Ancient snakes have been unearthed, shedding light on the continent’s slithering past.
A newly discovered fossil snake species in Wyoming is transforming our understanding of snake evolution. Unearthed from a burrow where four well-preserved specimens were found intertwined, this species, named Hibernophis breithaupti, lived in North America 34 million years ago. This discovery provides valuable insights into the origins and diversification of boas and pythons.
Hibernophis breithaupti has unique anatomical features, in part because the specimens are articulated—meaning they were found all in one piece with the bones still arranged in the proper order—which is unusual for fossil snakes. Researchers believe it may be an early member of Booidea, a group that includes modern boas and pythons. Modern boas are widespread in the Americas, but their early evolution is not well understood. These new and very complete fossils add important new information, in particular, on the evolution of small, burrowing boas known as rubber boas.
Behavioral Insights and Historical Significance
Traditionally, there has been much debate on the evolution of small burrowing boas. Hibernophis breithaupti shows that northern and more central parts of North America might have been a key hub for their development. The discovery of these snakes curled together also hints at the oldest potential evidence for a behavior familiar to us today—hibernation in groups.
“Modern garter snakes are famous for gathering by the thousands to hibernate together in dens and burrows,” says Michael Caldwell, a U of A paleontologist who co-led the research along with his former graduate student Jasmine Croghan, and collaborators from Australia and Brazil. “They do this to conserve heat through the effect created by the ball of hibernating animals. It’s fascinating to see possible evidence of such social behavior or hibernation dating back 34 million years.”
Reference: “Morphology and systematics of a new fossil snake from the early Rupelian (Oligocene) White River Formation, Wyoming” by Jasmine A Croghan, Alessandro Palci, Silvio Onary, Michael S Y Lee and Michael W Caldwell, 19 June 2024, Zoological Journal of the Linnean Society.
DOI: 10.1093/zoolinnean/zlae073
123 Comments
This global craze for “evolution” is quite tragicomic (and even more important, costly for national science budgets). Nowhere in the fossil record can be found a single case of gradual “evolutive” transformation of a species.
I wonder if it is a real massive self-hypnosis due to Darwinist education, or a deliberate silent agreement among “evolutionary biologists” to retain their posts and salaries.
Anything to disprove the events in the bible. 34 million years… No..carbon dating cannot be relied on. If you go far enough back earth was completely covered in water. Earth expands in size all the time. Most lt dinos are fake or sea creatured
How far would you have to go to find an earth completely covered in water? 5999 years? Bible itself disproves events elsewhere in the Bible. Biblical claims of the age of earth and motion of sun have been proven to be wrong – conclusively. This is especially bad since the claim is that these are the words of God. Bible was written by liars.
You can not disclaim the Bible. The followers of today are the living Testimony of the Truth of GOD and JESUS, we are His walking Epistles. You can’t descredit the miracles that happen daily in people’s lives, in the name of JESUS all over the world. Healings from all diseases, lifestyle changes, deliverance from mental illnesses, power to cast out devils. Etc. It is best you simply say, you have no understanding. GOD Himself has proven He is alive, through people. Doctors reports, deliverance reports, don’t lie.. ✝️🛐🕎
We live longer because of meducal science. Don’t take credit for other people’s labor. In particular, since you fought and are fighting those who brought us thosr benefits.
Nowhere in the Bible does it say the p l a n e t was covered with water. The words they used for “earth” did not represent what we typically use today for “The Earth”: our planet, our globe. Sometimes they were talking about what we would call the ground, sometimes the local region; they didn’t give a hoot about “The Earth”. The Bible does not say “Mount Ararat” was covered; it says “the mountains of Ararat”, with some uncertainly about the place “Ararat” they were talking about. As for height, for all we know, the Ararat region they meant may have had rolling hills.
I’m sorry but the Bible does too tell about the earth covered in water.
The story when God told Noah I am about to bring on the Flood … to eliminate everywhere all flesh in which there is the breath of life … .” So God instructed him to build an ark (in Hebrew, a chest or box), and Noah entered the Ark in his six hundredth year [of life] … That is when it rains the 40 days and 40 nights flooding the earth. When it finally stops Noah sends the dove to find land and the dove brings back a twig. And then God makes his promise to Noah that he will never flood the earth again. And gives the rainbow as the symbol of his promise. So I’m sorry but you are mistaken when you say nowhere in the Bible does it say the planet was covered in water . Because it clearly does.
