Organisms and chance

Question

Can chance events influence which organisms survive and which perish?

Answer 1

Chance events, such as a meteorite hitting the Earth, can cause organisms with particular characteristics to survive. For example, the meteorite could cause global cooling, such as in the extinction of dinosaurs. Organisms well suited for cold would survive and those needing warm temperatures (i.e. lizards) would perish. So yes, chance events can influence the survival of organisms.