Page 212 - The Miracle of Migration in Animals

THE MIRACLE OF MIGRATION IN ANIMALS

The ability of birds to find their way while flying is a mystery and a
puzzle. Few other questions have over the years given rise to so many
theories and speculations as this one. 57
Evolutionary theory is based on the results of coincidental ef-
fects. The very word “coincidence” suggests unconscious, random,
unplanned and haphazard events. Yet in their explanations, evolu-
tionists use the concept of coincidence as a system of conscious, ratio-
nal intelligence and a source of knowledge. Evolutionary sources
refer to coincidence as a power with foresight that can take preventa-
tive measures, create perfect designs, and make decisions for a spe-
cific purpose. When animals’ circumstances change, coincidence is
described as making the necessary adjustments and innovations.
These claims surely give rise to certain questions:
How can random effects create a characteristic in an animal, of
whose effects themselves have no knowledge? How can they pro-
gram it into that animal’s genetic code so it can be passed on to future
generations? It is doubtless impossible for coincidence to identify a
need and create appropriate solutions. And it is beyond the realms of
probability for an animal to differentiate by trial and error whichever
characteristic serves it best from those that do not.
In migration, many animals cover vast distances with nothing to
show the way or any instrument to guide them. When weather con-
ditions and climatic changes are taken into consideration, as well as
the size of the animals, this phenomenon takes on new dimensions.
Migration’s remarkable aspect lies not just in the length of the dis-
tances covered. Some migratory birds return to their former winter
habitat after spending several years in one region. Some of their jour-
neys are made by individual, solitary birds and during the night. And

whether the journey is to be 1,000 or 10,000 kilometers (620 or 6,200
miles), great physiological preparation is necessary. Some of the
problems that migrators may encounter include high energy require-

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