It’s a Bird! It’s a Plane! No, It’s Still a Bird.

by Terri Kammerzell

Truth of Genesis Ministry Partner

Yesterday (October 22) was “Galapagos Day.” The Galapagos Conservation Trust uses this day each year to raise awareness about the marine species that live at the archipelago and the threats they face. The Galapagos Islands, about 600 miles west of Ecuador in the Pacific Ocean, are well known because that is where Charles Darwin realized and began to develop his “theory” of evolution, while observing finches.

During his five weeks on the island, Darwin noticed that the finches had variations in their beaks, tails, body types, and feathers. In particular, he observed that the variations in the finches’ beaks gave some of the birds specific abilities others didn’t have, which would allow them to adapt better and survive longer than other variations. From these observations, Darwin went on to extrapolate that the same principles could be applied to other animal kinds evolving into whole new animal kinds. This is known as “Darwinian Evolution.” We will discuss Darwin and his idea of evolution more in upcoming weeks.

But this week let’s focus on this particularly important question:

Did the finches Darwin observed on the Galapagos prove evolution?
In reality, the Galapagos finches have shown their God-given abilities to adapt and survive tough times, while keeping within their created kind.

This year I’ve had the privilege of joining with my friends from the Creation Fellowship Santee in virtual weekly fellowships. We’ve had a number of great speakers—authors, Creation scientists, Christian apologists, pastors, and more—come share with us from week to week. One of our first speakers was Bill Morgan, who leads his own Creation fellowship in Garden Grove, CA, and also does an extensive amount of street witnessing. One of the things he taught us that evening was how to give an answer for our belief in God the Designer. When questioned about evolution, he encouraged us to respond with, “Apes make apes, people make people, and crows make crows.” This isn’t religious; this is genetics. Genetics is the field of science that focuses on organisms’ genes, which are made up of DNA or RNA.

Good scientific theories are those that are testable, repeatable, and observable. The truth of it is that the only thing Charles Darwin observed on the Galapagos Islands were finches making finches. Did their beaks vary? Yes, but they were still finches.

In the first chapter of Genesis, we see the phrase “after his/their kind” used ten times. It is important to understand what “kind” is. In terms of biological classifications, “kind” is the equivalent of either genus or family, not species.
Since that time, the only conclusive scientific observations that have ever been made have been that animals reproduce after their kind. Apes do not become people any more than they become crows. Dogs do not become cats. Whales do not become dogs.

However, we do see extensive variations within kinds. Variations are the result of certain genes—sometimes favorable and sometimes hazardous—being passed on from generation to generation within a kind.

For example, most scientists—evolutionists and creationists alike—believe that all the dog species we see today shared a common ancestor that was much like a wolf. However, over time, sometimes as the result of intentional breeding and sometimes as the result of adaption, some genes have been handed down from generation to generation that have changed the way dogs look, and have offered a variety of different species, each with its own strengths and weaknesses. It is important to understand that in every generation of dogs, dogs still make dogs. And even more importantly, never is any new information added to their DNA, or genetic code.

I’m going to leave this talk right there because in just a few weeks, we’ll pick up where we left off when we talk more about Darwin’s idea of evolution. For now, whenever you see a bird flying by you, just remember that it is one of its kind.

Don’t just take my word for it! Visit YouFormedMe.com/theories/galapagos.html to read, watch, and listen to supporting research and commentary from scientists, doctors, theologians, and more!
This blog is from a special series of “Creation Fun Facts” by Terri Kammerzell, starting from June 10, 2020. Read the introduction at TruthOfGenesis.com/blogs/building-a-biblical-defense-of-creation.