Evolution, page-797

I'm not saying DNA considers needs, rather it is reactive to change and an increase in specific parts of the DNA mutation rate occurs when an organism somehow reads the change down to its molecular level. That increased mutation rate in specific areas greatly increases the beneficial characteristic required to adapt to change that will benefit the animal, such as the rapid production of hair in a cooling climate.

Extinction has nothing to do with it, change often exceeds the capacity to adapt.