Category Archives: Evolution

An Animal That Can’t Feel the Burn

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At one time or another we have all experienced some type of burning feeling.  Maybe it was when we touched a hot stove, sipped a scalding drink, stayed out in the sun too long, or played with fire.  Sometimes we even feel burning sensations when we eat spicy food.  Whatever the cause, the burning feeling is no fun at all.  For this reason, scientists were especially curious when they discovered an animal that doesn’t feel certain burning sensations.  This animal is the naked mole rat.

Several years ago, researchers accidentally discovered naked mole rats didn’t have something called “substance P.”  To put it simply, substance P is a compound that sends signals of burning pain in our nerves.  Since naked mole rats don’t have substance P, they don’t feel pain from burns but will from other injuries.  For example, they feel pain from pinching, prodding, and other physical injuries, but can’t feel pain from acid or the burning sensation from chili peppers (BioEdOnline.org).

What makes this ability especially interesting is the fact that naked mole rats live in underground boroughs with high levels of carbon dioxide.  Living in places with high levels of carbon dioxide (as high as 10%) causes acid to build up inside the body tissue and is painful for most animals.  If the air we breathed comprised of just 5% carbon dioxide, we would feel a “sharp, burning, stinging sensation in our eyes and nose” (LiveScience.com, “Immune”).  In other words, the naked mole rat is designed specifically to live in places with high carbon dioxide without feeling any pain.

Not only are there high levels of carbon dioxide inside the boroughs, but often very low levels of oxygen as well.  If we breathed the same oxygen levels as the naked mole rat we would quickly sustain brain damage (LiveScience.com, “Oxygen”).  The reason they are able to live in such terrible air conditions is because they breathe less frequently and use about a third less oxygen than other small animals like mice.  This gives the naked mole rat the ability to function more than six times longer with low levels of oxygen than mice and other animals (ibid).

Even though they aren’t much to look at, naked mole rats are some of the most incredible animals on earth.  It’s clear that these little rodents were perfectly made to survive in some of the worst air conditions.  With so many complex and unique characteristics, we have to ask how they could have evolved these abilities?  Evolution simply does not offer specific answers and clear facts.  Naked mole rats, like many other animals on the earth, prove that God planned, designed, molded, and created everything.

Not only do the words of Nehemiah 9:5-6 speak the truth about creation, but they also tell us what our response should be: “Arise, bless the Lord your God forever and ever!  O may Your glorious name be blessed
 and exalted above all blessing and praise!  You alone are the Lord.  You have made the heavens, the heaven of heavens with all their host, the earth and all that is on it, the seas and all that is in them.  You give life to all of them 
and the heavenly host bows down before You.”

May we always praise and glorify God, the Designer and Lord of all creation!

The Archerfish: A Living Squirt Gun

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On the surface, the archerfish looks just like your average aquarium fish.  It doesn’t look flashy or even all that interesting.  However, this fish has some astounding abilities.  As its name indicates, this fish is able to hunt with the accuracy and precision of an archer.  It does this by shooting a jet of water toward a bug or small animal, knocking it off of a tree or plant into the water, and then gobbling it up.  This ability is only possible because of some unique qualities.  Let’s examine these qualities:

Mouth: Instead of being flat and smooth, the archerfish has a little channel that runs from the back of the throat to the front top lip.  When it presses its tongue to the top of its mouth, it forms a little waterway to shoot through.  Once this channel is formed, it will swim up to the surface of the water and snap its gills shut.  Quickly shutting their gills will propel water through the mouth and out.  The result is a water pistol.  This little 8-inch fish can shoot with pinpoint accuracy from 4 feet away.  However, they can squirt as far as 12 feet and up to 7 times in quick succession.  This incredible ability is only possible because of its special mouth.

Abilities of Adjustment: Sniping a bug from underwater is not easy by any means.  The reason is because of a problem called “refraction.”  Since water and air have different qualities, it causes what we see to look different when looking from air into water or vice versa.  Sometimes it makes an object look bent or makes it look like it is in one location when it is actually in another (See Picture Below).  So, when the archerfish tries to hit a target from underwater, it will miss it unless it accounts for refraction.  Incredibly, a baby archerfish quickly figures out the problem of refraction and adjusts its aim!  Soon, it becomes a master calculator of angels and refraction.  Even though refraction changes with the angle the archerfish shoots from, it is able hit a target with sniper like precision from angles between 45 and 110 degrees (Temple).  This is hard enough for intelligent humans to do, which is why it is even more amazing that a fish is able to pull these shots off.

Refraction-of-light36 Looking at all of these astounding qualities makes one wonder how this fish could have evolved and why it would have done it in the first place?  See, there is no shortage of bugs in this world.  It’s not like it needed to develop this water pistol ability to survive.  In fact, it gathers most of its food by eating floating insects, jumping for bugs, or eating things in the water, not by sniping bugs from the trees (Encyclopedia).  If evolution were really a fact, then why would the archerfish evolve these amazing, yet unnecessary, abilities?  Why haven’t other fish evolved the same ability?  Beyond all of this, how did the archerfish develop the channel at the roof of its mouth and know to put its tongue at the top to make a water pistol?  How did an unintelligent animal figure out and master the problem of refraction?  Evolution does not give clear and believable answers to these questions.  Incredible features like these do not “just happen by time and chance.”

