A Proposed Creation Science Model on Plants and their Pollinators
Like their secular counterparts, creation scientists have hypotheses, theories, models, and so on. We have seen several times that everyone has an ultimate starting point. Materialists reject the Creator and rely on naturalistic presuppositions, while those who believe in biblical creation science start with the truth of the Bible and build from there.
Contrary to common claims of anti-creationist tinhorns, biblical creationists do not cease investigation by declaring, "GodDidIt". While we do believe that God did things, we want to know how he made things, the structures he engineered, the refutation of evolution and affirmation of special creation, and more. Creation scientists are fully credentialed; they did not get their degrees from Billy Joe's Bible Church Academy and Bait Shop.
Scientists who believe in the Genesis Flood have many questions to address. In this example, what happened before and after the Flood regarding plants and their pollinators? (While we often think of bees pollinating flowers, other critters get involved in that process as well.) Further, the Master Engineer equipped organisms to adapt and change — yes, creationists do believe accept speciation, but do not believe that is evidence of fish-to-florist evolution. Dr. Gordon Wilson has proposed a model, freely stating that models come and go, but the Word of God is held fast.
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| Credit: FreeDigitalPhotos.net / Suriya Kankliang |
Scientists who believe in the Genesis Flood have many questions to address. In this example, what happened before and after the Flood regarding plants and their pollinators? (While we often think of bees pollinating flowers, other critters get involved in that process as well.) Further, the Master Engineer equipped organisms to adapt and change — yes, creationists do believe accept speciation, but do not believe that is evidence of fish-to-florist evolution. Dr. Gordon Wilson has proposed a model, freely stating that models come and go, but the Word of God is held fast.
Insect pollinators were created after plants (Day Three) on Day Five or Six (probably both). I think it is reasonable to assume that plant kinds (off the Ark) and insect kinds (those without aquatic larval stages likely on the Ark) that survived the Flood were more generalized anatomically, physiologically, and behaviorally. Because both plants and insects had the divinely designed genetic and epigenetic potential to form highly specialized plant-pollinator relationships, many did so to minimize competition and niche overlap during ecological succession in the centuries after the Flood.To read the rest, click on "The Creation of Plants, Pollinators, and their Post-Flood Adaptations".
Nevertheless there are always niche opportunities available for generalists that excel in changing or disturbed habitats. Our creationist models seeking to answer these and other interesting questions should remain in an open hand while attempting to be faithful to Scripture and the scientific evidence.