Adaptation Without Innovation: Rethinking Mutations and Design

Science Update from ICR · Mar 12, 2026

What if mutations that seem helpful today become harmful tomorrow? That question sits at the center of a new genetics study published in Nature Ecology & Evolution. The researchers found that many mutations improve protein function only under certain conditions and fail when the environment changes. Rather than showing how evolution creates new traits, the study highlights how living systems adjust to new conditions while staying... More...