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3 1/20/2000
GRAND CANYON: EVIDENCE FOR CREATION. CHIMP AND MAN RELATED GENETICALLY? THE AMAZING WOODPECKER. JAN 1 1996
Grand Canyon: Evidence For Creation
Much of this is a summary of an article written by David Menton in the April 24 edition of Christian News, 1995. Dr. Menton clearly shows how the Grand Canyon is actual evidence against evolution.The Grand Canyon is about 270 miles long, 11 miles across and over a mile deep in some places. Among its cliffs and rocky edges are exposed 21 distinct layers, almost entirely made up of sedimentary rock (Laid down by water). Both the Great Wall of China and the Grand Canyon can be seen from the moon. Near the bottom of the Canyon lies the Precambrian strata where according to evolutionary theory, should lie the microscopic organisms by which evolution first began. But what are found are something called "stomatolites." It is not know for sure if stomatolites are even a product of a living organism but they look similar to something formed by one-celled photosynthetic organisms called cyanobacteria, which are still found in our oceans today.The next layers include Tapeats Sandstone, Bright Angel Shale, and Muav Limestone (Cambrian strata), covering from 600 million to 400 million years old. Fossils of trilobites, oysters, corals, clams, worms, and brachiopods appear suddenly in these strata, all fully formed with no hint of any transitional forms. How could these evolve from a single-celled organism without leaving any evidence of the upward move? Ripple marks from waves and many worm burrows showing a "U" pattern in movement are fossilized in the Tapeats . These "U" shapes are known by many geologists as "escape burrows," indicating the worms may have been trying to escape the coming waters (Snelling, Canyon). Next up the canyon wall comes the Redwall Limestone and the Supai group (300 million to 200 million years old). As other layers of the Canyon, the Supai layers show fine lamination of sedimentary sand particles indicative of fast moving water, like what we saw at Mount St. Helens. This area we find continued marine invertebrates, including the relatively simple bryozoans, crinoids, and foraminiferans, all of which are represented in the oceans today. The interesting part about the foraminiferans is that evolutionists say this organism was one of the first to have evolved a nucleus. But why, as Dr. Menton asks, "are these 'primitive' single-cell organisms first encountered halfway up our 'ladder of life'" (Menton, p. 3).Also, starting in this Supai layer and going all the way up into the next Hermit and Coconino layers lie numerous footprints of over 20 different species of amphibian and reptile tracks (but never a single bone). In fact, no one has ever found a fossilized bone in the Grand Canyon. However, several miles away from the canyon in higher strata, bones of tetrapods (four-legs) have been found which may match these tracks. Menton states, "the occurrence of foot prints in strata well below the layers in which fossilized bones are first found is not unique to the Grand Canyon. Geologists concede that this is a worldwide phenomenon! How then can we consider the fossils in the geologic column to be a reliable record of evolutionary succession? Are we to believe that foot prints evolved 150 million years before feet? Those who accept the Biblical account of Noah's flood might prefer to think that the common occurrence of foot prints in strata below those bearing the bodies themselves reveals something about how long these tetrapods could tread water before drowning!" (Menton, p 3). Also noteworthy, as in many layers, the Hermit shale lying directly above the Supai, has a knife edge separation with no erosion and therefore must have been laid quickly.Another interesting fact about the footprints in these layers is that they almost always headed uphill in a northerly direction. Park rangers at the Canyon explain this phenomena by saying that the lizards walked up the hills but to get down they often slide. Dr. Menton's comment on this is, "certainly, one could make a more plausible argument for reptiles running uphill to escape the advancing waters of Noah's Flood, than one could for 'lazy lizards'" (Menton, p. 3). Also, supporting this hypothesis is the fact that many footprints end and start up again a few feet later, suggesting a possibility that the animal was thrown ahead by water where it began walking again. In addition, the front feet dig in more so, which is the exact thing seen in laboratories when this theory is tested (Snelling, Canyon).Finally, we reach the top layers of the canyon, the Toroweap and Kaibab. No footprints are found in either layer but some fish teeth and fossilized sponges are seen in the Kaibab. Again, fish should make it longer than most other animals in the Flood. The sponges, are an embarrassment to evolutionists because they presume sponges to be the first multicellular organisms ever to evolve.David Menton concludes his article writing, "there is no evidence of evolutionary progress in the fossils of the geologic column! I was surprised to learn that evolutionists are already aware of this fact, although you would never guess it from the evolutionary indoctrination presented in public schools and popular media. Harvard evolutionist Stephen J. Gould appears to have no illusions about the evidence for evolutionary succession in the geologic column when he says: 'I regard the failure to find a clear vector of progress in life's history as the most puzzling fact of the fossil record. (Natural History Vol. 93, p. 23).' A hike to the bottom of the Grand Canyon is a sure cure for evolutionism" (Menton, p.3).
