Strange fish 'objections' smart design

Discover the lost link in the evolutionary chain of bizarre flatfish (they have both eyes on one side of the head) that can wobble smart design advocates.

The 50 million-year-old fossilized tomography revealed a medium-sized species between primitive flatfish (with eyes on both sides of the head) and modern flatfish (eyes set to one side) such as flounder, fish buffalo tongue or horse tongue flounder.

Change occurs gradually along the path corresponding to evolution because of natural selection, not unexpected. The authors of the new study say researchers have had very little evidence to verify but ultimately still have to believe and truth.

The gap in the fossil record of flatfish has long been explained by the image of 'hopeful monster' . This is a scientific jargon that refers to an unknown animal that has a powerful but useful mutation passed on to its descendants.

Smart design?

Since a geneticist cited an explanation of monsters hoping in the 1930s, it was considered a wise answer to the origin of modern flatfish species.

Smart design advocates immediately grasp the idea that the structural arrangement of flatfish is evidence that God or some supreme being intentionally created a new creature.

The 50 million-year-old fossilized tomography revealed a medium-sized species between primitive flatfish (with eyes on both sides of the head) and modern flatfish (eyes set to one side) such as flounder, fish buffalo tongue or horse tongue flounder.(Photo: Nationalgeographic)

They also frequently mentioned that transgenic species are rarely seen in fossil records, and that they are evidence of intentional creation of species.

For example, Lee James Best in his 2003 book "God and Fallacy in the Theory of Evolution" wrote: the buffalo fish itself or "any unanticipated environmental pressure" cannot be caused. change. He wrote: 'Just as clay molding has no specific purpose, without using molds or forces with a predetermined purpose, it is impossible to produce the product as expected'.

However, new research does not change the views of creators.

Zoologist Frank Sherwin, the scientific editor of the Institute of Creative Research, considered the results of the study to be 'nothing special'. He said: 'We do not deny that there are small changes between groups or species created' .

At the same time he added that he could not see this new study as evidence of evolution from one flatfish to another.'Fish is always just fish, from the Cambrian low-level fish (about 542 to 488 million years ago) so far'. 'We did not doubt the change occurred in the flatfish family. What we want is that they have to show how the fish comes from ancestors that do not belong to fish. '

One argument that is debated is the asymmetric structure of the eyes. It can easily be considered smart because it brings advantages to the survival of fish.

The above feature helps flatfish can use both eyes to look up when swimming on the sea floor, one of the adaptive ways of flatfish is a top-level camouflage to suit the surrounding environment. of fish.

Secretly hiding in simple appearance

Paleontologist Matt Friedman - author of the new study - visited natural history museums in London, Vienna and some places to learn the oldest known fossil flatfish fossils.

By using CT scans, he envisioned the bone structure around the eyes of an ancient flatfish.

Friedman also collaborated with the University of Chicago and the Chicago Museum. He said: "Many fossils have a normal skull". 'But on the other side of the head, the eyes turn up.'

Maybe the position of an intermediary eye also gives evolutionary advantages to the fish.

'The live flatfish don't usually lie flat on the seabed' , they lift their bodies with fins.

Friedman will publish his research in Nature. He said: 'Once you reach a new level of movement, your eyes change a bit better than your unmodified eyes.'

Fossils excavated in northern Italy and Paris reveal intermediate samples that once lived with flatfish with two eyes on the same skull.

Friedman added that it is possible that the more modern forms of flatfish have finally won the competition with intermediaries.

Mobile eyes

There are over 500 species of flatfish currently living in freshwater and saltwater areas. They vary in size from 4 inches to 7 feet, and weigh up to 720 pounds (327 kilograms).

Although flatfish have eyes that are strangely arranged like that, the eyes don't have to be born like that. They are initially symmetrical, each eye on one side of the skull.

The flakes vary from larvae to juveniles, an eye that 'migrates' , crosses the top of the head. When it comes to adulthood it is located on the other side of the skull.

According to evolutionary biologist Richard Palmer of the University of Alberta in Canada, this transformation makes fish fry, they swim with bizarre gestures until they learn to adapt.

Palmer added that the new research is indeed 'excellent' . It helped solve the secret 'making biologists evolve miserably throughout the last century' .

'It is a great, great puzzle for evolutionary biologists.'