Darwinian evolution, intelligent purpose and mass extinctions of species

As H. sapiens is facing its most critical choice (Fig. 6.1), a search for explanations of the 7th mass extinction of species in terms of evolutionary theory and intelligence in nature, while not forthcoming, leads to ultimate questions regarding the origin and evolution of intelligence and the origin of purpose in nature. Fig. 6.1Schematic representation of climate and human evolution: H. sapiens at the cross-roads Like his geologist colleague Charles Lyell (Hallam (1998) who adhering to uniformitarian theory believed in the stability of species, Charles Darwin (1809–1882) rejected the theory that mass extinctions were caused by great catastrophes as promoted by Georges Cuvier (1769–1832). Darwin considered gaps in the geological record to reflect a paucity of observations for limited intervals. Whereas the Cretaceous-Tertiary (K-T) event was well known in Darwin’s day, he was convinced the sudden disappearances of species from the fossil record arose from an unrecognized hiatus, an assumption which pertained to the abrupt extermination of families or orders like the Trilobites at the end of the Palaeozoic and of the Dinosaurs and Ammonites at the K-T boundary. There is convincing evidence that at least some of the great mass extinctions of species were triggered by asteroid impacts (Alvarez et al. 1980), volcanic eruptions (Schoene 2009) and methane and hydrogen sulphide emanations (Ward 2008) (Fig. 1.2 ). Inexplicably the current and 7th mass extinction of species is taking place due to the activity of a living organism – H. sapiens.