It was clearly stated in the scripture right from chapter one verse 1-5.
Bill, most radiometric dating techniques are accurate from 0.05 half-lives to around 10 half lives. Carbon-14 has a half life of 5.7 thousand years. Only an ignorant fool would assume carbon dating for something 34 million years old. The original, peer reviewed article is behind a paywall, but it is reasonable to assume the authors used either potassium-argon or uranium-lead dating of the rocks these fossils were part of.
The growing earth hypothesis was shown to be false when we discovered plate techtonics. Please take some science classes so that you can try to talk about data without looking like an ignorant fool.
The religious people here aren’t bright enough to have a real conversation with.
Which means there will be no dialog with you
Which means every word in the Bible goes over your head the message of the cross is foolishness to those who are persishing
Anything we seem to know we were taught. Who taught the first what the first is? We had no way to KNOW what anything is without someone or things assistance not even words js
Your conversation wants to imply GOD is not real. Based upon he doesn’t talk to you, you can’t see Him, and He is not presenting Himself to you. So He doesn’t exist. Those that speak CHRIST and His love, have a relationship with Him that you can’t understand. He presents Himself to us, we have supernatural experiences, with Him and Angels, and the Holy Spirit He has placed within us. Your mind is weak and can’t fathom why we serve a GOD you can’t see. He doesn’t reveal Himself to self-righteous people who are foolish enough to think they created themselves, can heal or save themselves. Or live as false gods. Some things are common sense, you don’t possess that.. I promise you, on the return of the Messiah, you will confess He is Lord and will bow before the King of Kings and Lord of Lords.. My suggestion to you, is start reading your Bible to get understanding. There is no failure in the Bible. Don’t speak on things you don’t understand. Your life without CHRIST Who traded places with you on the Roman Cross, for your sin, gave a free gift of love, without His gift you will experience a horrific eternal life. In hell. The Bible is forewarning you..
You are so right.
Thank you.
God is not real. The relationship you describe is based on faith – which is what you use when you have no evidence. Kids have similar relationship with their imaginary friends. Thankfully, kids grow up and mature and learn the meaning of the word “imaginary”.
Worse, your relationship is based on fear – your last sentence makes that clear. You are in an abusive relationship with your imaginary Lord.
This entire comment section is even worse than typical quantum woohoo comment sections.
Saying that God created all life is not knowledge. Just like saying that Zeus created lightning and thunder wasn’t knowledge. Zeus worshippers couldn’t explain lightning. Science did. The Bible doesn’t explain life. Everything we know about life – like the role of genes and about diseases – came from science. I bet you go to a doctor when you are sick. Why don’t you go to a preacher?
What on earth is going on here.Can science have same debate with theology. Who burnt the nascent books of science as heresy?
Nah I bet these people might just go to a preacher
Darwin left himself an out if the fossil record didn’t contain evidence of change and he had the additional cover of ignorance of the existence of DNA mitochondria, enzymes, and a ton of other interconnected and interdependent examples of life within even the most simplistic cell to organisms with interconnected and interdependent organs, all of which had to be present immediately for life to survive and reproduce, which process, is the only unexplained evidence that might be used to support evolution from a single cell to a fully functional living organism.
? How do you think science works? You really shouldn’t be commenting on a science post when you have no grasp of how any of it works and I’m sure you don’t have any kind of education, judging by your comment alone.
Wow, ready to throw shade about someone’s education, just because you disagree with their position. Scientific, are you not, says Yoda
In college every week id do eight(8) physics problems i cdnt do before i tried but after an hour i cd. And then eight one hour test priblems so id know what i had learned. Im an educated free man w no student debts. But the bible teports that the disciples mostly werent educated but had been w Jesus and cd talk well.
The idea that life on Earth is a billion years old i think is from hindu mythology religion books. So then they can calculate how many galaxies wd fit in a universe that old and then report That for the number of galaxies without actually examining the heavens. At least thats what i believe on going on. But the age of the solar system depends on which evidence u pook at. Human civilization age which i go with is only 6-10 thousand years old. Jupiter moons gave me an age based on comet trails of ten trillion years old. Three factors of ten farther away from us than the biology age of universe. And someone i think lord kelvin looked at helium in the earths atmosphere and reported an age of a fifty million years or so. So its just a matter of opinion.
