Page 120 - The Origin of Birds and Flight

118 The Origin of Birds and Flight

The Harvard University paleontologist James Gould wonders
whether such deficient structures could be of any use:
Gradualists usually extract themselves from this dilemma by invoking
the extreme imperfection of the fossil record—if only one step in a
thousand survives as a fossil, geology will not record continuous
change. Although I reject this argument . . . let us grant the traditional
escape and ask a different question. Even though we have no direct ev-
idence for smooth transitions, can we invent a reasonable sequence of
intermediate forms—that is, viable, functioning organisms—be-
tween ancestors and descendants in major structural transitions? Of
what possible use are the imperfect incipient stages of useful struc-
tures? What good is half a jaw or half a wing? The concept of pread-
aptation provides the conventional answer by permitting us to argue
that incipient stages performed different functions . . . But a plausible
story is not necessarily true. . . . but does it [gradualism] permit us to
invent a tale of continuity in most or all cases? I submit, although it
may only reflect my lack of imagination, that the answer is no. . . . 91
Biophysical research has shown that mutations occur only rarely.
Therefore, it is impossible for these imaginary reptiles who possessed
incompletely developed wings, to wait millions of years for mutations
to complete them. In addition, mutations always have harmful re-
sults. All these scientific facts invalidate the scenarios of dinosaur-
bird evolution.
One of the most frequent evolutionist claims is that needs en-
dow living things with useful organs. We are told that some ani-
mals gradually developed oral cavities out of a need to feed, that
others developed feet by seeking prey on land, that some acquired
wings because flight would be advantageous, and many other such
tales. In short, Darwinists use the mechanisms of natural selection
and mutation to account for every feature we see in animals..
However, all these unscientific claims are totally unable to explain
the origin of complex structures in living things.