The Well-Designed Living Fossil

1 John 4:6
“We are of God: he that knoweth God heareth us; he that is not of God heareth not us. Hereby know we the spirit of truth, and the spirit of error.”

The coelacanth is a rather strange-looking fish that was supposed to have become extinct 70 million years ago with the dinosaurs. That’s what scientists thought, anyway. After all, they argued, the fish looks so primitive. Its fleshy fins are obviously the first step in the evolution of legs. Meanwhile, fishermen off the east cost of Africa were familiar with the creatures because the fish were turning up in their nets.

Science discovered in 1938 what these fishermen already knew. In the last half-century, more than 80 of the creatures have been caught and studied. Deep-diving submarines have also allowed scientists to study the coelacanth in its natural habitat.

As science has learned more about the coelacanth, it has become clear that this fish is not primitive; neither does it provide aid and comfort to evolution. Studies on living creatures show that the fins are structured all wrong if they are evolving into legs. They’re just fins. In addition, the coelacanth is a remarkably sophisticated creature. It reproduces more like a mammal than a fish, giving birth to live young after about a year’s gestation. The coelacanth has a small second tail that improves its swimming abilities. It also appears to have a gland that gives it the added ability to find its prey by detecting the prey’s electrical signals.

Science had declared the coelacanth extinct, primitive and an evidence for evolution. Now having studied them, we learn that each scientific conclusion was wrong and that the coelacanth glorified its Creator by its sophisticated design.

Prayer:
Dear Father, grant that we would seek the wisdom of Your Word and receive a strong faith through the working of Your Spirit so that we are not easily led into error by the unbelieving world. In Jesus’ Name. Amen.

Notes:
“No stinking fish in my taxi!” Discover, Mar. 1985. p. 40.