It is not intelligent design nor is it natural selection and traditional punctuated evolution.
Cotton is a crop and the change in the makeup is the result of dedicated and smart farmers developing seed over long periods of time. Once a major breakthrough was obtained the intensive breeding effort waned.The fact there is similar cotton in the Orient , ie Egypt and most likely India as well, and the Occident points to cotton being migrated with the people coming out of Asia.
If you recall your Darwin, it was detailed studies of just such human selection, especially in pigeons, that led to the thoughts of natural selection over long periods. It is the hand of man directing many trial and error selections that is responsible.
That is precisely what I meant.
I do not accept Darwinism.
I see humans engaging in selective breeding through trial and error, and I am happy to call that Intelligent Design.
I also see God creating the wonderful array of life on this planet, and I'm happy calling that Intelligent Design as well.
I have no time for silly concepts like punctuated evolution.