As we have seen in the last two posts in this series, dinosaur-to-bird evolution is not supported by the fossil record. We will conclude this series by examining some of the other major problems with the idea of birds evolving by chance mistakes.
Birds and reptiles differ in many important ways, including skeletal, respiratory, developmental, and integumentary anatomy.
Birds and reptiles are very different. In order for dinosaurs to change into birds, many necessary changes would need to be made to the body of the supposed bird-ancestor; changes which are not supported by biology or the fossil record, including:
- The reptilian lung system to a one-way airflow, air-sac-based respiratory system.1
- The dense skeleton of most dinosaurs to the lightweight, hollow skeleton of most birds.
- A shift in center of gravity from the legs to the wings.2
- Leg movement at the hips in dinosaurs to movement at the knees in birds.2
- Scales (folds in the skin) to feathers (complex structures that develop like hair from a follicle in the skin).3
- Change in the development of the hand and ‘finger’ arrangement.4
These kinds of changes, which would be necessary for dino-bird evolution, are biologically impossible, requiring the addition of huge amounts of information to the DNA of the ‘birdosaur’, a process that has never been observed. While evolutionary scientists try to imagine why dinosaurs evolved flying ability by natural selection, there is no satisfactory explanation for how random mutations could produce such intricate design. Worse yet, how could a half-formed intermediate survive to pass on its genes? Wouldn’t natural selection eliminate this mutant?2
In recent years, another severe blow has been dealt to the theory of bird evolution: the discovery of birds in dinosaur rock-layers! Some scientists even believe that all (or nearly all) modern bird families lived alongside dinosaurs like T. rex and Velociraptor!5
Man’s theories that dinosaurs evolved into birds have changed countless times as new information has emerged. However, the Bible’s account of the origins of birds and dinosaurs has remained the same! Shouldn’t the Bible warrant our trust?
Free Resources for Further Reading:
Chapter 4: Do Fossils Show Evolution?
Did Dinosaurs Turn Into Birds?
Video – Did Dinosaurs Turn Into Birds?
Refuting Evolution – Chapter 4: Bird Evolution?
References:
1Ham, Ken. The New Answers Book 1: Over 25 Questions on Creation/Evolution and the Bible. Green Forest, AR: Master, 2006. 300-301. Print.
2Morris, Henry M., John D. Morris, Jason Lisle, James J.S. Johnson, Nathaniel Jeanson, Randy Guliuzza, Jeffrey Tomkins, Jake Hebert, Frank Sherwin, and Brian Thomas. Creation Basics & Beyond: An In-Depth Look at Science, Origins, and Evolution. Dallas, TX: Institute for Creation Research, 2013. 281. Print.
3Wieland, Carl. “Bird Evolution Flies out the Window.” Creation 16(4):16–19 Sept. 1994: 16-19. Creation. Web.
4Menton, David. “Did Microraptor Gui Invent the Biplane before the Wright Brothers?” Answers in Genesis. N.p., 21 Feb. 2007. Web. 13 Dec. 2014. <https://answersingenesis.org/extinct-animals/did-microraptor-gui-invent-the-biplane/>.
5Werner, Carl, and Debbie Werner. Evolution: The Grand Experiment: The Quest for an Answer. Green Forest, AR: New Leaf, 2014. 276. Print.