You say ‘Nowhere in the fossil record can be found a single case of gradual “evolutive” transformation of a species”, yet there are massive records documenting this gradual evolution throughout every university documenting these fossil records. Where did you get your degree, the University of Jesus?
The morphology of trilobites makes a pretty good case example of the gradual evolution of an organism — before they became extinct.
The “university of Jesus” as u call it is more intelligent than u think. Do theology is exactly parallel to doing physics the most intelligent of the sciences. Theology:philosophy:holy book(s);;physics:math:experimental record. Studying the bible enables you to think about things u cant see like spirits or viruses. If it werent for ancient universities founded to study theology there would be no science. Modern consensus stole authority from the university founders.
Wow, you sound like you are really smart
Hear! Hear!
I feel the same way about the crazy theory of gravity. People actually believe in gravity craze but the Bible never mentions it so it cannot exist. That is why I encourage all my Biblical scholar friends to jump off a 23 story building. For some reason their faith in the Bible does not extend to testing their faith in that matter. Oh ye of little faith.
Did you really just use Jesus words to teach the opposite of what he taught? Read where Satan told Jesus to jump or turn something into food just because he could if he was the son of God… What you just did was exactly that. You have no understanding of what the Bible teaches.
You also claim that the Bible doesn’t mention gravity, you would be wrong… It talks about the earth being suspended by nothing that is seen. It talks about the invisible forces that hold things together and the laws that govern them… What you fail to understand is the difference between what something is and what we have named it. The Bible talks about the is… But we look for reference to the name we gave something. The Bible talks about something that you might call a dinosaur but doesn’t use the word dinosaur. It talks about the water that is beneath the ocean which were opened to flood the earth… We only just recently found the source of water that is hidden and holds more water than our oceans and lakes, seas, rivers etc. combined. The beginning of knowledge is the fear of the Lord but fools despise wisdom.
Another one yet to be understood is the moral law… The law of consequence, not the seen consequences but those that are ripple effects and effect the 3rd and 4th generations, the actions that effect paths unseen. Science has tried to understand this for quite some time, they have called it many things from butterfly effect, string theory, unified theory etc.but no matter what name we give something, the is… Is actually in there. You’re not much of a minister if you don’t study your Bible for understanding.
I pray this helps, may God bless this post and speak to you with it. May he turn your heart to seek the truth.
God’s will be done
The Bible doesn’t really explain idiocracy, politically or as a natural occurrence,but here we are. watching it
In both ways, multiplying day-by-day.
I thought you were serious for a minute, thank God you weren’t (lol).
This is one of the craziest STD comment sections I’ve seen in a while. There is a LOT of evidence for intermediate evolutionary fossils. You just need to not stick your head in the sand and actually look them up. There are tons. From humans to dinos to mammals, to bacteria.
Don’t
Your quaint “observations” about the “craze” are what are “tragicomic”
Anything to disprove the events in the bible. 34 million years… No..carbon dating cannot be relied on. If you go far enough back earth was completely covered in water. Earth expands in size all the time. Most dinos are fake or sea creatures
The sheer idiocy and misinformation in your post is astounding. One thing you are correct about – carbon dating cannot be used beyond 60,000 years, and therefore, we don’t use them in paleontology. There is a wide range of age determination techniques that use different radioactive isotopes. Please read up so that you don’t come across as an uneducated re****.
Waitaminute. You think a book with talking animals, angels, unicorns, and dragons that says the entire universe was created in six days by an invisible man who lives in the sky and gets sad two guys kiss has the most credible explanation for the origin of the universe and the diversity of life on Earth? You do you.
It is accepted by Christians that Man was made in the image of God. If there is only one God, why would He have testicles when there was neither a female counterpoint or need for an immortal to procreate?
He created woman with eve.taken from Adam but different and a way to procreate.
Do you realize that you aren’t addressing my point?
Who confirms Him as a man, male or female?
I believe that God is a physicist, scientist, biologist and above all, a psychiatrist!😂 Even an atheist believes in something! Who here can say they believe in quantum physics without the ability to understand it? When physicists call an extreme gravity well a black hole, it tells me how much they know beyond what they see.
