Creation Science Rebuttals -

Hummingbird Fossils

19 September 2006

     The 19 September 06 daily feature for the young earth creation science ministry Creation Moments discusses the discovery of hummingbird fossils that predate any previously known fossils.

     According to the young earth author, the oldest known hummingbird fossil was previously thought to be about one million years old.  Two new fossils were found in 2004 in Germany, and they are reported to be between 30 and 34 million years old (now both thought to be 30 Ma).  Of course, the young earth author disagrees with the dating.  The author claims this fits the pattern expected, as hummingbirds had to migrate from Noah's Ark in the Middle East, to their present habitat in the Americas.  The point of this article is seen in the title..."Ancient Hummingbirds Were Quite Modern."  These fossils resemble modern hummingbirds, and show little, if any, evolutionary change.

     This is typical of young earth claims about evolutionary change.  Evolution does not teach that organisms have to change.  They can remain the same over millions of years.  However, there is more to the story.  The hummingbirds in question do differ from modern hummingbirds, defying the claim that "there is no sign of any evolutionary development."  As one ornithologist put it, "the bird was hummingbirdlike in its bill form and certainly differs from the swift and other members of the order.”  The species of hummingbird that the fossil represents was previously known, albiet through younger fossils, although no skulls or bills had been found until now. 

     Just because the bird could hover and fly backwards, and drink nectar just like modern hummingbirds, does not mean they were anatomic copies of each other.  In fact, still older hummingbird ancestors are said to have been found in present-day Russia, dating back to 40 million years ago.

MSNBC.COM article on the hummingbird fossils

Hummingbirds (Wikipedia)

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