Here is an article I read yesterday that now is in Science Daily. It shows there are mechanisms in DNA to control the speed and direction of evolution other than chance mutation and natural selction, Natural selection cannot play a role as this paper implies since areas of DNA control the changes from within DNA: http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/01/090126203207.htm - Here is the link to the PLoS journal itself, not easy reading in the research part: http://biology.plosjournals.org/perlserv/?request=get-document&doi=10.1371%2Fjourna... - The third article, again PLoS, concerns possible ancient relationships on 'the tree of life': one point in the article is a second development of a nervous system, not just once as some scientists think. This supports Simon Conway Morris' theory of covergence, that allows the same development in different places at different times. ('Life's Solution' and 'The Crucible of Creation' are his very accessable books) http://www.nature.com/news/2009/090126/full/news.2009.55.html