Seeing so many unanswered questions about evolution further points to the true reason the archerfish is so amazing.  The archerfish and all of its remarkable features were intricately designed to show there is a God!  Romans 1:20 says, “For since the creation of the world His invisible attributes, His eternal power and divine nature, have been clearly seen, being understood through what has been made, so that they are without excuse.”  The archerfish is one more proof of God’s creation that is “clearly seen.”

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Why Giraffes Don’t Have Brain Damage

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If you have ever done a handstand or hung upside-down, you know the feeling of the blood rushing to your head.  This is not a big deal for people, but it should be a problem for giraffes.  Think about it.  The giraffe is the tallest animal in the world (up to 20 feet) and has a neck about 7 feet long.  Your heart pumps blood up about a foot.  A giraffe’s heart has to pump blood up 7 feet!  A normal person’s blood pressure is 120/80.  A giraffe’s normal blood pressure is around 240/180, which is the highest of all animals (Jakhariya).  If our blood pressure gets up to just 180, it is called a hypertensive emergency and must be lowered immediately or it can result in permanent organ damage and death.  The question is, why doesn’t a giraffe damage its brain or kill itself when it bends down?  The answer is found in a number of uniquely designed parts.

1. An Enlarged Heart.  To get the blood to its head in the first place, the giraffe needs a large and powerful heart.  Your heart is about the size of your fist.  A giraffe’s heart is about 2 feet long and can weigh over 25 pounds (Prothero).  Its heart is also very powerful.  “For blood to reach the head, the heart must beat strongly enough to overcome the significant downward pressure caused by gravity” (Bourton).  Its heart also pumps 16 gallons of blood per minute.  The giraffe certainly has the right heart for the job.

2. Valves.  When a giraffe bends down, there are two problems.  (1) The increased blood pressure from the heart, and (2) blood that has already passed through the brain being pulled back by gravity.  To correct the issues caused by gravity, the giraffe has special valves in the main veins of the neck (jugular veins) which automatically close when the giraffe bends down and open when it lifts back up.  This significantly reduces the pressure in its head when it bends down.

3. Blood Vessels.  The walls of these vessels are extra thick and grow thicker as the giraffe’s neck grows and the blood pressure increases (Bourton).  The thick walls keep the vessels from rupturing under all the pressure.  Besides this, the giraffe’s blood vessels have elastic qualities.  So, the giraffe’s vessels will expand and contract to change the volume of blood flowing to the brain when it bends down.  Doing so decreases the pressure in the brain.

4. The Sponge.  At the base of the giraffe’s brain is a complex maze of small blood vessels (called the rete mirabile).  When the giraffe bends down, the rete mirabile acts like a sponge by expanding the blood vessels and containing the extra blood coming to the head (Jakhariya).  Doing so lowers the blood pressure and controls the amount of blood entering the brain.  When the giraffe brings its head back up, the rete mirabile pushes out the blood it was holding into the giraffe’s brain so it doesn’t get light headed on the way up.

It takes all of these features just for a giraffe to bend down to get a drink of water and raise back up!  This puts evolution in a difficult position.  If the giraffe did not have a strong enough heart, it could not get blood to its brain and would not survive.  If the valves in the blood vessels did not contract and close off, too much blood would rush to the giraffe’s brain and it would not survive.  If the giraffe did not have the sponge like maze of blood vessels and did not have special vessels that could expand and contract and control blood pressure, the brain would be damaged and it would not survive.  So, which evolved first?  Every one of these parts has to works together flawlessly in order for the giraffe to survive.  Taking any one of these qualities out would drive giraffes to extinction.

Giraffes are proof of intelligent design and of a God who has the knowledge and power to make every single part work flawlessly.  David was right when he said that all of our creation declares God’s glory (Psalm 19:1-6).  Certainly the giraffe is one of the many parts of creation announcing God as Creator and Lord!

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The Mighty Payara

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Meet the payara.  On the outside it looks just like any other fish, but as soon as it opens its mouth, it is obvious this is not a cute little aquarium fish.  You thought piranhas were scary?  This fish hunts piranhas!  The payara is found mostly at the mouth of the Amazon River.  It can grow as large as 4 feet and 40 pounds.  It has developed a reputation for being an unbelievably aggressive and powerful fish, especially since it hunts a fast and strong fish like the piranha.

God has equipped the payara to be a mighty predator.  Easily the most interesting fact about the payara is it’s massive fangs.  For a full-grown payara, these teeth can get as long as 4-6 inches!  The fangs are very sharp and easily pierce through another fish.  Doing so will typically immobilize the fish, making it unable to swim, and it becomes an easy meal.

These fangs are formidable weapons, but you would think they pose a danger to the fish.  Why doesn’t the payara pierce itself when it closes its mouth?  First of all, this fish has a specially designed upper lip.  This lip is thick and has holes for the huge teeth to slide into.  These compartments accommodate the length, width, and curvature of the teeth.  So, when it closes its mouth, the teeth will slide into these special compartments without harm.  Second, the lower jaw swings up and closes at an angle with the upper jaw.  Most animals, including people, have jaws that are horizontal when closed.  The payara’s top jaw is high and angled so that the teeth will slide perfectly into their compartments.