Scientists do not choose to “believe” quantum mechanics. Many of them do not want to. Scientists were forced to believe in quantum mechanics because those equations consistently agreed with experimental data. Scientists trust evidence; they don’t accept anything on faith. That’s why science works, faith based assertions don’t.
There is a difference between ‘believing’ in something and accepting a scientific hypothesis as a matter of convenience either because one is not able to comprehend the mathematics or there is no good empirical evidence either way.
Talk for yourself. Today even grad students understand the math and experimental evidence of quantum mechanics is overwhelming.
“If you think you understand quantum mechanics, you don’t understand quantum mechanics.” – Richard P. Feynman, PhD, Nobel Laureate
Bible Student,
Here are five Bible Verses about ‘How is quantum physics described in the Bible?’
1. Isaiah 55:8-9 – “For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways,” declares the Lord. “As the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts.”
This verse emphasizes the vast difference between our human understanding and God’s infinite wisdom. Quantum physics also reveals the complexity and mystery of the universe that goes beyond our comprehension.
2. Colossians 1:17 – “He is before all things, and in him all things hold together.”
This verse suggests that there is a unifying force that holds the universe together, which could be seen as a parallel to the principles of quantum physics that describe the interconnectedness of all things.
3. Hebrews 11:3 – “By faith we understand that the universe was formed at God’s command, so that what is seen was not made out of what was visible.”
This verse highlights the idea that there are unseen forces at work in creation, which aligns with the principles of quantum physics that show the existence of invisible particles and energy fields.
4. Job 26:7 – “He spreads out the northern skies over empty space; he suspends the earth over nothing.”
This verse describes the concept of emptiness and space, which resonates with the idea of quantum vacuum fluctuations and the void that exists at the subatomic level.
5. Romans 1:20 – “For since the creation of the world God’s invisible qualities—his eternal power and divine nature—have been clearly seen, being understood from what has been made, so that people are without excuse.”
This verse suggests that we can learn about God’s nature through observing the wonders of creation, which includes the intricate and mysterious laws of quantum physics.
Bible Principles Based On The Five Verses:
1. God’s ways are higher than our ways.
2. There is a unifying force that holds all things together.
3. Faith helps us understand the unseen forces at work in creation.
4. Emptiness and space are part of God’s design.
5. Creation reveals God’s divine nature and power.
Life Applications:
By recognizing the complexity and mystery of the universe through the lens of quantum physics, we can deepen our faith in God’s infinite wisdom and power. We can also cultivate a sense of awe and wonder at the intricacies of creation, leading us to trust in God’s plan for our lives and the world.
LWS,
Your examples are stretched because those quotes are vague and non-specific. If god said those words, then he isn’t very good at articulating himself. If he actually knew about quantum mechanics, he should have simply specified the schrodinger equation. Of course, your god didn’t even know how the sun and the earth are arranged – it is a leap of faith too far to suggest he knew anything about quantum mechanics.
One thing that is true, without fail.. You will be on your death bed one day, maybe even tomorrow.. And the little bit of foolish worldly knowledge you learned from another man, and have, having faith in, will not save you..But JESUS will be there to offer His sacrifice of suffering and love to you, but even in your last moments, if you continue as you do now, will have a hardened heart, and you won’t accept Truth. When you wake up from death and look where you are there will be no turning back. Come now, while you have a chance to benefit from everything the Creator has for you. We are telling you GOD is real, based upon relationship and experience with Him. Not hoping..
That’s fascinating, thank you for that Information.
The 2nd verse of the Bible says and the spirit of God moved over the waters.
And, The Lord of the Rings book says that the eyes of Sauron watched everything. So? Do you think that was literally true? You can write anything in a book.
Evolution has been proven impossible using mathematics. Why are people still pushing this false theory?
You mom has been proven impossible using mathematics. Why are you still here?
And yet a peer reviewed version of that paper is nowhere to be found.
AG, are you referring to the lack of peer-reviewed papers showing evolution is not possible, or saying that this article is based on a finding that wasn’t peer reviewed. I’m assuming that you meant the lack of mathematical proof, but wanted to ask to be sure. This blurb is based of an original article in Zoological Journal of the Linnean Society; which is peer reviewed.
Please provide reference that someone can go and check. I can’t go hunting for your article through all the back issues of a magazine.
