Page 22 - Design in Nature

20 DESIGN IN NATURE

is equipped with superb manoeuvrability. No matter at what speed or
direction it is already moving, it can immediately stop and start flying in the
opposite direction. Alternatively, it can remain suspended in air for the
purpose of hunting. At that position, it can move quite swiftly towards its
prey. It can accelerate up to a speed that is quite surprising for an insect:
25mph (40km/h), which would be identical to an athlete running 100 metres
in the Olympics at 24.4mph (39km/h).
At this speed, it collides with its prey. The shock of the impact is quite
strong. However, the armoury of the dragonfly is both very resistant and
very flexible. The flexible structure of its body absorbs the impact of
collision. However, the same cannot be said for its prey. The dragonfly's prey
would pass out or even be killed by the impact.
Following the collision, the rear legs of dragonfly take on the role of its
most lethal weapons. The legs stretch forward and capture the shocked prey,
which is then swiftly dismembered and consumed by powerful jaws.
The sight of the dragonfly is as impressive as is its ability to perform
sudden manoeuvres at high speed. The eye of the dragonfly is accepted as
the best example among all the insects. It has a pair of eyes, each of which
features approximately thirty thousand different lenses. Two semi-spherical
eyes, each nearly half the size of the head, provide the insect a very wide
visual field. Because of these eyes, the dragonfly can almost keep an eye on
its back.
Therefore, the dragonfly is an assemblage of systems, each of which has
a unique and perfect structure. Any malfunction in any one of these systems
would derail the other systems as well. However, all of these systems are
created without flaw and, hence, the creature lives on.

The Wings of the Dragonfly
The most significant feature of the dragonfly is its wings. However, it is
not possible through a model of progressive evolution to explain the flight
mechanism that enables the use of the wings. First, the theory of evolution
is at a loss on the subject of the origin of wings because they could only
function if they developed altogether at once, in order to operate correctly.
Let us assume, for a moment, that the genes of an insect on land
underwent a mutation and some parts of the skin tissue on the body showed