(Click Here For Video On The Payara)

God engineered the payara to be a formidable predator from its powerful, fast, and sleek body to its frightening fangs.  He even protected the fish from itself by providing custom compartments for the teeth.

In the discussion with his friends, Job explained that all the animals of this earth proclaim God as their creator (Job 12:7-10).  Animals do not do this with words, but with their unique abilities and designs from God.  We are wise when we look out and take notice of God’s creation.  Let’s join in with all of creation in Psalm 148 and praise God for His magnificent workmanship.

The Bird That Shouldn’t Be Able To Fly

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Hummingbirds have been baffling scientists for years. Matt Ransford commented, “The hummingbird is an animal that by all rights shouldn’t be able to fly” (Popular Science). But not only can this bird fly, it is the only bird able to fly forwards, backward, up, down, sideways, upside down, and even hover. UAV once tried to make a robotic hummingbird. Head researcher Matt Keennon stated, “It was never our intention to copy what nature has done; it’s just too daunting” (Popular Science). Daunting is right. Let’s take a closer look at just what make the hummingbird one-of-a-kind.

General Facts:

As you probably know, the hummingbird is the smallest bird in nature. The smallest species of hummingbird weights about 2 grams. As a point of comparison, the penny in your pocket weights 2.5 grams. The hummingbird’s heart can beat up to 1,260 times per minute and down to 250 when at rest. A hummingbird’s body temperature often reaches temperatures of about 107 degrees Fahrenheit.

Wings:

The wings on a hummingbird are quite unique. All feathers have a quill. The quill is essentially the center part of a feather that holds it together and gives it strength. The hummingbird’s quill is, for its weight, considered stronger than any other man-made structure (Sharp). It needs this strength in its wings because of how vigorously it moves them. Hummingbirds’ wings will beat about 70 times per second and up to 200 times per second when diving at 60 mph. The way the hummingbird moves its wings is different as well. Most birds flap their wings but hummingbirds move them in a type of circular, figure-8 type motion. Subtle changes in this motion allow it to move in all directions.

Feeding and Metabolism:

Hummingbirds have the highest metabolism of all animals. Hummingbirds will fly around and visit around 1,000 flowers for nectar per day as well as feeding on tiny insects. They need to eat about 7 times every single hour to keep up with the energy demand. If our metabolisms were as high as a hummingbird, we would have to eat 155,000 calories per day (How-Come.net). With such a needy metabolism, how are hummingbirds able to live through the night? Hummingbirds can’t feed at night because they do not have the rods in their eyes that are necessary for night vision (Sharp). So, when it begins getting dark the hummingbird will fly to a safe location and enter into a state of hibernation called “torpor.” It will do this every night. During torpor, the hummingbird can lower its heart rate to 50 beats per minute and its body temperature below 40 degrees Fahrenheit (Sciencemag.org)! What a massive change from 1,260 beats per minute and 107 degrees Fahrenheit.   This lowers the caloric intake and allows it to survive the night.

Respiratory System:

For everything to function at such a high rate, it needs an advanced respiratory system. Most people and animals inhale and then exhale. Most birds do not. Instead, they are able to receive an almost continuous supply of oxygen. Hummingbirds will inhale air into an air sac. When it goes to exhale from one of two lungs, the oxygen in the air sac will move into one lung, providing fresh oxygen. Once it is done exhaling, it will inhale more fresh air into the air sac as the body is using the previous breath. This airflow continues in this circular process, and allows the bird to receive fresh air almost constantly. This process is incredibly complicated (Click Here For More Info On This). Breathing this way does more than just provide oxygen though. The air sacs that fill up with air make the bird lighter for flying. In addition, this continuous air supply cools the hummingbird off by bringing in cool air and venting out body heat. In other words, the hummingbird’s respiratory system provides oxygen, helps with flight, and is an air conditioner! And to top it all off, hummingbirds will breathe up to 250 times per minute.

Could all of these features have evolved? Douglas Sharp said it best, “It is unreasonable to suggest that the hummingbird “developed” all of these features as a product of evolution gradually over millions of years. Time and chance cannot produce such design and order. Only God can!”

Jeremiah 10:12 says, “It is He who made the earth by His power, who established the world by His wisdom; and by His understanding He has stretched out the heavens.” It is astonishing what it takes for the hummingbird to live, breath, and fly. In the end, the hummingbird is just one more awesome example of the powerful God who made this earth and everything on it!

 ADDITIONAL SOURCES:

Strawberry Poison Dart Frogs

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It’s hard not to love these little guys.  They come in 15-30 beautiful and vibrant color combinations, they are itty-bitty (less than 1 inch long), and they have an interesting history.  As many people know, these frogs were given their name by the natives who used the poison on the frog’s skin to coat their darts and arrows.  As a kid, I always wanted to have one of these little frogs as a pet, but until recently, I had no idea how amazing they really are

Unlike most species, with this frog both parents care for their young.  After the eggs have been fertilized, the mother will lay her eggs on a leaf on the forest floor.  The father will then transport water to keep the eggs moist and hydrated while they grow for about 10 days.  Then the eggs will hatch and a whole new problem presents itself.

