An attempt will be made to throw light on some fundamental principles of evolution; a few complex survival problems that challenged extinct animals; the natural/social history of man; and his foreseeable future in space.

The technique employed is based on published and generally understood analysis of: meteorite fragments, commonly agreed upon dinosaur extinction theories, anthropological and historical records, personal observations of space/military programs, the Shoemaker-Levy 9 Comet fragment impacts upon Jupiter, and rational speculation.

The bulk of this paper is devoted to Darwinian concepts of evolution, in light of recent scientific discoveries, and in particular to Darwin's ideas about the descent of man. This paper also explores Darwin's hope in a higher destiny for mankind.

An attempt will be made to show that there is a reasonable expectation that mankind's evolutionary role, by natural selection, is to be more than just the most recent dominant species on Earth. Moreover, it will be advanced that humankind or some other species occupying a similar biological niche will probably be responsible for Earth's life continuing after the planet has been destroyed, providing continuance is achieved.

This analysis leads directly to the conclusion that life from this world has the potential to continue evolving, on Earth and elsewhere even though a cosmic catastrophe seems inevitable.

Furthermore, if there is to be a continuance of life beyond an ultimate cosmic catastrophe, such as a Shoemaker-Levy 9 Comet Earth impact, it will be the result of intelligent biological intervention by machine capable beings.

Thus, highly evolved life from the Earth does not necessarily face dead end extinction, as has been traditionally predicted and accepted by many in the scientific community.