the concept of what mutations mean to TOE, could we backstep and show a list of all known causes of change to genomes, e.g. solar radiation, mineral radiation, radon, toxic chemicals, etc. Which (if known) causes the most change? Are common environmental factors a force, or does it take abnormal states to effect change?

Seems to me the factors that drive mutation are the core of evolution. For example,if say, a lowering of ozone in the atmosphere caused intense solar radiation, would this drive an explosion of mutations and thus, new species?

Thanks, Shane. Not so much mutation rate, though that comes into the equation. But the most effective triggers for mutation. If we can grasp which were the main determining factors in the evolution of life, then possibly it points a way to explain sudden extinctions, sudden explosions in population. I realise species diversity is normally an extended process, yet how do we explain the upsurge,say, in plant life? Not just one or a few, but massive diversification world-wide? One would think a trigger was at work favoring that spread.Can`t be all niche selection, can it?