Final answer:
Mutation is a slow process introducing new genetic variation and is not a rapid mode of evolution by itself. Evolution is shaped by multiple factors including natural selection, which is not a random process unlike mutations, and thus evolution is not entirely random.
Step-by-step explanation:
The statement that mutation, alone, is a rapid mode of evolution is false. Mutation is the process by which new genetic variation is introduced into a population. It is the introduction of novel genotypic and phenotypic variance due to changes in the DNA sequence. These changes can have various impacts, but the effect on allele frequencies is typically small and takes a long time to become prevalent in a population. This is because mutations occur at a low rate, and not all mutations are beneficial or even expressed. The process of evolution includes not only mutation but also other mechanisms such as natural selection, genetic drift, and gene flow which collectively influence allele frequencies more substantially over time.
Mutations provide the raw material for natural selection by creating new alleles, which can be beneficial, harmful, or neutral. Beneficial mutations may spread through the population, but typically do so slowly. Harmful mutations are typically removed from the population through natural selection. Genetic Drift and gene flow also play roles in shaping the evolutionary process, but unlike mutation, these processes can cause significant changes in allele frequencies within a population over shorter time frames.
Moreover, the process of evolution involves the non-random retention of beneficial characteristics through natural selection. Therefore, while mutations are random and necessary for providing genetic variation, the process of evolution overall is not entirely random due to the directional force of natural selection.