The Bible has been proven impossible by simply reading it and comparing the parts that conflict with each other and the parts that fall apart from logic. It’s got some nice myths and stories in there but it’s not something useful to understand the world.
Evolution and Mathematics are two completely fields that have zero ability to measure each other using their own field’s proofs. It’s like saying you can diagnose a biological illness using a calculator, or calculate the cubic volume of a cylinder using mitochondrial DNA. Did you go to the university of Jesus as well?
Stop arguing and forget about it None of you are right or wrong cause no knows for sure . So ho home and live your life love your family and do the best you can and be honorable. Maybe someday we will understand how or what created us or the universe but for now humans must unite and focus on the now and try not to destroy our only home while waiting for science to discover better and more efficient ways to travel in space to populate other planets because of we kill the earth before that happens which is a possibility, then well you guys know that won’t be good . However , I believe science is key to understanding it all but it will take time . Everything else is theory without concrete proof and factual evidence. This is my perspective.
Arguments like this may seem pointless, but they are not. Historically, religion (especially Christianity) has persecuted or even killed scientists for demonstrating the obvious mistakes in the Bible. Even today people in theocratic governments in US states and theocratic Islamic republics do poorly in all kinds of metrics compared to their peers in secular regions. Religion is harmful when it spills out of private lives into public policy.
Evolution and darwinism is a occult religion for fools that don’t understand science.no translations in fossil records no single cell creatures changing into more celled creatures,life comes from life,not death,apes millions of years and astroid impacts, evolution is a lie for stupid occult lazy people.
Says the guy who can’t string together a single coherent sentence 🤣🤣🤣
Have you tried telling all of these to the experts by publishing your whines in a peer reviewed scientific journal? You could be to evolution as Einstein was to Newton’s laws.
So snakes came from….34 million years ago….evolved from ……
……
Snakes
Amazing evidence of “evolution”
🤦♂️
Wrong. Snakes evolved 143 million years ago from burrowing lizards. This finding simply shows that group hibernation behavior was present in snakes 34 million years ago.
Read a couple of paragraphs before posting your idiocy for the world to see.
🤦♂️
Thank you.
That is correct, snakes evolved from lizards. Why in the holy fk do you think snakes have vestigial feet?
Evolution is a racism doctrine and is not science. The biblical account is the only account with an eyewitness. That eyewitness is the God who created it. Seems impossible to get people to realize a PhD can lie as good as a drunk on the street. Evolution spelled backwards is noitulove. Seems the lie included God’s love in it. Capernicas was a Jesuit priest who contributed his thoughts from others of his day. They worshipped the sun so how important is it fir them to have the sun or “sol” at tge center of their universe. To them important because it puts the biblical account in a bad light. However it doesn’t prove that God lied.
If we ever need evidence that evolution of the neocortex is futile, you are it.
You need to provide evidence of existence of God before claiming God did this or that. And Bible is filled with ignorant bullet. Bible didn’t even know how the sun and the earth moved relative to each other. The bad light on the Bible is well earned.
If the eyewitness was the “God who created it” how come he didn’t write a detailed nuclear physics manual explaining how everything started and how everything in the universe works alongside a complete biochemical textbook explaining how biology originated and how it all works? Why did he commission a fantastical book of lies based on plagiarized stories from other civilizations?
Wether you understand it or not, genesis is a work of geometry not a schedule for creation, yet atheist cannot understand it because if you leave God out of it you don’t get it.
God has no explanatory powers. Suppose you don’t know how lightning works. Then you say that it was created by Zeus. But you still don’t know anything about lightning. God does not provide any understanding – he prevents it.
Exactly!
💖💖💖💖
Evolution is God’s method of maximizing local life in changing environments. Denying evolution is denying God.
To: The heck
Hey (sir,ma’am or whatever) I’m not saying that you’re wrong, but if all you got for rebuttal is slander against your fellow man can that really be considered a rebuttal? Or just trolling for the fun of trolling. Your hate speech by itself proves that you’re not a scientist. Is not science taking all opinions into consideration and coming up with the best hypothesis based on scientific fact? In most of their arguments they presented you with scientific fact which you rebutted with hate speech?
