Evolve a better mousetrap

The example of a mousetrap was once used by Intelligent Design advocates to demonstrate a device which could not be simplified any further and still function. This was of course merely an analogy for cellular mechanisms, but the example is by itself incorrect. This cartoon illustrates that a mousetrap can be created using a single part, then elaborated in steps to produce a more efficient and complex 'design'. This is not to say that the "unstable rock" is as useful as a snap-trap, but the point is that once in a while it WILL kill a mouse, especially in an environment where there a lot of mice. Also note that the final mechanism does not need to contain the original unstable rock.

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Of course, I don't know how people actually killed mice before snap-traps, although heavy objects is a good bet, and the third design shown is one you've probably seen in many comic strips and cartoons (usually with a box to trap an animal alive...)

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