Difficulties of the Evolution Theory

Abstract

ALABORIOUS anthology of facts which have not been completely elucidated by evolutionists, leading up to the conclusion that new forms of life arise by creation and may be afterwards modified, in minor respects, by gradual evolution. The following is a novel contribution to the anti-evolutionist case: “Another feature not easily reconciled with the evolutionary theory is the great disparity in the span of life of various animals. If every organism be descended from a common ancestor, would such enormous differences exist ? Why should a parrot live to over 100 years … while the pheasant apparently does not live longer than 15 years; why should an elephant live for as much as 120 years, while no rhinoceros is known to have lived more than 37, and no hippopotamus more than 33 years; why should the cat live three tunes as long as the guinea-pig ? As the vast majority of individuals in a state of nature are killed long before they have reached their full span of life, and as species the members of which are long-lived do not seem to be more flourishing than those of which the members are short-lived, it does not seem possible that the disparity in longevity has arisen as a result of natural selection. … If, however, the various types have been created independently, we should expect this disparity in the span of life, because the raison d'être of these types is the stocking of the earth with a great variety of forms, and length of life is a characteristic that offers ample scope for variety.” In an appendix, the author discusses at length “The alleged origin of mammals from reptiles”, without once mentioning the earossicles.

Difficulties of the Evolution Theory.

Douglas

Dewar

By. Pp. viii + 192. (London: Edward Arnold and Co., 1931.) 12s. 6d. net.