WRASSE CONFUSION
Job 12:8,13
“… or speak to the earth, and it shall teach thee: and the fishes of the sea shall declare unto thee.... With him [is] wisdom and strength, he hath counsel and understanding.”
There is a family of brightly colored fish called wrasse. God’s creativity in this particular family had biologists puzzled for a long time. Evolution could provide no explanation.
In the early days of marine biology, scientists often identified the male and female wrasse as totally different species. They don’t even look like they are related. Biologists noticed that they had a mystery on their hands when they discovered that they had ended up designating some species that had only males, and others that had only females. Eventually, observation cleared up the confusion – only to result in more confusion!
Scientists had found certain wrasse who looked neither like males nor females. Scientists also found that schools around some small reefs had no young males. It seemed as if the males just appeared, fully grown, without ever growing up. And in a way, they had. For among these wrasse, when there is a shortage of males, one of the females will turn into a fully functional male!
In Scripture, the word “understanding” often refers to a deep and detailed knowledge of how different things work together. The special and highly creative arrangements that God has provided for the wrasse are an excellent example of His understanding as well as the unlimited range of His imagination!
Father in heaven, I thank and praise You for Your great beauty and inspiring imagination that is so evident all around us in the creation. Through the instruction of Your Word, grant me the gift of understanding. In Jesus’ Name. Amen.
Photo: Moon wrasse, a typical wrasse. Courtesy of Leonard Low. Licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution 2.0 Generic license.
Job 12:8,13
“… or speak to the earth, and it shall teach thee: and the fishes of the sea shall declare unto thee.... With him [is] wisdom and strength, he hath counsel and understanding.”
There is a family of brightly colored fish called wrasse. God’s creativity in this particular family had biologists puzzled for a long time. Evolution could provide no explanation.
In the early days of marine biology, scientists often identified the male and female wrasse as totally different species. They don’t even look like they are related. Biologists noticed that they had a mystery on their hands when they discovered that they had ended up designating some species that had only males, and others that had only females. Eventually, observation cleared up the confusion – only to result in more confusion!
Scientists had found certain wrasse who looked neither like males nor females. Scientists also found that schools around some small reefs had no young males. It seemed as if the males just appeared, fully grown, without ever growing up. And in a way, they had. For among these wrasse, when there is a shortage of males, one of the females will turn into a fully functional male!
In Scripture, the word “understanding” often refers to a deep and detailed knowledge of how different things work together. The special and highly creative arrangements that God has provided for the wrasse are an excellent example of His understanding as well as the unlimited range of His imagination!
Father in heaven, I thank and praise You for Your great beauty and inspiring imagination that is so evident all around us in the creation. Through the instruction of Your Word, grant me the gift of understanding. In Jesus’ Name. Amen.
Photo: Moon wrasse, a typical wrasse. Courtesy of Leonard Low. Licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution 2.0 Generic license.
SHIFTY RED-SHIFTS
Deuteronomy 4:19
“And lest thou lift up thine eyes unto heaven, and when thou seest the sun, and the moon, and the stars, [even] all the host of heaven, shouldest be driven to worship them, and serve them, which the LORD thy God hath divided unto all nations under the whole heaven.”
All of us remember hearing about how many of the stars and other objects in space are millions and even billions of light-years away. Since the light from those objects is slightly redder than expected, scientists say that they are moving away from the earth at tremendous speeds. So the redder the light, the more distant they are. But is the red-shift really proof that there are objects millions of light years away?
Creation scientists point out that many things can cause light to become red. Various gasses and dust like those found in space regularly turn our sunsets and sunrises red. Astronomer Halton Arp, formerly of the Mt. Wilson Observatories in Pasadena, California, has uncovered many evidences that the red-shifting of starlight is more likely caused by factors other than distance. I should add that Dr. Arp is not a creationist, just an honest scientist. His work has caused a great stir among scientists who believe in evolution to the point where he has now returned to work in Germany.
When man uses evidence from the creation – like starlight to try to prove that there is no God – he is placing the creation above the Creator, and the Bible calls this idolatry. We Christians must be careful before accepting any claims not found in the Bible. And we must reject those claims that contradict the Bible.
Heavenly Father, I thank You that You are greater than all things in the creation. Help me to better learn Your Word so that I am never trapped into the idolatry of any “learning” from the creation that goes against Your Word. In Jesus’ Name. Amen.
Photo: Halton Arp with his grandsons.
Deuteronomy 4:19
“And lest thou lift up thine eyes unto heaven, and when thou seest the sun, and the moon, and the stars, [even] all the host of heaven, shouldest be driven to worship them, and serve them, which the LORD thy God hath divided unto all nations under the whole heaven.”
All of us remember hearing about how many of the stars and other objects in space are millions and even billions of light-years away. Since the light from those objects is slightly redder than expected, scientists say that they are moving away from the earth at tremendous speeds. So the redder the light, the more distant they are. But is the red-shift really proof that there are objects millions of light years away?
