This separation of the river is described as a gradual change in which species came into their beings, which took place over a long period of time. Dawkins mentions in Chapter one that the river that he is referring to is that of DNA, “flowing through time” (Dawkins 4). He describes the river as being full of information and instruction on evolving, an abstract manual on the creation of species. With this being said, it can be seen that Chapter 1 and 3 are complements of each other and are able to support points made in each chapter. Evolution is gradual, as discussed in Chapter 1, further solidified in Chapter 3. Each generation of organisms is a sieve against which replicated and mutated genes are tested, a process that is not only gradual, but one that happens over time. Organisms become better and better as time goes on and are able to build off of what has happened in species before them. “Ancestors are rare, descendants are common,” meaning that good genes make successful organisms, which perpetuate good genes themselves (Dawkins
This separation of the river is described as a gradual change in which species came into their beings, which took place over a long period of time. Dawkins mentions in Chapter one that the river that he is referring to is that of DNA, “flowing through time” (Dawkins 4). He describes the river as being full of information and instruction on evolving, an abstract manual on the creation of species. With this being said, it can be seen that Chapter 1 and 3 are complements of each other and are able to support points made in each chapter. Evolution is gradual, as discussed in Chapter 1, further solidified in Chapter 3. Each generation of organisms is a sieve against which replicated and mutated genes are tested, a process that is not only gradual, but one that happens over time. Organisms become better and better as time goes on and are able to build off of what has happened in species before them. “Ancestors are rare, descendants are common,” meaning that good genes make successful organisms, which perpetuate good genes themselves (Dawkins