The little tadpoles need more water and will soon die if not moved to a better location.  One by one, the mother (and occasionally the father) will get a tadpole on its back and will climb high into the trees until it finds a bromeliad plant (or something similar).  Bromeliads grow in such a way that they will pool rainwater at their centers.  These frogs produce a mucus like substance on their skin that helps the tadpole stick to their backs as they climb up trees and leaves.  So, the little frog will get the tadpole on its back, find a bromeliad, and then set the tadpole into the little pool of water.  Then the mother will climb back down the tree and transport 4-6 little tadpoles to their own little growing pools.

The tadpoles now have water, but they will die without food.  To solve this problem, the female comes back to each pool and lays an unfertilized egg for the tadpole to eat.  The father’s responsibility is mostly to watch over and protect the eggs, but he also checks the tadpoles occasionally to see if they are hungry and will go get the mother if this is the case.

What an amazing little creature the strawberry poison dart frog is!  When we take a close look at this process, it completely fails without each step in place.  The male must transport water to keep the eggs moist or they will die.  Once hatched, the tadpoles must be moved to where more water is or they will die.  If the tadpoles couldn’t stick on their parents’ backs, they couldn’t be transported and they would die.  If the female couldn’t continually lay unfertilized eggs for the tadpoles to eat, once again, they would die.

As always, every part of this process points to intelligent design and the Creator of our world.  Just as the Psalmist said, “The earth is the LORD’S, and all it contains, the world, and those who dwell in it” (Psalm 24:1).  The strawberry poison dart frog is a cute, colorful, and amazing creature all by itself, but the fact that shows God’s existence and glory just makes it that much more wonderful.

 

PLEASE SKIP TO 5:35 IF THE VIDEO DOESN’T SKIP AUTOMATICALLY

Bats (Part 3)

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We have been discussing these ominous winged animals in the past few articles.  We have talked about the need for the bat in our environment.  We discussed their masterfully designed feet for hanging, their incredibly flexible, sensitive, and special wings, as well as their unique reproductive system.  While all of these are great, none of them hold a candle to the next quality, echolocation.

The Bat’s Echolocation.  While some bats have great eyesight, many do not.  Several bats use echolocation to travel and hunt.  What is echolocation?  It is essentially “seeing” with sound, kind of like submarines.  In order to “see” their surroundings, the bat will make a sound and listen to how it changes and how long it takes to return.  So, let’s take a look at a few areas of echolocation.

First of all, the bat’s sounds.  The noises bats make are incredibly loud, about 130 decibels (BatWorlds.com).  This is equivalent to the sounds made by jet engines and machine guns.  Thankfully, these sounds are so high pitched that humans cannot hear them.  The problem is, bats can hear them and it is even too loud for themselves.  To keep from damaging its own ears, it contracts a muscle in its middle ear and essentially “plugs” its own ears.  It will do this when it makes the noise and then relax the muscle to hear the echo and “see” where it is going.  Sometimes the bat will give off a continuous noise (Also called High Duty Cycle Echolocation).  Obviously this would be a real danger to its ears.  However, it will make noises out of its own hearing range so that it doesn’t go deaf.  The amazing part is that when the noise bounces off another object, it will bring the frequency of the sound into the bats hearing range and lower the volume to a safe level.  The bat is perfectly equipped to use echolocation without going deaf.

Second, the bat’s hearing.  As you might imagine, their hearing is unbelievably sensitive.  For example, bats that eat frogs are able to tell which frogs are poisonous by listening to the subtle differences in their mating calls.  The African heart-nosed bat’s ears are so sensitive that it can hear the footsteps of a beetle walking on the sand.  Not only can bats hear well, but they are specially designed to focus in on their own noises.  Even if there are thousands of bats around, a bat can separate its own calls from all the others.  Obviously hearing the loud calls of other bats could damage its ears as well.  However, the bats brain is designed in such a way that it will cut out background noises so it can focus in on its own specific noises and not go deaf at the same time (Neuroethology: Echolocation in the Bat).

Thirdly, the bat’s brain.  It is very difficult for us to fully understand this process.  It is infinitely more complex than we have discussed.  Nearly every little detail of the bat is fine tuned for echolocation.  Even if it could make and hear the sounds, if its brain couldn’t keep up it would fail miserably.  However, the bat can make, listen, and process all of the information it gathers with 99% accuracy (Neuroethology: Echolocation in the Bat).  It doesn’t do this slowly either.  With one call, the bat’s brain is able to interpret huge amounts of information in just millionths of a second.  In other words, with one noise, it will “see” the small insect directly in front of it as well as all the other trees, leaves, and other bats in the background.  To give an example of just how fine tuned and sensitive a bats echolocation is, some fishing bats are able to detect a minnow’s fin, as fine as a human hair, sticking only two millimeters out of the water (AnswersInGenesis.org).

So, not only do bats make loud sounds, but they have special features to keep from going deaf.  They are so sensitive that they can hear very quite noises, subtle changes, as well as distinguish their own noises and process all of this information with unbelievable speed and accuracy.  Its entire brain, nervous system, body, and existence is fine tuned to use echolocation flawlessly.  I can’t exaggerate how exquisite this entire process really is.

