'Live Evolution' Not Witnessed After All | The Institute for Creation Research

'Live Evolution' Not Witnessed After All

Some science media outlets are hailing a recent study as “live evolution witnessed,” but what researchers at the Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique actually saw isn’t evolution at all. They observed, over the course of 300 generations, predator bacteria adapting to overcome certain defenses erected by its prey. Their conclusion was that “predator presence caused the natural selection of predator-resistant prey: the prey had thus evolved.”1

The kinds of minor changes that these bacteria experienced, however, do not support the broad Darwinian philosophy that life continually evolves upward, that microbes could become humans given enough time. In their study published in the journal Evolution, the researchers actually found that after 300 generations, the predatory bacterium Bdellovibrio bacteriovorus remained Bdellovibrio bacteriovorus, and the prey bacterium Pseudomonas fluorescens remained Pseudomonas fluorescens.2

No new gene sets had been acquired, and no new organism had been launched into the world. So, where was the “live evolution witnessed”?3

What Darwinian evolution must demonstrate in order to prove itself true is the introduction of new genetic and epigenetic data, effectively organized to fulfill a purpose, not merely the reshuffling or marring of pre-existing DNA or proteins. This new study only demonstrates that these tiny organisms can adapt, based on preset options with which they were created in the beginning.

If this is supposed to be a good example of the theory in action, then the heart and soul of Darwinian evolution are still missing.

References

  1. Live Evolution Witnessed in Controlled Environment of Microbial Predator and Prey. Science News. Posted on sciencedaily.com March 10, 2009.
  2. Gallet, R., T. Tully, and M. E. Evans. 2009. Ecological Conditions Affect Evolutionary Trajectory in a Predator-Prey System. Evolution. 63 (3): 641-651.
  3. Sherwin, F., and B. Thomas. 2009. Do “New Species” Demonstrate Darwinism? Acts & Facts. 38 (2): 36.

* Mr. Thomas is Science Writer at the Institute for Creation Research.

Article posted on March 23, 2009.

The Latest
CREATION.LIVE PODCAST
Searching for Truth Across the Globe | Creation.Live Podcast:...
How can we bring the Gospel of Jesus Christ and the truth of creation to others outside our small spheres of influence?   Host...

NEWS
Marine Mammals: Designed for Deep Diving
While you’re reading this, hold your breath. What is now happening is your blood is delivering the last of oxygenated blood cells to your tissues...

CREATION PODCAST
Humanity's Demise at the Hands of Genetic Entropy | The Creation...
Welcome to the fourth episode in a series called “The Failures of Old Earth Creationism.” Many Christians attempt to fit old earth...

NEWS
''Inside-Out'' Fossil is Amazingly Preserved
It is widely known that vast numbers of fossils—vertebrate and invertebrate—have been discovered incredibly well-preserved.1,2...

NEWS
The Resurrection and the Origin of Life
At Easter time we focus on the cardinal Christian doctrine of the Resurrection. Without the Resurrection, Christianity is a sham. The truth that Jesus...

NEWS
Is an Ancient Extinct Tree-Dweller Our Relative?
Human evolution has always been hazy with seemingly as many attempted explanations for how we evolved from animals as there are paleoanthropologists. Evolutionists...

NEWS
The Return of the Dire Wolf?
There’s been much recent excitement about the birth of three dire wolf (Aenocyon dirus) puppies by a Dallas-based biotech company: Colossal Bioscience....

CREATION PODCAST
Cracks in the Layers: Lake Suigetsu and the Old Earth Illusion...
Welcome to the third episode in a series called “The Failures of Old Earth Creationism.” Many Christians attempt to fit old earth...

NEWS
Fish Fossil Vomit
A rather unsavory news story recently appeared regarding fossilized vomit. Although it’s hardly dinner table conversation, it nonetheless supports...

NEWS
Dino Footprints Down Under
Dinosaur trackways1 are once again making the news. Australia is the setting of a remarkable series of dinosaur tracks attributed to ornithischian...