Behe's Box and Huxley's Horse Part Three
The famous Horse Evolution Chart presents a straight-line evolutionary progression from a Hyrax-like creature variously known as Eohippus or Hyracotherium on up to Equus, the modern horse. This chart is still displayed in musuems and school textbooks despite the fact that it has been abandoned by Darwinists for various reasons.
"I admit that an awful lot of that has gotten into the textbooks as though it were true. For instance, the most famous example still on exhibit downstairs [in the American Museum] is the exhibit on horse evolution prepared perhaps 50 years ago. That has been presented as literal truth in textbook after textbook. Now I think that that is lamentable, particularly because the people who propose these kinds of stories themselves may be aware of the speculative nature of some of the stuff. But by the time it filters down to the textbooks, we've got science as truth and we've got a problem." Dr Niles Eldredge, curator at the American Museum of Natural History ("Darwin's Enigma: Fossils and Other Problems", Master Books:California 1988 p:78)
One problem with the chart is that one-and-three toed Horse-types have been found to co-exist in the fossil record. This despite the Horse Chart claim that horses evolved from four to one toed creatures step-by-step.
"In northeastern Oregon the three-toed Neohipparion is found in the same rock formation with the one-toed horse, Pliohippus." [Stuart E. Nevins, Creation Research Soc. Quarterly, Vol. 10, March 1974, p. 196.]
"Two modern-day horses, Equus nevadenis & Equus occidentalis, have both been found in the same fossil strata as the so-called “Dawn Horse”, Eohippus. This fact is fatal to the notion of the evolution of the horse, as both horses are equally as old as Eohippus, and therefore could not have evolved from it." Scott M. Huse, "The Collapse of Evolution", Baker Book House: Grand Rapids (Michigan), 1983 p:106
Fossils of three-toed and one-toed animals, which are said to be evolutionary ancestors of the modern horse, have been found preserved in the same rock formation (Nebraska, USA). This proves that they lived together at the same time, and it is obvious that one could not have evolved into the other. Evolution demands that there has to be many millions of years between the three-toed and the one-toed species in the 60-65 million year evolution of the horse. (National Geographic, January 1981 p:74)
Another problem with the supposed course of horse evolution is a lack of continuity. Concerning the Horse Evolution Chart:
" - the number of ribs varies within the series, from 15, to 19, and then down to 18; and the number of lumbar vertebrae changes from 6, to 8, and back to 6." Creation Ex Nihilo, Vol. 14, No. 1, 1992 p:50
The animals in the Horse chart are pictured as having grown from 17" to 80" in height during the course of their evolution. But in fact horses of all sizes are found today.
"The largest horse today is the Clydesdale; the smallest is the Fallabella, which stands at 17 inches (43 centimeters) tall. Both are members of the same species, and neither has evolved from the other." Peter Hastie. (Creation Magazine, Sep.-Nov. 1995, Vol. 17, No. 4, pp. 14-16.)
The Time Factor
Darwinists like to say that from the time that Noah's Ark landed on Mount Ararat (around 2400-4500 BC) there is no possible way that all the varieties of animals could have been propagated from the few thousand pairs of kinds kept alive on the Ark. They tend to forget that microorganisms, marine life and in fact all but vertebrates from land and sky were excluded from the Ark's boarding list. They also discount how quickly populations can grow and how rapidly variation within kind can take place.
Chicago, now a metropolitan area of more than ten million people, was a swamp 180 years ago. Founded in 1833 by 350 settlers, it has become one of the great cities of the earth. How, in less than 200 years?
There are now more than 400 different breeds of dogs recognized by official Kennel Clubs in the United States and that number has more than doubled since the late 1800's. This is not a result of evolution but rather animal husbandry as organizations standardize pre-existing breeds and establish standards for new breeds. Ah, the wonders of variation-in-kind.
Note this chart of World Population for the last 200 years:
* 1 billion in 1804
* 2 billion in 1927 (123 years later)
* 3 billion in 1960 (33 years later)
* 4 billion in 1974 (14 years later)
* 5 billion in 1987 (13 years later)
* 6 billion in 1999 (12 years later)
There are those who cannot accept the idea that from the eight-person population of the Ark, that the varied races found on earth and the massive population we now see could not have possibly arisen. This is short-sighted, speculative and not supported by facts.
