Page 746 - Atlas of Creation Volume 2

On the other hand, a living thing whose jaw bones were moving towards its ear would end up with a de-

fective jaw. Such a creature's ability to chew would greatly decrease, and even disappear totally. This, too,
would disadvantage the creature, and result in its elimination.
In short, the results which emerge when one examines the structure of ears and their origins clearly in-
validate evolutionist assumptions. The Grolier Encyclopedia, an evolutionist source, makes the admission that
"the origin of the ear is shrouded in uncertainty." 326 Actually, anyone who studies the system in the ear

with common sense can easily see that it is the product of God's magnificent creation.

The Reproduction of Rheobatrachus Silus

Irreducible complexity is not a feature that we only see at the biochemical level or in complicated organs.
Many biological systems possessed by living things are irreducibly complex, and invalidate the theory of
evolution for that reason. The extraordinary reproductive method of Rheobatrachus silus, a species of frog liv-
ing in Australia, is an example of this.
The females of this species use a fascinating method to protect their eggs after fertilization. They swal-
low them. The tadpoles remain and grow in the stomach for the first six weeks after they hatch. How is it

possible that they can remain in their mothers' stomach that long without being digested?
A flawless system has been created to enable them to do so. First, the female gives up eating and drink-
ing for those six weeks, which means the stomach is reserved solely for the tadpoles. However, another dan-
ger is the regular release of hydrochloric acid and pepsin in the stomach. These chemicals would normally

quickly kill the offspring. However, this is prevented by a very special measure. The fluids in the stomach of
the mother are neutralized by the hormonelike substance prostaglandin E2, which is secreted first by the egg
capsules and then by the tadpoles. Hence, the offspring grow healthily, even though they are swimming in a
pool of acid.
How do the tadpoles feed inside the empty stomach? The solution to this has been provided, too. The
eggs of this species are significantly larger than those of others, as they contain a yolk very rich in proteins,

sufficient to feed the tadpoles for six weeks. The time of birth is arrangedperfectly, as well. The oesophagus
of the female frog dilates during birth, like the dilation in mammals during delivery. Once the young have
emerged, the oesophagus and the stomach both return to normal, and the female starts feeding again. 327
The miraculous reproduction system of Rheobatrachus silus explicitly invalidates the theory of evolu-
tion, since the whole system is irreducibly complex. Every step has to take place fully in order for the frogs

to survive. The mother has to swallow the eggs, and has to stop feeding completely for six weeks. The eggs
have to release a hormonelike substance to neutralize stomach acids. The addition of the extra protein-rich
yolk to the egg is another necessity. The widening of the female's oesophagus cannot be coincidental. If all
these things failed to happen in the requisite sequence, the froglets would not survive, and the species
would face extinction.
Therefore, this system cannot have developed step-by-step, as asserted by the theory of evolution. The

species has existed with this entire system intact since its first member came into existence. Another way of
putting it is, they were created.

The females of this frog species hide their young in their stomachs throughout the
incubation period, and then give birth to them through their mouths. But in order
for this to happen, a number of adjustments have to be made, all at the same time
and with no mistakes allowed: The egg-structure has to be set up, the stomach
acid must be neutralized, and the mothers have to be able to live for weeks with-
out feeding.

744 Atlas of Creation Vol. 2