We have talked about many different features of the bat.  Here is basically how these awesome features work together.  A bat will be hanging upside down.  It will have to flex to let go of the surface it’s on and will begin flying without getting dizzy or light headed at all.  Using the tiny hairs on its wings, it will change the wing’s shape depending on the air and wind qualities to fly more efficiently.  It will use echolocation to perfectly navigate its way around to look for food without going deaf or being hindered by the other bats that might be making noises as well.  Once it finds a bug it will continue to use echolocation to close in on it.  When it gets to the bug it will eat it right out of the air, or more commonly, use the same very sensitive hairs on its wings to “feel” where the bug is, trap it, bring it to its mouth, and eat it.  Some of these bugs are in the air and some on the ground.  And remember, it is able to do this so quickly and efficiently that many bats will eat hundreds, or even thousands, of bugs in a matter of hours.  And the fact that they can do this keeps our insect population at safe levels.

The bat’s abilities are mind blowing.  How could all of these abilities possibly have evolved?  If we take just one small feature away from the bat, the entire process crumbles and the bat is useless.  The bat is complex and perfectly designed from head to toe, literally.

By looking at the bat and the many other awesome animals God has made, surely we can join in with the apostle Paul and say,  “Oh, the depth of the riches both of the wisdom and knowledge of God! How unsearchable are His judgments and unfathomable His ways…For from Him and through Him and to Him are all things. To Him be the glory forever. Amen” (Romans 11:33, 36).

More Reading:

Bats (Part 1)

Bats (Part 2)

Bats (Part 2)

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Bats are awesome.  Period.  Last time we talked about how needed they are when it comes to controlling the insect population and spreading plant seeds.  We also talked about the complexity of the bat’s feet and how they are perfectly designed to hang upside down for extremely long periods of time.  The bat’s unique abilities don’t stop there though.  Let’s look at two other characteristics that prove God is the designer of this world.

The Bat’s Wings.  Bats are often identified by their wings.  Obviously their wings are not covered with feathers and fur like most flying animals.  The bats wing is essentially an arm with very long fingers and skin that spreads in-between them in the shape of a wing.  Unlike most mammals, the bat’s finger bones are very flexible and flattened out to make a perfect frame for the wing.  The skin on the wings, called a membrane, is very stretchy and will grow back quickly if torn.  Because of the design of the wing, a bat can move much quicker and more accurately than birds.  Some bats can even fly at 60 mph.

Most amazing of all, the surface of their wings are covered with little bumps and a tiny hair at the center of each bump.  These bumps and hairs are about as sensitive as our fingertips.  It will use these sensitive hairs to gather detailed information about their surroundings.  For example, it will collect information about the air and wind and will change its wing’s shape and angle in order to fly more efficiently for the air conditions.  Not only does it use its wings for flight, but also to keep warm.  When a bat comes back to rest, it will fold its arms in such a way to trap an air pocket around its body.  Its body heat will warm up this air and act like insulation on cold nights.

The Bat’s Reproduction.  Just like most animals, bats will breed during certain seasons.  Unlike other animals though, female bats can control when it has its young.  Some species can store sperm for a later time or even delay the implanting of a fertilized egg until there is plenty of fruit and insects to feed on.  So, if mating occurred in the fall, the female bat can delay the process until the next spring when there is more food and it is easier to raise its young.  It will also have one young at a time so it is easier to raise.

Every part of the bat is remarkably complex.  Every part of it works together perfectly to form a well-designed animal.  Only God is capable of such design.  Genesis 1:21 states, “God created…every winged bird after its kind; and God saw that it was good.”  All of God creations are good, and the bat is definitely one of them.

In the next article we will look into the most amazing ability the bat has, echolocation (seeing with sound).  If you thought the previous abilities were interesting, just wait for echolocation.

More Reading:

Bats (Part 1)

Bats (Part 3)

Bats (Part 1)

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PART 1 OF 3

For many years bats have been linked with witchcraft, darkness, and fear.  Bats are so much more than this.  Until recently, I had no idea how mind-blowing bats really are.  I love showing how animals prove God’s existence, but out of all the animals I have researched, the bat is by far my new favorite.  Let me explain why.

There are about 1200 known species of bats and three-fourths of these eat insects.  Each bat will usually eat one-third of its body weight in insects every night, which is equivalent to hundreds of insects in a few hours.  For example, the Little Brown Bat can eat up to 1,000 mosquitoes in an hour.  If bats became extinct, the insect population is calculated to reach an alarmingly high number (Sharon Shebar, Bats).  In fact, there are about 30 million Mexican free-tailed bats in the Bracken Cave in Texas.  These bats eat 250 tons of insects every night in the summer.

Not only do bats play a significant role in controlling the insect population, but they are also vital to the survival and pollination of many trees, plants, and flowers.  In fact, several tropical plants are completely dependant on bats to distribute their seeds (bananas, peaches, bread-fruit, mangoes, cashews, almonds, dates, figs, etc).  Obviously if bats did not exists, our world would be significantly different.  Not only are bats important to our environment, but they are equipped with some awe-inspiring traits.

