Page 40 - The Origin of Birds and Flight

38 The Origin of Birds and Flight

THE ORIGIN OF FLIGHT ACCORDING TO THE

ARBOREAL THEORY, AND THE ERRORS THEREIN
After the cursorial theory had found itself in a dead-
end, O. C. Marsh proposed the arboreal theory, which
received the approval of the majority of evolutionists.
However, as we saw in John Ostrom’s admission in the
preceding section, the arboreal theory, too, consists of a
claim lacking any scientific foundation.
The arboreal theory first hypothesizes that a two-leg-
ged animal running on the ground adapted to life in the
trees, and suggests that it used its forelimbs like para-
chutes in jumping from one branch to another. Again
according to the theory, wing-beating flight subsequently
developed and scales—which acquired an aerodynamic
importance during jumps—gradually turned into feath-
ers under the effect of chance mechanisms. 23*
This theory suggests that the first feathers slowed the
animal down as it leaped from branch to branch. That is
how these animals known as pro-avis (pre-birds), suppos-
edly controlled their jumping and descent. Again accord-
ing to the theory, these creatures sought their food on the
ground, and used the trees for nest-building, concealment
and perching. According to evolutionist assumptions,
these creatures, after leaping long distances from tree to
tree, gradually developed the ability to glide, maneuver
and make slow descents. Once they had fully developed
gliding activity, wing beating began and eventually cul-
minated in active flight.
Without submitting any evidence, evolutionists claim
that everything happened in some way in stages. Yet all
this is entirely based on the imaginary claims and has no
scientific foundation.

*. http://www.geology.ucdavis.edu/~cowen /HistoryofLife/feather-
sandflight.html