Luck be an evolutionary lady tonight

Evolutionary change is sometimes as simply and unpredictable as a roll of the dice

Photo collage of an engraving of Charles Darwin and a four leaf clover
Luck and evolution go hand in hand
(Image credit: Illustration by Julia Wytrazek / Getty Images)

Evolution has been known as survival of the fittest, however the fittest may also have been simply the luckiest. Though genetics are a driving force of evolution, many evolutionary changes were a result of random occurrences or being at the right place at the right time.

Survival of the luckiest

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Devika Rao, The Week US

 Devika Rao has worked as a staff writer at The Week since 2022, covering science, the environment, climate and business. She previously worked as a policy associate for a nonprofit organization advocating for environmental action from a business perspective.