Evolution Quote by Richard Dawkins
““For more than three thousand million years, DNA has been the only replicator worth talking about in the world. But it does not necessarily hold these monopoly rights for all time. Whenever conditions arise in which a new kind of replicator can make copies of itself, the new replicators will tend to take over, and start a new kind of evolution of their own.””
About This Quote
Source Book: The Selfish Gene, 1976
DNA has been the dominant replicator, but new replicators can arise and replace it, driving new evolutionary paths.
In simple terms: DNA dominates now but can be overtaken by new replicators.
Key Takeaway
Watch for emerging self‑replicating technologies.
Themes
evolution
competition
innovation
Mood
cautious
optimistic
Type
scientific
philosophical
When to use this quote
- biotech development
- AI self‑replication
- viral research
- environmental change
Key Concepts
replicator theory
memetics
synthetic biology
Questions to Reflect On
- What could become the next dominant replicator?
- How might we guide its evolution responsibly?
A Different Perspective
New replicators may face ecological constraints or ethical limits.
![“Perhaps no order of mammals presents us with so extraordinary a series of gradations as this [step by step, from humans to apes to monkeys to lemurs] - leading us insensibly from the crown and summit of the animal creation down to creatures, from which there is but a step, as it seems, to the…” quote by Thomas Huxley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/f0b/thomas-huxley-1183_animal_perhaps-no-order-of-mammals-presents-us_3051.jpg)