We will look at several other awesome characteristics of bats, but for the sake of time and your sanity, let’s just look at one other in this article.

The Bat’s Feet.  As we all know, bats hang upside down.  When we look closely at their feet, we will see that they work opposite from most feet.  Most animals would have to flex their muscles and tendons to hang onto a tree limb or rock.  The problem is, muscles and tendons become tired and fatigued and eventually give out.  The bat has specialized tendons that clamp down on an object when it relaxes its muscles.  Just like our hand opens when we relax, a bat’s feet close when it relaxes.  In fact, a bat has to flex its muscles just to let go of a surface.  It also has special toes that will lock into place to help hang upside down.  This entire process is effortless for the bat.  Beyond this, their circulatory systems are specially designed to hang upside down for very long periods of time without harming the brain or themselves in any way.  Little Brown Bats can remain in this position for about 7 months while hibernating without any issues at all.  They can also return to an upright position without getting dizzy or lightheaded.

Clearly the bat is incredible, but we have just scratched the surface.  In the next article we will look into two other amazing traits of the bat.  Psalm 104:24 states, “O LORD, how many are Your works!  In wisdom You have made them all; the earth is full of Your possessions.”  What a true statement this is.  God has filled this earth with His possessions, and it all is evidence of the powerful creator we love and serve.  The bat is but one more amazing creature in His arsenal of proofs.

More Reading:

Bats (Part 2)

Bats (Part 3)

Mudskipper: A Partially Evolved Fish?

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I have to admit, if there was ever an animal that looked like it evolved, it’s the Mudskipper.  This animal is both an amphibian and a fish.  It can breathe under water and on land.  Surprisingly, there are several other animals that are able to do this as well (Lungfish, Wooly Sculpin, etc).  Despite these facts, the evidence still says that the Mudskipper is created, not evolved.

Regardless of what textbooks and bias teachers say, evolution is unproven.  There has never, ever been a transitional fossil found.  In other words, there has never been a single bone found that shows an animal transitioning, or evolving, into a different animal.  There have been many claims about such fossils, but not a single one has ever proven to be real.  If evolution takes millions of years and we are still evolving, then we should find half evolved animals everywhere.  Evolution is simply not happening in the world around us.

While the Mudskipper is claimed to be proof for evolution, the fact remains that the Mudskipper has never produced anything other than another Mudskipper.  All Mudskippers produce other little Mudskippers.  There is no proof that the Mudskipper has ever evolved.  So, the only other viable solution is that God created the Mudskipper exactly as it is.  Let’s take a look at several amazing characteristics God has given the mudskipper.

1. How the Mudskipper Moves.  Obviously the Mudskipper needs to move in and out of water.  So, it has a fishlike body and tail for propelling through the water, but it also has specialized, and unusually strong, pectoral fins that are used like legs to move around on the mud.  It also has interesting eyes.  It is very unique for an animal to see well in and out of the water, but the Mudskipper is able to do both.  Its eyes are extra clear out of the water, are retractable, and moisten themselves so they don’t try out.  All of these qualities are essential for the Mudskipper to survive in and out of the water.

2. How the Mudskipper Breathes.  When it comes to breathing, the Mudskipper is like a fish and a frog.  Fish breath by separating the oxygen in the water and bring it into their bloodstream.  Water is constantly passing over the fish’s gills so it is able to get enough oxygen.  In order for these to work properly, they must constantly be moist.  This is why the Mudskipper must stay where it is wet.  If it wanders too far from water, it will die.  However, the Mudskipper also has enlarged gill chambers to hold water.  Not only will this give it extra oxygen to breath, but it will help keep the gills moist and functioning for a long time out of the water.  Frogs can breathe through their skin.  They have tons of little blood vessels called capillaries on the surface of their skin which takes the oxygen in the air and brings it into the bloodstream.  The Mudskipper is able to breathe both of these ways.  Not only does it have gills to breathe under water, but its skin also brings in oxygen like frogs.  Beyond this, the Mudskipper is also able to gulp air.  It has tons of little capillaries in its mouth and throat which allow it to take in oxygen that way as well.  Despite the fact that it can breathe more than one way, the Mudskipper is only able to survive out of the water for 3 ½ days.  Eventually it must return back to the water to continue living.  However, the fact that the Mudskipper can breathe three different ways is astonishing.

3. How the Mudskipper Reproduces.  This is where things start getting interesting.  Eventually a female will come into the male’s burrow and lay eggs.  The Mudskipper’s burrow is in a “U” shape.  Since Mudskippers live close to water, the bottom parts of their borrows will be filled with water.  One side reaches the surface while the other side remains underground but comes up enough to where there is an air pocket. So, the female will lay eggs up in the air pocket on the opposite side of the burrow.  While this keeps the baby Mudskippers away from harm, the problem is that they will eventually run out of air.  Since the Mudskipper is able to “gulp” air, it will take a breath, swim to the other side of the burrow and exhale the fresh air up into that air pocket.  All of the eggs will die if their air supply is not replenished frequently.

