[atlaw]

"If the first place, I want to see an absolute expansion of the Species survivability-quotient in question. If the Control Group (the Normative Species) can survive in Biomes A, B, C, and D, and the Test Group (the Mutant Variant) can survive in Biomes C, D, and E -- you may have isolated a Variant which can survive in Biome E, but you have reduced the overall survivability of the Species (from 4 Biomes to 3 Biomes)."

Well, speciation springs to mind. And your repeated invocation of "Biomes A, B, C, D, and E" suggests that you have drawn some rather bright (and non-existent) lines between environments. While the middle of the ocean and Death Valley are polar opposites, there's alot of territory in between. Ever heard of a salt marsh? Where does it begin and where does it end? If you can identify the bright lines there, I know a number of marine biologists who would like to hear from you.

[OrthodoxPresbyterian]

Well, speciation springs to mind. And your repeated invocation of "Biomes A, B, C, D, and E" suggests that you have drawn some rather bright (and non-existent) lines between environments. While the middle of the ocean and Death Valley are polar opposites, there's alot of territory in between. Ever heard of a salt marsh? Where does it begin and where does it end? If you can identify the bright lines there, I know a number of marine biologists who would like to hear from you.

I think you're missing the point. Regardless of the exact delineation of a "Salt Marsh" in geographic terms, a Species can tolerate what it can tolerate (within its existent Genetic Code). Certain levels of salinity, in our hypothetical "salt marsh", are survivable for at least certain members of the Species in question, provided that they have inherited the requisite Genes in question from their ancestors.

But if the Genetic Code of the Species does not possess the requisite Genes for survival in a certain environment of salinity, then it doesn't really matter whether "more-robust" or "more-deficient" members of the Species are being considered -- they're all going to Die, regardless.

In such a situation, the Species requires New Genetic Information, hence the evolutionist appeal to Random Mutation.