|
The Genesis Agendum Coventry, 27 March 2008
The Galápagos Islands: Revisiting Darwin's Evidence Dr Todd Wood
The Galápagos Islands are viewed by many as definitive evidence of evolution "in action". Many unique species, such as the Galápagos tortoise and marine iguana, live in these islands, and they all closely resemble other species on the mainland of South and Central America. Darwin interpreted this similarity as evidence that the Galápagos species evolved from mainland species, instead of originating by creation there in the Galápagos Islands. There has been a long-standing interest in the islands by creationists as well. Most creationists conclude that Darwin was correct in his interpretations of the island's animals and plants but went too far when he inferred a common ancestor for all animals. This argument has two parts: an affirmation of common ancestry for some species and a denial that the ancestry extends universally. Using new methods of baraminology, Dr Wood has analyzed both of these claims and finds that the creationist interpretation has merit. The unique species of the Galápagos definitely appear to be related to mainland species, but that relationship seems to be limited to much smaller groups than Darwin hypothesized.
|
|
Dr Todd Wood is
Director of the Center for Origins A graduate of Liberty University with a BS in Biology, he has a PhD from the Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Genetics at the University of Virginia. Todd has published 30 peer-reviewed papers and three book chapters on the topics of systematics, genomics and evolutionary biochemistry. He is also the author of a textbook on creation biology Understanding the Pattern of Life and a monograph on The Galápagos Islands.
|