Chapter 7

Life In Motion

The Fifth and Sixth Days

Bible Synopsis: Genesis 1:20-25

The Fifth Day:

Fish and Fowl

One of the arguments for evolution is that there is a similarity in design between creatures that suggests the steps for evolutionary growth. The truth is, this is a better argument for a Creator who has designed all his creatures. The fifth day of creation is a case in point. Creatures of the sea and of the air have common elements of fins ands wings that enable motion through a three dimensional environment. Fins for swimming and wings for flying. Logic in design is seen in manufacturing today. Honda creates a variety of cars in sedans, sport cars, four doors, trucks, 4-wheel drive as well as motorcycles of all types, lawnmowers of push variety and rider type, and other gasoline powered instruments such as chain saws, gardening tools and so on. All use 2 to 4 cylinder combustible engines. Should we assume that chain saws evolved into push mowers, then rider mowers, then motorcycles and finally into cars? Of course not. That same foolish thinking is applied to similar designs of God in his creation of living creatures.

Another scriptural argument against evolution is the repeated statement, "after his kind." On the third day all the grass, herb yielding seed, and trees whose seed was in itself brought forth "after his kind" (Gen. 1:12b). On the fifth day every living creature that swims and every winged fowl were brought forth "after his kind" (Gen. 1:21b). And on the sixth day the earth brought forth every living creature "after his kind" (Gen. 1:24a). There has never been a successful cross breeding of similar creatures to create a new line of animal. The cross breeding of a mare horse with a donkey creates a sterile mule. This sterility occurs with all cross breeds of species. Inbreeding works because they are still the same species. Neither has mutation ever been successful in a positive manner. All mutations are negative in consequence.

SEA CREATURES

Of all the creatures that lived during the antediluvian period, only sea creatures would have been unharmed by the Flood. According to ancient Hebrew legend the only creatures to survive the Flood outside the Ark were the "giant og, the monster reem and the fishes" [1]. Og means gigantic and long necked. The Hebrew word translated into "whale" by the King James translators in verse 21 is tannin 0*1; whose root tan 0; means to elongate. The same word translated as "whale" in Genesis is translated as "sea monster" in Lamentations: "Even the sea monster [tannin] draw out the breast, they give suck to their young ones" (Lam. 4:3). It appears that this Og of Hebrew legend was a mammal sea creature. Paul Taylor suggests that it might be describing the underwater plesiosaurus (see illustration) which was about 32 feet long and had 4 fins. A photo was taken of a possible plesiosaurus by Japanese fisherman in 1977 when their net snagged a decaying carcass off the coast of New Zealand. The body was thrown back because of the smell but it was measured and tissue samples were taken that confirmed the probability of it being of this species.

Many reports have been given of sea creatures throughout history. The famous "Loch Ness Monster" of Scotland is one example. Sea serpents have been apart of sailor lore, as well. Even the Bible makes mention of a sea creature called, "Leviathan," which is a transliteration from the root lavah %&- with the meaning, "to twine," like a rope. God says to Job, "Canst thou draw out leviathan with a hook? or his tongue with a cord which thou lettest down?" (Job 41:1). He further says to Job, "Who can open the doors of his face [his mouth]? his teeth are terrible round about. His scales are his pride, shut up together as with a close seal" (Job 41:14-15). The creature even survived up to David's time since Psalm 104 states, "There go the ships [on the Mediterranean]: there is that leviathan, whom thou hast made to play therein" (Psa. 104:26). Paul Taylor suggests that they might have been a kronosaurus [2]. If they swam in the Mediterranean, they probably left for deep sea depths to escape the encroachment of man on the oceans.

Not only did God create giant creatures of the sea similar to dinosaurs, but He created a vast array of giant aquatic life as well. Sea snails of today only grow an inch in diameter, but fossil snails have been found that are nearly a foot in diameter. Nautilus shells have been found that measured a yard in diameter. Lobsters have been found as fossils measuring six feet in length. Yale University Museum has a giant sea turtle shell that measures six feet square. Also, the American Museum of Natural History in New York City has a fossil shark jaw that could swallow a man whole in one gulp [3]! Indeed, the word translated as "whale" could apply to any number of large, long sea creatures: giant octopus, squid, shark, serpents, as well as the whales.

IN THE AIR

Under the canopy with hyper baric air pressure, the possibilities for large flying creatures existed which don't exist today. Fossil remains of Pterodactyls which come in a variety of sub classifications such as Pteranodon and Quetzalcoatlus have been found with wingspans ranging from 20 feet to 50 feet (see illustration). One fossil found in West Texas had a wingspan of 53 feet and was estimated from its bone structure to weigh up to 450 pounds [4]. These creatures are a thorn in the flesh of evolutionists. In today's atmosphere it has been calculated that a 25 mph wind would be needed to get them airborne since they didn't have legs adequate for a longrun [5]. It has been suggested that they jumped off cliffs to fly, but no bones have ever been found near cliffs. Furthermore, if a 25 mph wind did blow, it would be very difficult for the creatures to fly because of the turbulence. But under a hyper baric canopy the creatures could easily fly with just a minimal flapping of their wings. No wind would be needed because of the hyper baric air pressure, and the canopy prevented the formation of strong winds. As stated earlier, there might have been some gentle breezes up to 17 mph, which is sufficient for these creatures to maneuver easily.