The Mudskipper is definitely a very strange creature.  At first glance it may look like an evolved animal, but by looking at all of its abilities, the evidence argues otherwise.  How did the Mudskipper evolve the perfect abilities (fins, breathing, eyes, etc) to live in the water and on the land?  How did the Mudskipper know the eggs would die in the air pocket if the oxygen wasn’t replaced?  How did it develop the ability to gulp and exhale air when its primary forms of breathing are through the gills and skin?  All of these would have to evolve at the same time with no mistakes in order for the Mudskipper to live.  But this isn’t how evolution works.  It speaks of slow change over millions of years.  This is not consistent with the mudskippers abilities all linked together.  This is consistent with being a creation of God though.

Just like every animal, there is a clear design and logical purpose behind each and every ability.  The Mudskipper is definitely high on the unique scale, but it proves the existence of God just the same.

CHECK OUT THIS GREAT VIDEO OF THE MUDSKIPPER

Namaqua Chameleon

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Chameleons are just awesome.  Period.  Some of the abilities they possess are unlike any other.  They are able to change color to camouflage themselves.  They are able to hunt prey by launching out their sticky tongues.  But even with all of these abilities, there is one chameleon that stands above the rest.  It is the Namaqua chameleon.

This chameleon can only be found in the southeast areas of Africa.  Most chameleons are known for living in forest habitats, but this chameleon actually thrives in the desert.  How is it able to do something like this?  Well, God has blessed this creature with some very unique abilities.  Let’s examine some of them:

(1) Special feet. Since most chameleons live in forest areas, their toes are fused into groups of three and two.  They use their feet like forceps and grip onto the branches.  If the Namaqua chameleon had the same feet as other chameleons, it would have a difficult time moving through the desert.  Unlike the others, this chameleon is able to spread its toes.  This provides more surface area on its foot and gives it the ability to walk on the sand without sinking.  Think of it like a “snowshoe” effect.  While this may seem small and insignificant, it is rarely seen in any other chameleon.  It is a specialized characteristic of the Namaqua.

(2) Hunting abilities. Not only can it move easily through the desert sand with its specialized feet, it is even able to run to catch prey.  If you have ever tried to run in sand, then you know how difficult it can be.  Most chameleons can’t run at all, much less run in sand.  Chameleons normally just wait around for the opportunity, or move slowly towards their prey.  The Namaqua can sprint in the sand and run down its prey.  It needs to be able to do this since food is scarce in the desert and it can’t afford to waist an opportunity.  So, it is able to run and launch out its sticky tongue, making it superior in the chameleon family.  This chameleon is perfectly equipped to catching prey in a tough environment like the desert.

(3) Color changing abilities. Like all other chameleons, the Namaqua chameleon changes the color of its body for camouflage.  But unlike most chameleons, the Namaqua has to deal with scorching temperatures in the day, and near freezing temperatures at night.  The Namaqua uses its color changing abilities to overcome this.  In the morning, when it needs to warm up, it will change to a very dark color to absorb the heat.  In the hottest part of the day, it will change to a very light color to keep cool.  Sometimes this chameleon will even turn one of its sides dark and keep the other side light depending on how it wants to regulate its body temperature.  Not only is this color change going to keep the chameleon cool, but it will also help it conserve water; something that is just a little bit important in the desert.  Once again, the Namaqua is completely equipped to handle life in the desert.

If any other chameleon was put in the desert to survive, it simply would not last.  The desert is an incredibly harsh and unforgiving environment.  So, how is the Namaqua chameleon able to survive?  Most scientists stick with the popular answer of evolution.  But how could a chameleon learn such abilities and adaptations to survive?  If it wasn’t able to spread its toes, it wouldn’t be able to move around the desert well and certainly would have a very tough time catching prey.  Not to mention it had to learn to run.  Also, how did it know to change color to regulate its body temperature?  If it didn’t learn to change color to keep cool in the day, it would fry in the desert heat.  Like we just stated, the desert is cruel and doesn’t exactly give second chances.  The Namaqua chameleon is unlike any other chameleon.  It is able to survive in the desert because that is exactly how God made it.

God is almighty.  God is great.  The Namaqua chameleon is just one more brilliant creation that tells of God’s magnificence.

Click Here For Video

Namaqua chameleon camouflaging.

Absorbing heat in the cool morning.

Cooling down in the desert heat.


Aye-Aye

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What do you get when you mix the sailor’s term, “Aye-Aye,” and a lemur-looking animal?  To some, this may look like a sneak peak into a new “Madagascar” movie.  Sorry to disappoint.  “Aye-Aye” is simply the name of the little creature pictured above.  While a new “Madagascar” movie might be fun, this fury critter is also quite interesting.

The Aye-Aye may not be staring in the next “Madagascar” movie, but he is actually native to Madagascar.  Over the years, scientists have had a very difficult time classifying what type of animal this little guy is.  See, the Aye-Aye is sort of a mix between a monkey, a rodent, and a bat.  Seriously.  There is really no other animal quite like the Aye-Aye.  Here is why…

Its Ears: The Aye-Aye is equipped with rather large ears and an astonishing ability to distinguish sounds.  It’s hearing is so sensitive that it is able to pick up the slightest variation in pitch.  We will see why this is so remarkable in a minute.

