[allmendream]

Resistant to “significant” change? How about the ability to digest nylon, a synthetic substance, was that “significant” enough?

Bacteria are everywhere, and are highly successful and highly adaptable. Most likely our mitochondria and plants chloroplasts have bacterial ancestry, so they are inside us and have evolved with us.

Bacteria are in no way ‘resistant to change’, significant or otherwise.

Now how about addressing the question?

Why would a bacteria as part of its stress response increase its mutation rate?

[tpanther]

What is “IT” that determines what entity will spring up out of primordial swamp soup and become a virus or a bacterium....you know way back to the very first of those species?

What mechanism triggered a creature to split off becoming a reptile while one became a mammal, assuming both had a common ancestor?