In another example of living machinery, scientists have found that a species of plant-hopping insect, Issus coleoptratus, has functional biological gears. The two interlocking gears on the insect's hind legs help synchronize the legs when the animal jumps" ("Scientists Just Found the First Ever Example of Mechanical Gears in Nature, "Business Insider, Sept. 13, 2013). Malcolm Burrows, emeritus professor of neurobiology at Cambridge University, and a colleague captured the gears' motion using high-speed video. As the bug prepares to leap, "it meshes the gear teeth of one leg with those of the other, like cocking a gun; then, the insect releases its legs in one smooth-explosive motion." There are 10 to 12 gear teeth on each leg that mesh with the teeth on the opposite leg to "synchronize the movement of the hind legs to within about 30 microseconds of each other." The gears are only found in young plant-hoppers. After the final molt, the gears are lost and the adults use friction between the legs to achieve the same effect. Evolutionists theorize that "adults may ditch their gears partly because gear teeth can break, jeopardizing the insect's survival." But this is a ridiculous idea. It assumes that incredibly complicated things can simply evolve because there is a need for them and can be "ditched" when the need ceases. This does not address the real issue, which is how can such things evolve? What is the mechanism of evolution? The information to build and operate the living gear machinery must be in the creature's DNA, and evolutionists have never proven that genetic information can evolve to create organs and creatures. Mutations don't produce such things. Mutations are errors in the genetic code and the vast majority of them are destructive. Evolution supposedly occurs in tiny steps that are then selected by "natural selection." How could the gear mechanism evolve gradually? Burrows says, "If there were to be a slight timing difference between the legs, then the body would start to spin." This illustrates the folly of the idea that evolution could produce such things gradually. A partly working gear mechanism would hinder rather than help the creature's locomotion. (Friday Church News Notes, September 27, 2013, www.wayoflife.org, [email protected], 866-295-4143) Comments are closed.
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