One of the core principles of traditional evolutionary theory is that physical traits evolve in a population because they help the organism to adapt to their environment and enjoy reproductive success as measured in the production of greater numbers of offspring.
One problem with this hypothesis is that it simply doesn't explain the extravagant diversity and beauty found in the living world, an extravagance that seems totally superfluous and unnecessary for the survival of the species.
This beautiful video, featuring Australian geneticist Michael Denton and titled Biology of the Baroque, presents numerous examples of this phenomenon in nature. It's twenty minutes long but the footage is so gorgeous that once you start watching you'll want to keep on to the end.
The theme of the video is that the superabundant beauty found in living things seems unnecessary for the survival of the species and inexplicable on a Darwinian account of life. It's wholly gratuitous, and, so far from suggesting a genesis in blind chance and purposelessness, points us rather to the artistry of an Intelligent Designer.
Watch it and see what you think:
