Harun Yahya's most famous work and the biggest load of bull shit ever laid to paper. The first of three volumes of this book is devoted entirely to claims of the fossil record denouncing evolution due to the lack of transitional forms between species. Yahya's understanding of evolutionary genetics is clearly lacking because he believes a transitional form requires incomplete organs and a freakish hybrid of the body types of two species. This would not be the case as the difference in genetic code between the simplest microbial life form and a human is only approximately 40%. Between humans and chimpanzees, potentially less than 3%. When one takes into consideration that the majority of DNA(more than 50%) doesn't code for anything and is essentially junk and that the 3% difference occurs in less than half of the genome, it is easily conceivable that there was a creature with approximately 1.5% difference in genetic code between humans and chimps with fully formed organs and a conventional body, and that, by some subtle mutation in a few individuals passed on over time, could have given rise to both species, Homo sapiens and Pan troglodytes(chimps). (continued in example)
One point down, another of Yahya's favorite points seems to be that a species doesn't change significantly in it's existence. A problem arises when one examines the examples Yahya provides. He shows a fossilized dragonfly and says it is no different than a modern dragonfly. He fails to provide a scale, misleading the eye with photos shown as the same size. In reality, the prehistoric dragonfly he shows is multiple times larger than it's modern counterpart and both belong to different species. Finally, Yahya likes to point out that Darwin himself acknowledged holes in his theory of evolution. Of course Darwin did, he created the theory before the study of genetics came into existence so he had no way of understanding the lack of transitional forms in the fossil record or any of the other problems with his theory. That is why theories evolve and modern science provides to strengthen his theory. And one last closing note to the idiots(using the true definition meaning those with an IQ lower than 25) who support the Atlas of Creation, the word theory in science has a drastically different meaning than what many use it to mean colloquially. A scientific theory is the closest a scientist can come to solid fact while acknowledging the potential for new understanding to change our outlook on reality.
by SamForScience September 30, 2011
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