Dogs and Miracles of Evolution

November 1956, Photo by Jim Rooney

It is fascinating to learn the intricacies of a creature's design. Watching our Basement Cat in stalking, playing or clawing action (clawing me), I remark about the "feline machine". Daniel Schmitt refers to a dog's means of locomotion as "an evolutionary miracle". (Is this an example of "science of the gaps", or a reluctant acknowledgement of a Designer?) It looks like a meaningless phrase is acceptable in evolutionism. But what are some of the special features of the canine clan?

Human feet would quickly freeze if exposed to snow and ice without proper gear, but dogs don't seem to mind the cold. Since the pads of their feet aren't protected by fur like the rest of their bodies, it would seem that they'd be especially susceptible to freezing—but they aren't. Japanese researchers recently discovered why.

Read more about the feet, and a couple of other nuggets about dog engineering features, in "Why Dogs Don't Need Snow Boots", here.