Creation scientists point out that many things can cause light to become red. Various gasses and dust like those found in space regularly turn our sunsets and sunrises red. Astronomer Halton Arp, formerly of the Mt. Wilson Observatories in Pasadena, California, has uncovered many evidences that the red-shifting of starlight is more likely caused by factors other than distance. I should add that Dr. Arp is not a creationist, just an honest scientist. His work has caused a great stir among scientists who believe in evolution to the point where he has now returned to work in Germany.
When man uses evidence from the creation – like starlight to try to prove that there is no God – he is placing the creation above the Creator, and the Bible calls this idolatry. We Christians must be careful before accepting any claims not found in the Bible. And we must reject those claims that contradict the Bible.
Heavenly Father, I thank You that You are greater than all things in the creation. Help me to better learn Your Word so that I am never trapped into the idolatry of any “learning” from the creation that goes against Your Word. In Jesus’ Name. Amen.
Photo: Halton Arp with his grandsons.
BIRD BRAINED
Ecclesiastes 10:20
“Curse not the king, no not in thy thought; and curse not the rich in thy bedchamber: for a bird of the air shall carry the voice, and that which hath wings shall tell the matter.”
Mankind has been teaching birds to talk for thousands of years. Man has also been using birds to deliver messages for just as long. But new research on the intelligence of birds suggests that they might be more intelligent than we suspect.
Researchers studying pigeons have learned that they can read all of the letters of the alphabet and they read them in a way similar to people. Scientists became convinced that pigeons see the world in much the same way as we do when they discovered that pigeons tend to confuse the very same letters that people do. What’s more, it took only four months for pigeons to learn to distinguish all the letters of the alphabet. For years, pigeons have been used to spot and reject defective items on assembly lines, where they have better records than human beings.
Based on evolutionary theory, scientists naturally conclude that the recognition of abstract forms such as letters of the alphabet requires the larger brain. But this is an assumption, and we might be reminded of the work of Harvard psychologist B.F. Skinner who made extensive use of learned behavior using pigeons. Brain size has little to do with intelligence. Real science and experience show this and disprove evolutionary views. The only alternative is that it is the Creator who gives His creatures their intelligence.
Heavenly Father, I thank You that You have so generously provided intelligence to the animals, not only that they can make their livings, but also so they can serve man and help us. In Jesus’ Name. Amen.
Photo: Feral pigeon (rock dove) in flight. Courtesy of Alan D. Wilson. licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 2.5 Generic license.
Ecclesiastes 10:20
“Curse not the king, no not in thy thought; and curse not the rich in thy bedchamber: for a bird of the air shall carry the voice, and that which hath wings shall tell the matter.”
Mankind has been teaching birds to talk for thousands of years. Man has also been using birds to deliver messages for just as long. But new research on the intelligence of birds suggests that they might be more intelligent than we suspect.
Researchers studying pigeons have learned that they can read all of the letters of the alphabet and they read them in a way similar to people. Scientists became convinced that pigeons see the world in much the same way as we do when they discovered that pigeons tend to confuse the very same letters that people do. What’s more, it took only four months for pigeons to learn to distinguish all the letters of the alphabet. For years, pigeons have been used to spot and reject defective items on assembly lines, where they have better records than human beings.
Based on evolutionary theory, scientists naturally conclude that the recognition of abstract forms such as letters of the alphabet requires the larger brain. But this is an assumption, and we might be reminded of the work of Harvard psychologist B.F. Skinner who made extensive use of learned behavior using pigeons. Brain size has little to do with intelligence. Real science and experience show this and disprove evolutionary views. The only alternative is that it is the Creator who gives His creatures their intelligence.
Heavenly Father, I thank You that You have so generously provided intelligence to the animals, not only that they can make their livings, but also so they can serve man and help us. In Jesus’ Name. Amen.
Photo: Feral pigeon (rock dove) in flight. Courtesy of Alan D. Wilson. licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 2.5 Generic license.
MISTLETOE’S SPECIAL NEEDS SUPPLIED
Genesis 1:11
“And God said, Let the earth bring forth grass, the herb yielding seed, [and] the fruit tree yielding fruit after his kind, whose seed [is] in itself, upon the earth: and it was so.”
When God designed the mistletoe, He brought the design of the plant and the feeding habits of birds together into a wonderfully designed working system. Then He made one amazing exception to the design.
While the wild mistletoe has chlorophyll so that it is able to make some of its own food, it is a parasite that also receives much of its nourishment from the tree on which it grows. The seeds of the mistletoe must sprout into the living tissue of a tree.
Mistletoe blooms in early winter, producing a white berry. These berries contain seeds as well as a very sticky pulp which birds find quite tasty. Many of the seeds are thus spread through the birds’ droppings. Some seeds, covered in the sticky pulp, end up on the outside of the birds’ beaks. We have all seen how birds will clean their beaks by rubbing them on a tree branch. If they have been eating mistletoe berries, their beak cleaning glues the mistletoe seeds to a perfect spot for them to grow.
