Unique structures in rare bacteria suggest the amazing process of photosynthesis is much “older” than evolutionists assumed.

Photosynthesis is the process of turning sunlight, water and carbon dioxide into sugar and oxygen. There are two types. The first is anoxygenic photosynthesis that uses molecules other than water to drive the process and doesn’t produce oxygen as a byproduct. The second is oxygenic photosynthesis, which separates water into hydrogen and oxygen to drive photosynthesis, and releases oxygen as a byproduct. Oxygenic photosynthesis is the most common, found in algae, plants and some bacteria—a fundamental process that sustains human and animal life.

For decades, evolutionary theory stated that anoxygenic photosynthesis evolved first, followed about a billion years later by oxygenic photosynthesis. However, Dr. Tanai Cardona and fellow researchers at Imperial College, London found unique structures in so-called “ancient” bacteria (Heliobacterium modesticaldum) indicating that oxygenic photosynthesis was occurring a billion years earlier than commonly thought.¹

Creationists see photosynthesis as a very sophisticated biochemical process, unable to evolve by chance and time.^2,3 The ScienceDaily article stated, “The finding could mean the evolution of photosynthesis needs a rethink, turning traditional ideas on their head.”¹ This is true—especially considering that just months earlier Tanai Cardona lamented,

By investigating H. modesticaldum, the research team at Imperial College found fully functional photosynthesis was already in place—to put it simply: one kind of photosynthesis did not evolve into the other.

As long as evolutionists insist the formidable and elegant process of turning light energy into sugar simply evolved, they will forever “need a rethink” and will constantly turn over traditional ideas.

References
1. Strange bacteria hint at ancient origin of photosynthesis. ScienceDaily. Posted on ScienceDaily.com July 25, 2019, accessed August 2, 2019.
2. Sherwin, F. 2019. Photosynthesis Continues to Amaze. Creation Science Update. Posted on ICR.org March 14, 2019.
3. Thomas, B. 2012. Photosynthesis Uses Quantum Physics. Creation Science Update. Posted on ICR.org June 25, 2012.
4. Cardona, T. 2019. Thinking twice about the evolution of photosynthesis. Open Biology. Published on royalsocietypublishing.org March 20, 2019.

*Mr. Sherwin is Research Associate is at ICR and earned a master’s in zoology from the University of Northern Colorado.