"Human population can be extrapolated backwards to see how long it would have taken to achieve present-day numbers. Using conservative growth figures of one-half percent per year, Earth's population would have been eight people about 5,000 years ago, comparing very well with the number of people on Noah's Ark. Based on evolution's claim for the origin of man, the same ½ percent growth calculation for the human race results in a huge present day population that can not be justified by the fossil record or current statistics." Fifty Reasons Why Evolution Will Not Fly (Mike Toler and Eric Samuelson)
The pressure in modern day oil fields is too high for them to be very old. Current estimates indicate that the longest a rock layer could keep oil under pressure would be 100,000 years.
Scientists discovered a Tyrannosaurus Rex skeleton so well preserved that it contained blood cells (cells that could not possibly exist more than 10,000 years at most). The T-Rex is currently being studied at Montana State University.
The helium-leak age of zircons (radioactive crystals) found deep underground reveals an age of around 6,000 years. In fact, more sophisticated investigation of dating methods are now coming up with shorter ages for the earth. This includes the measurement of the earth's magnetic field and many other factors.
Rather than go on, it is reasonable to say that there are many reasons why a creationist will stand on observable "fact", such as it is, to defend his belief in a young earth and a world-wide flood without calling on the Bible to be anything other than a historical narrative.
In fact, so many of Darwinist's standard claims have been refuted that one wonders why they live on....other than the idea that if Darwinism is, indeed, dead and macroevolution did not occur, then that means life and the Universe was created. This means that there is a Creator. Then, finally, this means that we owe that Creator our very existence and He may well have something to say about the nature of that existence and the meaning of our lives.
I have found meaning in life through a relationship with a personal God. The idea of God is not distressing to me but I have not always believed. To those who believe differently than I, I do hope you find the way to Truth and that Truth will be satisfying to you as you live out your life.
Meanwhile, Radaractive will take a hiatus from the evolution-creation dialogue for at least one day and enjoy a wonderful Saturday afternoon and Sunday with his family. Peace and blessings!
"I admit that an awful lot of that has gotten into the textbooks as though it were true. For instance, the most famous example still on exhibit downstairs [in the American Museum] is the exhibit on horse evolution prepared perhaps 50 years ago. That has been presented as literal truth in textbook after textbook. Now I think that that is lamentable, particularly because the people who propose these kinds of stories themselves may be aware of the speculative nature of some of the stuff. But by the time it filters down to the textbooks, we've got science as truth and we've got a problem." Dr Niles Eldredge, curator at the American Museum of Natural History ("Darwin's Enigma: Fossils and Other Problems", Master Books:California 1988 p:78)
One problem with the chart is that one-and-three toed Horse-types have been found to co-exist in the fossil record. This despite the Horse Chart claim that horses evolved from four to one toed creatures step-by-step.
"In northeastern Oregon the three-toed Neohipparion is found in the same rock formation with the one-toed horse, Pliohippus." [Stuart E. Nevins, Creation Research Soc. Quarterly, Vol. 10, March 1974, p. 196.]
"Two modern-day horses, Equus nevadenis & Equus occidentalis, have both been found in the same fossil strata as the so-called “Dawn Horse”, Eohippus. This fact is fatal to the notion of the evolution of the horse, as both horses are equally as old as Eohippus, and therefore could not have evolved from it." Scott M. Huse, "The Collapse of Evolution", Baker Book House: Grand Rapids (Michigan), 1983 p:106
Fossils of three-toed and one-toed animals, which are said to be evolutionary ancestors of the modern horse, have been found preserved in the same rock formation (Nebraska, USA). This proves that they lived together at the same time, and it is obvious that one could not have evolved into the other. Evolution demands that there has to be many millions of years between the three-toed and the one-toed species in the 60-65 million year evolution of the horse. (National Geographic, January 1981 p:74)
Another problem with the supposed course of horse evolution is a lack of continuity. Concerning the Horse Evolution Chart:
" - the number of ribs varies within the series, from 15, to 19, and then down to 18; and the number of lumbar vertebrae changes from 6, to 8, and back to 6." Creation Ex Nihilo, Vol. 14, No. 1, 1992 p:50
The animals in the Horse chart are pictured as having grown from 17" to 80" in height during the course of their evolution. But in fact horses of all sizes are found today.
