For a mutation to "kick in" as you put it, would it only be a one-time deal where the gene was sympathetic to the original species as far as being able to procreate, but would maintain the separate/different DNA lineage and breed true?
I can't quite fathom a simultaneous mutation in a breeding pair or within a group.
I know that some scientists are trying to trace the DNA of certain groups back to an original ancestor. Saw a National Georgrahic special on their work. ANd I think they have DNA kits available which are working to trace individual's links back to certain ethnic lines.
> For a mutation to "kick in" as you put it, would it only be a one-time deal where the gene was sympathetic to the original species as far as being able to procreate, but would maintain the separate/different DNA lineage and breed true?
Not quite sure what you're asking. But for a mutation to serve a useful evolutionary purpose, it would have to be a mutation that would be passed down. And obviously it would be better if the mutation was actually beneficial. But it need not be beneficial. It coudl even be a mutation that objectively was Bad News. Like, say, when some distinct racial characteristic formed in early humans (take your pick... skin color, whatever). It could have been a mutation that did not help the individual survive agaisnt hte environment, but it might have made that individual more appealign to the opposite sex somehow. Who can say.
> I can't quite fathom a simultaneous mutation in a breeding pair or within a group.
You don;t need to. All it takes is a mutation in the reproductive system of *one* individual. A stray cosmic ray or retrovirus invades an egg cell or an early embryo such that the mutation is carried through to the new individuals reproductive system. His/her children will have the same mutation.