Download Neo-Darwinism: Is There A Mechanism For Macroevolution?

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Neo-Darwinism:
Is there a Mechanism for Macroevolution?
Vincent Chia
I
f evolution is true, there must
be a viable mechanism for
it to occur. Neo-Darwinists
alleged that natural selection and
random mutations could turn a fish
into a philosopher. They claimed
that millions of years of accumulated
mutations, via natural selection,
produced the myriad of living
organisms we see today. My objective in
this brief treatise is to refute that claim.
The Importance of Defining “Species”
In biology, all
living organisms
are classified
according to a
standard naming
system known
as taxonomy.
Taxonomy
enables biologists
to classify living
things into
different levels:
kingdom, phylum,
class, order, family,
genus, and species.
For the purpose
of our current
discussion, we will
accept “species” as
the lowest level of
the classification
system (although
we realise
that certain species are classified
further into sub-species). As an
example, humans are classified into
the order of Primates, the family of
Hominidae, the genus of Homo, and
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the species of sapiens. Therefore,
we are called Homo sapiens.
The Bible teaches that God made all
living creatures according to their
created “kinds”. Two similar kinds of
animals can “bring forth” (Genesis
1:24), that is, reproduce. The Bible does
not specify any further what a “kind”
of animal is. Although a horse and a
donkey are two different species, they
can reproduce and generate offsprings.
According to the Bible, the horse and
donkey belong to the same “kind”.
It is important for
us to note that a
created “kind” is
not the same as
the term, “species,”
used in scientific
discussions. It can
be inferred from
Scripture that a
“kind” is probably
at the level of
“genus” or higher in
secular taxonomy.
Since taxonomy
is a man-made
system of biological
classification,
it does not
reflect biblical
descriptions.
Moreover, the
meaning of “species” varies among
biologists. A finalised definition of
“species” does not exist. The generally
accepted definition of species is “a
reproductively isolated community
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occupying a specific niche in nature”.
To compound the problem further,
the science of taxonomy is based upon
arbitrary criteria. The definition of
species can change according to the
whims and fancies of the academia.
In this article, the term, “species,”
is used as it is found in many of
the scientific literature, and not
as a synonym for the creative
“kind” found in the Bible.
Glossary
Archosaurs: Archosaurs (meaning
“ruling lizard”) were reptiles that
dominated the Mesozoic Era. They
included the crocodilians, pterosaurs,
thecodonts, dinosaurs and allegedly,
birds.
Enzymes: Complex proteins that are
produced by living cells and catalyze
specific biochemical reactions at body
temperatures.
Mutation: Changes in the molecular
nature of DNA. Mutations may or
may not result in measurable changes
in an organism’s outward appearance
or functioning.
Natural selection: The driving force
behind change in organisms. Only
the organisms best suited for the
environment and for competition for
mates will reproduce, leaving their
genetic material to persist.
Neo-Darwinism: The belief that all
plants and animals are descended
from a common ancestor through
natural selection and mutations.
Taxonomy: The science of systematic
classification of animals and
plants according to their presumed
relationship. Organisms are classified
into their respective Kingdom,
Phylum, Class, Order, Family, Genus,
and Species.
Theropod: Theropods were fast
moving, bipedal carnivores (meateaters) with grasping hands and
clawed digits. Theropods lived from
the mid-Triassic period until the
end of the Cretaceous period (on the
evolutionary time-scale). Theropod
means “beast-footed”. The term,
theropod, was first used in 1881.
Evolution, Microevolution,
and Genetic Variation
Before we can rebut the evolutionists,
we must recognise their definition of
the word, “evolution”. The standard
biology textbook will try to convince
credulous readers that the various
species of finches on the Galapagos
Islands are evidence for “evolution”.
However, the numerous species
of finches only demonstrate the
process of speciation. It does not
prove that humans come from a
hairy, arboreal, ape-like creature.
Speciation does occur in nature. A
species can gradually “evolve” into
another species. In this sense of the
word, “evolution” is tenable. But
the Neo-Darwinist does not believe
“evolution” to mean only speciation,
or simply, changes in an existing
species. The biblical apologist must
remember that for the evolutionist,
the word, “evolution,” has a mélange
of radically different meanings.
The first meaning of evolution is
“microevolution”. Genetic variation
producing a physical change in
organisms at or below the species
level is known as “microevolution”.
Common knowledge tells us that
organisms within a species can vary
in physical appearances. For example,
individuals belonging to the species
Homo sapiens have different height
and skin colour. This is due to minor
genetic differences between them.
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Nevertheless, a Caucasian, a Eurasian
and a Chinese are all humans, belonging
to the same species called Homo sapiens.
