Page 50 - Engineering in Nature

Engineering in Nature

leaves it needs from among the hundreds on the branches. If its body
temperature is low, and the animal feels cold, then it chews leaves
containing the oil phellandrene. Similarly, if the koala is running a
temperature, it chews leaves which contain a high level of cineol and

thus cools its body down. Other oils in eucalyptus leaves reduce the
koala's blood pressure and allow its muscles to recuperate. 15
All these forms of behavior require expert knowledge. How does
the koala know which species of eucalyptus contain the substances it
needs?
No human being can know what substances a leaf contains simply
by looking at it. But the koala does not only recognize different euca-
lyptus leaves, but also knows how to use them.
Even assuming that we can somehow know what substances the
leaves contain, we cannot know what they can be used for without
undergoing training or reading a treatise on the subject. Trial and
error will be a rather dangerous procedure, since the leaves contain
poisonous substances.
This means that the koala must not only identify the contents of
the leaves, but also has to design a mechanism to neutralize their
harmful effects. It must then somehow produce that mechanism in its
own body, or it will die. That totally eliminates the irrational possibil-
ity that it does this by means of trial and error.

For any koala bear to survive, it must have come into being with its
existing bodily structure; otherwise it will die. These conclusions are
clear proofs that koalas came into existence with all these features al-
ready functional. There is clearly no room for evolutionary scenarios
that have nothing to do with the scientific facts or with reason and
logic. As will be considered in more detail later on, these creatures'
body structure is the product of a perfect creation.

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