[AndrewC]

that last few billion years of evolution have been jam-packed with random causes.

I am not speaking of the alleged Yogi Berra admonition that "when you arrive at a fork in the road to take it", but rather to the growing realization that the cell may be "designing" itself.

[Nebullis]

...growing realization that the cell may be "designing" itself.

It's an idea older than Darwin. Lamark, and others before him, promoted these type of transformation ideas.