Sometimes genetic variation in a
species can result in speciation. In every
observed case, that newly “evolved”
organism belongs to the same genus
or “kind” of the original species. For
example, variation in beak shape
and size produces different species of
finches. Nevertheless, a finch is still a
finch. Again, there are various species
of rabbits with different coats and
colours. Some of these rabbits are not
interfertile, but they are obviously
rabbits. To derive the hypothesis of
molecules-to-man evolution from
such observations is unjustifiable.
True evolution would require the
transformation of an organism beyond
the level of order, class and phylum.
Limitations of Genetic Variation
and Macroevolution
Genetic variations do occur, but there
are limitations to such variations.
Mutation and natural selection can
result in the recombination of preexisting genetic information. However,
these natural processes do not create
new genetic information. It is new
genetic information that is required
to produce a new kind of animal.
What evolutionists are trying
desperately to defend is
“macroevolution”, the second
meaning to the word, “evolution”.
Macroevolution is the change of one
kind of animal into another kind. In
practice, this usually implies changes
above the genus and family level. For
example, evolutionists believe that
some theropod dinosaurs evolved
into birds. In fact, paleontologists
consider birds as specialised archosaurs.
For macroevolution to occur, there
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must be sequential, cumulative
addition of new and beneficial genetic
information through mutations.
But mutations cannot add any new
information to the genetic code.
Neo-Darwinists regard macroevolution
as simply the accumulation of microevolutionary changes. Despite the
lack of empirical evidence, NeoDarwinists believe that a bacterium
can change into a ballerina. The
justification of macroevolution
from observed micro-evolutionary
changes is presumptuous at best.
Information Theory: The Achilles
heel of Neo-Darwinism
The key to extirpating the theory
of Neo-Darwinism is the theory of
information. When we write a letter
to a friend, or make a phone call, we
put our thoughts into writing and
phonated words. The information
contained is transmitted through
paper, ink, and telecommunication
equipment. The elusive entity called
information is obviously not the
paper, ink or telephone wirings.
Information is immaterial, yet it
requires matter for its transmission.
This is true whether the message is
in Turkish, Tamil or Tagalog. The
medium on which information travels
can change, without the information
having to change. Our voices compress
air molecules in sound waves. Electrons
travel along telephone wirings. No
matter what medium is used, the
medium itself is not the information.
This ethereal substance called
information is the key to understanding
what delineates life from non-living
matter. It is the Achilles heel of all
naturalistic explanations of life,
which say that life is nothing more
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the DNA of all living things contains
than matter obeying the physical
information to reproduce life. Nonlaws of nature. The organisation of
living matter in nature has no such
inorganic matter into life necessitates
code. Therefore, the information to
vast amount of information. The
produce life is not available to them.
human body requires an immense
amount of instructions for the
building of various organs. That
“For by him were all things
information is contained within
created,
that are in heaven, and
microscopic molecules called
that are in earth, visible and
deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA).
Each human DNA molecule is
made up of 3 billion subunits called
nucleotides. These nucleotides
can be likened to letters of
the alphabet. The nucleotides are
subsequently arranged into messages
called genes. Each gene contains
meaningful instructions for life, such
as the blueprint for the human eye.
invisible, . . . all things were
created by him, and for him:”
Colossians 1:16
There can be no code and no
information without an intelligent
source of this information”, he says.
“As the theory of evolution has no
ultimate aim, it does not explain
the purposeful details which we
observe in living systems.”
In the absence of certain enzymes,
the DNA molecule cannot replicate
itself. It requires complex biochemical
machinery for copying and subsequent
gene expression. In turn, the array of
biochemical pathways involved requires
pre-existing genetic information for
its production. This logically leads
to a chicken-and-egg problem.
In his book, Not By Chance: Shattering
the Modern Theory of Evolution,
biophysicist and information theorist
Dr. Lee Spetner points out that
mutations never add information,
but only reduce it. This includes even
the rare helpful mutations. He also
points out that natural selection
is insufficient to accumulate slight
genetic advantages. It would be too
weak to overcome the effects of
chance; mutants would generally be
eliminated in the natural world.
Since the origin of information requires
intelligence, and mutation is unable
to increase genetic information, the
theory of Neo-Darwinism is fatally
flawed. It is decidedly impossible to
create new genetic information via
random mutation and natural selection.
Consequently, no feasible mechanism
for macroevolution exists. The demise
of Neo-Darwinism is inevitable. Let
no man reject the truth of the Bible for
some fallible, man-made theory. It is
time for man to repent of their pride,
and give glory to our Creator God.
The DNA molecule per se is not the
message itself. It is simply the carrier of
the intended message. Unless the letters
(nucleotides) of DNA are arranged in
a specific order, the DNA molecule
cannot code for any usable message.
The evolutionist cannot explain the
origin of information by the random
arrangement of biological molecules.
Dr. Werner Gitt, a specialist in
information theory, has studied the
phenomenon of information in great
detail. He notes that information is
a feature of all living things, and that
information never arises without an
intelligent source. Dr. Gitt believes
that the laws about information are
also the best evidence for creation, as
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