"The largest horse today is the Clydesdale; the smallest is the Fallabella, which stands at 17 inches (43 centimeters) tall. Both are members of the same species, and neither has evolved from the other." Peter Hastie. (Creation Magazine, Sep.-Nov. 1995, Vol. 17, No. 4, pp. 14-16.)
The Time Factor
Darwinists like to say that from the time that Noah's Ark landed on Mount Ararat (around 2400-4500 BC) there is no possible way that all the varieties of animals could have been propagated from the few thousand pairs of kinds kept alive on the Ark. They tend to forget that microorganisms, marine life and in fact all but vertebrates from land and sky were excluded from the Ark's boarding list. They also discount how quickly populations can grow and how rapidly variation within kind can take place.
Chicago, now a metropolitan area of more than ten million people, was a swamp 180 years ago. Founded in 1833 by 350 settlers, it has become one of the great cities of the earth. How, in less than 200 years?
There are now more than 400 different breeds of dogs recognized by official Kennel Clubs in the United States and that number has more than doubled since the late 1800's. This is not a result of evolution but rather animal husbandry as organizations standardize pre-existing breeds and establish standards for new breeds. Ah, the wonders of variation-in-kind.
Note this chart of World Population for the last 200 years:
* 1 billion in 1804
* 2 billion in 1927 (123 years later)
* 3 billion in 1960 (33 years later)
* 4 billion in 1974 (14 years later)
* 5 billion in 1987 (13 years later)
* 6 billion in 1999 (12 years later)
There are those who cannot accept the idea that from the eight-person population of the Ark, that the varied races found on earth and the massive population we now see could not have possibly arisen. This is short-sighted, speculative and not supported by facts.
"Human population can be extrapolated backwards to see how long it would have taken to achieve present-day numbers. Using conservative growth figures of one-half percent per year, Earth's population would have been eight people about 5,000 years ago, comparing very well with the number of people on Noah's Ark. Based on evolution's claim for the origin of man, the same ½ percent growth calculation for the human race results in a huge present day population that can not be justified by the fossil record or current statistics." Fifty Reasons Why Evolution Will Not Fly (Mike Toler and Eric Samuelson)
The pressure in modern day oil fields is too high for them to be very old. Current estimates indicate that the longest a rock layer could keep oil under pressure would be 100,000 years.
Scientists discovered a Tyrannosaurus Rex skeleton so well preserved that it contained blood cells (cells that could not possibly exist more than 10,000 years at most). The T-Rex is currently being studied at Montana State University.
The helium-leak age of zircons (radioactive crystals) found deep underground reveals an age of around 6,000 years. In fact, more sophisticated investigation of dating methods are now coming up with shorter ages for the earth. This includes the measurement of the earth's magnetic field and many other factors.
Rather than go on, it is reasonable to say that there are many reasons why a creationist will stand on observable "fact", such as it is, to defend his belief in a young earth and a world-wide flood without calling on the Bible to be anything other than a historical narrative.
In fact, so many of Darwinist's standard claims have been refuted that one wonders why they live on....other than the idea that if Darwinism is, indeed, dead and macroevolution did not occur, then that means life and the Universe was created. This means that there is a Creator. Then, finally, this means that we owe that Creator our very existence and He may well have something to say about the nature of that existence and the meaning of our lives.
I have found meaning in life through a relationship with a personal God. The idea of God is not distressing to me but I have not always believed. To those who believe differently than I, I do hope you find the way to Truth and that Truth will be satisfying to you as you live out your life.
Meanwhile, Radaractive will take a hiatus from the evolution-creation dialogue for at least one day and enjoy a wonderful Saturday afternoon and Sunday with his family. Peace and blessings!