Creation Science Rebuttals -

A Whale of a Tale

16 May 2006

     The 16 May 06 daily feature for the young earth creation science ministry Creation Moments claims the evolution of whales makes no sense.  Of course, if you are a young earth creationist, this is true.  However, is whale evolution credible?  The author claims that 45 million years ago, cow-like creatures who lived by the seashore liked to eat fish.  Over millions of years their legs disappeared, tails got bigger, and became whales.  He says it sounds like a story from Dr. Suess.

     As a reader of Dr. Suess stories in my youth, and reading them to my children, they are about as entertaining as most young earth claims.  At least they don't pretend to be true stories!  The author goes on to claim that not even one bone from one of these creatures has been found.

     When you look at the evolutionist evidence for whale evolution, it is fully described and credible.  There is a sequence of animals showing progressive evolution, from a land animal to a whale.  The first is pakicetids, around 52 million years ago.  Next, ambulocetids and remingtonocetids, then protocetids, then basilosaurids, then dorudontids...all backed up by fossil evidence.  It is beyond me how the author could claim that not a single bone has been found to support whale evolution.

        Some of you who have been indoctrinated into the Answers in Genesis claims about these whale ancestors may be skeptical.  I'm sure many would point out that pakicetids is based on a single fossil skull.  This is true.  However, features of this skull indicate that it is indeed related to the other, more fuller fossils in this line.  Interestingly, the Answers in Genesis article by the same name as the Creation Moments article, does not even discuss the other animals in the sequence, such as remingtonocetids, protocetids, and dorudontids.  This is typical of young earth claims.  They find minor inconsistencies in one part of the chain, and call the whole chain bad.

     Christians need to understand that they can accept evolution, if they choose to, and believe in an inerrant, infallible Word of God.  One great example of a Christian who believed in evolution is C. S. Lewis, the author of the Narnia series.

For More Reading

Talkorigins - Whale Evolution

Wikipedia - Evolution of Cetaceans

Cetaceans - Another online article

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