The dwarf mistletoe is the one exception to this system. When its seeds are ripe, the berries explode, shooting seeds to neighboring branches up to 40 feet away.
Whether we look at how God has brought different creatures together for their mutual benefit, or see the creative means He has designed so they can reproduce, we must exclaim, “Truly the Lord has done all things well!”
Father, every part of the creation shows forth Your glory. I pray that You would open people’s minds so they may see Your glorious works and join Your people in praising You now and forever. In Jesus’ Name. Amen.
Photo: Mistletoe berries.
Genesis 1:11
“And God said, Let the earth bring forth grass, the herb yielding seed, [and] the fruit tree yielding fruit after his kind, whose seed [is] in itself, upon the earth: and it was so.”
When God designed the mistletoe, He brought the design of the plant and the feeding habits of birds together into a wonderfully designed working system. Then He made one amazing exception to the design.
While the wild mistletoe has chlorophyll so that it is able to make some of its own food, it is a parasite that also receives much of its nourishment from the tree on which it grows. The seeds of the mistletoe must sprout into the living tissue of a tree.
Mistletoe blooms in early winter, producing a white berry. These berries contain seeds as well as a very sticky pulp which birds find quite tasty. Many of the seeds are thus spread through the birds’ droppings. Some seeds, covered in the sticky pulp, end up on the outside of the birds’ beaks. We have all seen how birds will clean their beaks by rubbing them on a tree branch. If they have been eating mistletoe berries, their beak cleaning glues the mistletoe seeds to a perfect spot for them to grow.
The dwarf mistletoe is the one exception to this system. When its seeds are ripe, the berries explode, shooting seeds to neighboring branches up to 40 feet away.
Whether we look at how God has brought different creatures together for their mutual benefit, or see the creative means He has designed so they can reproduce, we must exclaim, “Truly the Lord has done all things well!”
Father, every part of the creation shows forth Your glory. I pray that You would open people’s minds so they may see Your glorious works and join Your people in praising You now and forever. In Jesus’ Name. Amen.
Photo: Mistletoe berries.
BIOLOGICAL CLOWNING
Genesis 1:21-22
“And God created great whales, and every living creature that moveth, which the waters brought forth abundantly, after their kind, and every winged fowl after his kind: and God saw that [it was] good. And God blessed them, saying, Be fruitful, and multiply, and fill the waters in the seas, and let fowl multiply in the earth.”
When God made fish and told them to be fruitful and multiply, He gave some of them very special abilities so that they could do this. Some 23 families of fish actually change from females to males, or from males to females, to help their species reproduce.
This ability to change sex, as do tropical fish, produces some amusing behavior. Clownfish are particularly popular among fish hobbyists, who might find that top female fish they recently purchased has become another male! The wrasse family often spawn on large coral reefs, dominated by stronger, territorial males who chase the weaker males away from the reef. But often the smaller males will take on the appearance of a female. Under this disguise, they join the line of females that are waiting to spawn with the dominant male. While in line, these pretenders encourage the ladies in waiting to spawn with them rather than with the large dominant male.
This biological clowning poses a couple of problems for believers in evolution. For one thing, it encourages the very opposite of reproduction of the strongest and best. And there are so many different kinds of fish that change sex that evolutionists have decided that they must have evolved several times.
Of course, we know that the natural ability to change sex came from an imaginative Creator.
Father, I look in wonder and awe at the beauty and imagination You expressed so freely in Your work of creation. Help me to never cease glorifying You as my gracious and wonderful God! Amen.
Photo: Clownfish photo courtesy of Ritiks. Licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 3.0 Unported license.
Genesis 1:21-22
“And God created great whales, and every living creature that moveth, which the waters brought forth abundantly, after their kind, and every winged fowl after his kind: and God saw that [it was] good. And God blessed them, saying, Be fruitful, and multiply, and fill the waters in the seas, and let fowl multiply in the earth.”
When God made fish and told them to be fruitful and multiply, He gave some of them very special abilities so that they could do this. Some 23 families of fish actually change from females to males, or from males to females, to help their species reproduce.
This ability to change sex, as do tropical fish, produces some amusing behavior. Clownfish are particularly popular among fish hobbyists, who might find that top female fish they recently purchased has become another male! The wrasse family often spawn on large coral reefs, dominated by stronger, territorial males who chase the weaker males away from the reef. But often the smaller males will take on the appearance of a female. Under this disguise, they join the line of females that are waiting to spawn with the dominant male. While in line, these pretenders encourage the ladies in waiting to spawn with them rather than with the large dominant male.
This biological clowning poses a couple of problems for believers in evolution. For one thing, it encourages the very opposite of reproduction of the strongest and best. And there are so many different kinds of fish that change sex that evolutionists have decided that they must have evolved several times.
Of course, we know that the natural ability to change sex came from an imaginative Creator.
Father, I look in wonder and awe at the beauty and imagination You expressed so freely in Your work of creation. Help me to never cease glorifying You as my gracious and wonderful God! Amen.
Photo: Clownfish photo courtesy of Ritiks. Licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 3.0 Unported license.
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