Hybridization and the Tree of Life
As any well-indoctrinated schoolchild can tell you Charles Darwin envisioned a tree of life where life evolved from the simple to the complex, with many branches. Hybridization is problematic for evolutionists, and the branches would wind up fusing back together.
Informed creationists do not believe in the "fixity of species". Not only do we accept hybridization and speciation, but they also support biblical creation science. The Master Engineer designed organisms to adapt, and sometimes hybridization is a way they can survive.
Carl Linnaeus established modern taxonomy and saw that new species could arise through hybridization. William Herbert also saw that the created kinds referred to in Genesis can diversify. Note that the biblical kinds are considered to be above the species level, more closely aligned with the family classification. The biblical worldview explains what is found in biology, and arguments about what constitutes a species is left to the secularists.
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| Otero Tupac working with orchids Credit: CSIRO / Carl Davies (CC by 3.0) (usage does not imply endorsement of site contents) |
Carl Linnaeus established modern taxonomy and saw that new species could arise through hybridization. William Herbert also saw that the created kinds referred to in Genesis can diversify. Note that the biblical kinds are considered to be above the species level, more closely aligned with the family classification. The biblical worldview explains what is found in biology, and arguments about what constitutes a species is left to the secularists.
In 2016 Science featured an article with the provocative title “Shaking up the Tree of Life”, stating: “Species were once thought to keep to themselves. Now hybrids are turning up everywhere, challenging evolutionary theory.” Despite its sensationalized tone, this article brings up a number of valuable points. To understand their significance, we first need to look at some history behind our understanding of species and observations regarding hybridization.To read the rest, click on "Hybridization shaking up the evolutionary Tree of Life—what does it mean for creationists?"