Science Article

May 2001

Living Fossils Problem for the Evolutionist
Compiled by Mike Toler

The members of the fish family Exocoetidae one of the families known as 'flying fish', possess enlarged pectoral fins. Having propelled themselves out of the water with great force, they spread these fins out like wings to glide through the air for up to several dozen metres.

The darwinist sees this incredible feat as a chance development. The belief is that once upon a time a fish like this, but with ordinary fins (and so, lacking the ability to glide) had offspring in which, by a chance genetic accident, the pectoral fins were just a few millimetres longer than normal. This was supposed to have given it a survival advantage, because when it was chased by predators, it could glide a fraction longer after leaping out of the water.

The ones that could glide less well were more likely to be eaten. By this means, it is believed and taught, the flying fishes gradually evolved to their present situation, with very long pectoral fins. Fortuntely for those who are sceptical of this evolutionary theory, there are fossils of such 'flying' fishes found in rocks, which enable to put it to the test.

Fossils found from Cretaceous rock in Lebanon, show that the 'earliest' known Exocoetidae had pectoral fins which were just as enlarged as those today. None are known showing the 'part-enlarged' fins which evolutionists would predict. There are other fossilized fish with equally enlarged pectoral fins in so-called Triassic rock---which, if one were to believe the evolutionary age dating scheme, would be even 100 million years earlier.

Dr. Joachim Scheven has documented many hundreds of these living fossils and their ancient ancestors. Two of these are the species of bivalves Anadara corbulides and Anadara natalensis. It can be shown that the living and fossilized are very nearly identical, yet with 3 million years of evolution between them.

This certainly adds up to bad news for believers in the evolutionary origin of the species.

Adapted from Creation Ex Nihilo Magazine Volume 19 Number 3 and Volume 20 number 1.