Its Teeth: Scientists originally put the Aye-Aye in the rodent family because of his teeth.  Just like a rodent, the Aye-Aye’s teeth never stop growing (Buzzle.com).  His teeth are long, sharp and narrow.  They are not all that special by themselves, but how they are used is what makes them unique.  We will see why in just a moment.

Its Fingers: Take a look at the picture below.

No, this is not a distorted figure from some horror movie.  It’s just the Aye-Aye’s fingers.  As you will notice, several of its fingers are much longer than the others.  This is mostly for grip and mobility through the trees.  However, the Aye-Aye is equipped with one special finger that is long, narrow, and boney.  This finger is what makes this animal so remarkable.  While up in the trees, the Aye-Aye will begin tapping on the tree repetitively with that finger.  Sometimes it does this as fast as 8 times per second (animal.discovery.com).  What the Aye-Aye is doing is searching for grubs buried in the tree.  Since his hearing is so acute, he is almost able to “see” where the grub is in the tree simply by tapping on it (otherwise known as echolocation, like bats). He is able to move this finger independently from the others (a-z-Animals.com).  So, he can grip the tree and tap on it at the same time.  He will listen to the difference in sound with each tap and is able to zero in on his dinner.  The only thing left to do is get it.

This is when all of his specially equipped tools come into play.  Once he has located where the grub is, using his sensitive ears, he will begin using his sharp narrow teeth.  These teeth just so happen to be perfect for ripping open the tree.  Remember, his teeth are always growing, so they will never wear down.  Once the tree is opened up, he inserts that special bony finger into the hole and down the tunnel the grub has made.  Any other finger would simply not fit.  Then, since his fingers have claws on them, he finds the grub and drags it out.  Dinner time!

What a fascinating animal the Aye-Aye is.  He is monkey-like because of his mobility in the trees, yet rodent-like because of his teeth, and even bat-like because he uses echolocation to find food.  Every part of the Aye-Aye works together perfectly.  Each feature has clearly been crafted and specialized.  Like everything else in our world, the evidence seen in the Aye-Aye is telling of a Creator.  This little guy may not be too pleasant to look at, but when we look closely, the almighty Designer can be seen.  The pile of evidence for God and creation is already enormous, and the Aye-Aye simply adds to that stack.  Like most animals, the Aye-Aye puts evolution in an impossible situation.

The Aye-Aye is definitely a unique animal and points to the uniqueness of God.  There is simply nothing and no one like Him.  He deserves our worship, glory, and praise!

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Flight – Evolved or Created?

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When I was a kid, I often thought about how awesome it would be to fly.  Certainly many others have dreamed of this exact phenomenon in one way or another.  The problem is, flight is remarkably complex.  For thousands of years people have tried to break free from the hold of gravity and soar through the air.  However, they have struggled with design, weight, aerodynamics, and a host of other difficulties.  God has never been limited by such “problems.”  He has always known the correct design and solutions.  This is what makes the seed of the Alsomitra Vine so incredible.

The Alsomitra Vine grows from the forest floor and up the surrounding trees to the highest point it can reach.  Once it is high above the forest floor, it begins developing a football-sized pod.   In this pod there are around four hundred seeds.  The problem is, if all of these seeds just feel to the forest floor, all of these vines would have to complete for soil nutrients and sunlight.  So, it is vital for this vine to send these seeds off as far as possible.  The way this issue is overcome is by flight.  Each seed is encased in a clear, lightweight, perfectly designed glider (See the picture above).  Once the vine’s seedpod is opened, these seeds are able to travel hundreds of feet, or more, depending on the wind.

In the early 1900s, inventers such as Igo Etrich and the Horton brothers used this seed to help create gliders and aircrafts.  About 20 years ago, two Japanese engineers studied this seed and realized its design was absolutely incredible.  In fact, this seeds shape has led to the design of some of our modern day “flying wing” aircrafts like the stealth bomber.  Ok, wait a minute, people have struggled with flight for thousands of years, and yet there has been a seed that has conquered all of these issues this entire time?  Yep.

There are so many problems this seed creates for evolution.  How did the vine know it needed to get its seeds away?  How did it know to use flight to get the seeds away?  How did it know what material to use for the wings?  How did it develop the perfect flight design, weight, material, etc?  How did it know it needed to get high in order to use the wind for flight?  Every time this plant would have attempted to achieve some of these feats, it would have ended in disaster.  Either the Alsomitra Vine is a genius, or the all-knowing, all-powerful being in this universe just simply designed it this way.

So, did flight evolve over millions of years, or was it created by God?  There is simply no factual evidence that anything has evolved to achieve flight.  There is no proof of it in plant life, and beyond this, there are not even any “transitional fossils” of birds.  All of the facts say that flight was created, not evolved.

Psalm 104:24 says, “O LORD, how many are Your works!  In wisdom You have made them all; The earth is full of Your possessions.”  God is unfathomably wise.  It was in this wisdom that he made the Alsomitra Vine.  Clearly flight was something God created.  It has taken people thousands of years to figure out how to fly.  Yet all of these flight “problems” were conquered when God made plants on the third day of creation (Genesis 1:11-13).  The Alsomitra Vine’s seed is yet one more unsolvable problem for evolution.  The earth is truly “full of his possessions,” and this seed is just another proof of that fact.