Chimp & Man Related Genetically?
Evidence supporting the ape to man transition is we are 98.4 % genetically identical to a chimpanzee. For the average student this information seems remarkable and unfortunately quite convincing. However, before this shocks you, you need to understand that we are still 1.6% different which genetically speaking is astronomically different. Dr Barney Maddox, perhaps the most recognized and leading genetic genome researcher, said concerning these genetic differences, "Now the genetic difference between human and his nearest relative, the chimpanzee, is at least 1.6%. That doesn't sound like much, but calculated out, that is a gap of at least 48 million nucleotides and a change of only 3 nucleotides is fatal to an animal; there is no possibility of change" (Maddox). Dr. Maddox also states that, "science has now quantitated that a genetic mutation of as little as .0000001% of an animals genome is relentlessly fatal" (Maddox). A large number of evolutionists have now rejected blood, DNA or other chemical similarities as a relevant argument for evolution (Denton, p. 287-288). (As of 2005 due to better DNA studies they have now changed the similarity to only 94.3%)For further discussion on this see Science vol. 11 no. 7, 1986 pp. 280-283; or Science vol. 234 no. 4773, 1986, pp. 194-196.
THE AMAZING WOODPECKER
The woodpecker is a prime example of God's design, - - a tough beak with a sharp point; a shock absorbing tissue behind the bill; a tough, double reinforced skull; a stiff tail for bracing itself; strong leg muscles to hold on; and special four-clawed feet to give added support. All these features profoundly express intelligent design and purpose, not chaotic chance.This remarkable creature can hammer at a tree with a force of over 1000 times gravity; that is a force 300 times greater than the effect that pushes our astronauts on lift off. Furthering this bird's complexity, each strike of the beak must be straight on or else the shear force could break the beak or smash its brain. Even more remarkable is the woodpecker's tongue which is extremely long and made sticky by special glands that secrete this adhesive substance. When this bird begins banging on a tree (over 1,000 times a minute) to get an insect, its prey immediately begins to crawl deeper into its hole, but the long sticky tongue can wind its way through the tunnel and catch the insect like a sticky fly trap. Normal birds anchor their tongue in the back of their beaks but the woodpeckers tongue is much too long, and without special storage room, would dangle out its mouth. Through God's design, however, the woodpecker's tongue, as it exits the right nostril, splits in two with each half passing over each side of the skull (under the skin) until it comes around up underneath the beak and enters a special hole in the beak, where the two halves come together. How can such intricacy come about by chance?Evolution claims that gradually this bird evolved into the jack hammer it is today, as one by one, each adaptational feature mentioned above made the bird more and more complex and thus became the fittest to survive. All the adaptations put together indeed have survival value, but by themselves actually hinder the bird. Suppose the tough bill and strong neck came before the shock absorbing skull; the bird's brain would be smashed and evolution would have to start over. If the shock absorbing skull came before the tough bill and strong neck, the beak would be crushed, and again we would need to start over. What if the tongue came before the equipment to drill? Then the bird couldn't catch bugs but only trip over its tongue. If all equipment was in tact without the long tongue, the woodpecker could drill all day but still not catch the fleeing insects. All of this, and still no mention of the nerves and sensory organs which allow the bird to strike an object head on with its beak, without smashing its brain. Just as a car engine is of no use without all its parts working, the woodpecker can not survive without all of its equipment. Nothing works until everything works.Further, if the woodpecker did evolve gradually, the fossil record should show such intermediates but W. E. Swinton from the British Museum of Natural History shows none have ever been found when he states, "The [evolutionary] origin of birds is largely a matter of deduction. There is no fossil evidence of the stages through which the remarkable change from reptile to bird was achieved" (Swinton). In all cases, the woodpecker appears completely formed._________________________
Denton, Michael, Evolution: A Theory in Crisis, (Adler & Adler: Bethesda MD 1986), pp 368. Maddox, Barney T. Human Genome Project, Quantitative Disproof of Evolution, CEM Facts Sheet. Menton, David, "Climbing The 'Ladder of Life' In the Grand Canyon", Christian News, April 24, 1995, p. 3. Snelling, Andrew, The Grand Canyon, Film from the Institute for Creation Research, El Cajon: CA. W.E. Swinton, "The Origin of Birds", Chapter I, in Biology and Comparative Physiology of Birds, A.J. Marshall (editor), Vol. I, Academic Press, New York, 1960, p.1.