Page 161 - The Errors the American National Academy of Sciences

The NAS's Error in Portraying Molecular Biology as
Evidence of Evolution

these terms:
The genes of aquatic birds have revealed a family tree dramatically
different from traditional relationship groupings based on the birds'
body structure. 1
Until recently, evolutionists constructed phylogenetic relationships
between species by comparing physical characteristics. Thanks to DNA
analyses, however, researchers have finally realized that that the evolu-
tionary family trees drawn up on the basis of physical features are invalid.
Among the surprising findings made by researchers was that there is
no physical similarity between creatures with very similar genes:
The most startling and unexpected finding of the study is that the
closest living relative of the flamingo, with its long legs built for
wading, is not any of the other long-legged species of wading birds
but the squat grebe, with its short legs built for diving. 2
The evolutionary biologist Blair Hedges expressed his astonish-
ment at this surprising finding:
The two species—whose genes are
more similar to each other's
than to those of any other
bird—otherwise show no
outward resemblance. 3

Molecular comparisons re-
vealed that the nearest rela-
tive of the flamingo is a
small diving bird with
short legs designed for
that purpose. This result
conflicts with the evo-
lutionary family tree.

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