I’ve lived all over the world and the place is teaming with stupid people, but, there is a special kind of stupid that you can only find in the U.S.A. That perfect blend of stupidity, ignorance, and prideful arrogance is so unique it ahould be bottled.
More adjectives plz
For a traveled person your description of stupidity is the product of male Bovine excrement.
Thank you, I’ve been saying there is a rise in arrogant stupidity.
Speaking of “prideful arrogance” —
Has not changed my understanding. I have always known snakes were snakes. The did not diverge from any other creature.
@Jerry Murray Exactly. 👍
Bible Student, Here are five Bible Verses about How is evolution described in the Bible?
1. Genesis 1:24-25 – “And God said, ‘Let the land produce living creatures according to their kinds: the livestock, the creatures that move along the ground, and the wild animals, each according to its kind.’ And it was so. God made the wild animals according to their kinds, the livestock according to their kinds, and all the creatures that move along the ground according to their kinds. And God saw that it was good.”
This verse describes how God created living creatures according to their kinds, indicating a specific and intentional design in the creation of different species.
2. Psalm 104:24-25 – “How many are your works, Lord! In wisdom you made them all; the earth is full of your creatures. There is the sea, vast and spacious, teeming with creatures beyond number— living things both large and small.”
This verse praises God’s wisdom in creating all living creatures, highlighting the diversity and abundance of life on earth.
3. Job 12:7-10 – “But ask the animals, and they will teach you, or the birds in the sky, and they will tell you; or speak to the earth, and it will teach you, or let the fish in the sea inform you. Which of all these does not know that the hand of the Lord has done this? In his hand is the life of every creature and the breath of all mankind.”
Job acknowledges God’s sovereignty over all living creatures, emphasizing His role as the creator and sustainer of life.
4. Colossians 1:16-17 – “For in him all things were created: things in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or powers or rulers or authorities; all things have been created through him and for him. He is before all things, and in him all things hold together.”
This verse affirms that all things were created through Christ and for Him, underscoring His role in the creation and maintenance of the natural world.
5. Isaiah 45:12 – “It is I who made the earth and created mankind on it. My own hands stretched out the heavens; I marshaled their starry hosts.”
God declares His role as the creator of the earth and mankind, emphasizing His power and authority over the entire universe.
Bible Principles Based On The Five Verses:
1. God created all living creatures according to their kinds with wisdom and intention.
2. The earth is full of diverse and abundant creatures, showcasing God’s creativity and sovereignty.
3. God’s hand is involved in the creation and sustenance of all living things.
4. All things were created through Christ and for Him, emphasizing His central role in creation.
5. God’s power and authority extend over the entire universe, from the earth to the heavens.
Life Applications:
Understanding and reflecting on the Bible verses about creation can help us appreciate the beauty and complexity of the natural world. By acknowledging God as the creator and sustainer of all life, we can cultivate a sense of wonder and gratitude for His handiwork. Additionally, recognizing Christ’s central role in creation can deepen our reverence for Him and inspire us to steward the earth and its creatures with care and respect. As we meditate on these truths, may we be reminded of God’s power and authority over all creation, leading us to worship Him in awe and adoration.
“There is the sea, vast and spacious, teeming with creatures BEYOND NUMBER — living things both large and small.”
And all the “beyond number” terrestrial animals, including those on distant continents who were not strong swimmers, were able to make their way to Noah’s modest-size Ark in a relatively short time, where Noah had stocked all the food necessary, including eucalyptus leaves for the koalas from a continent unknown to those in the Fertile Crescent, as well as the plants and fruits for animals that specialized in their diet, who Noah knew nothing about.
Thank you for your thoughts on this matter.
It’s wonderful to engage in discussions about God’s creation and the events described in the Bible. I am both a scientist and a Jehovah’s Witness. Let me offer some perspectives based on my understanding of the Scriptures.
Firstly, the verse you quoted, “There is the sea, vast and spacious, teeming with creatures BEYOND NUMBER — living things both large and small” (Psalm 104:25 NIV), indeed celebrates the diversity and magnificence of God’s creation. This verse highlights the vastness of life in the seas, which is a testament to Jehovah God’s creativity and power.
Regarding the account of Noah’s Ark, it’s important to remember that this event was a miraculous act orchestrated by God. Jehovah Witnesses believe that with God’s intervention, what might seem impossible to humans becomes possible. Here are a few key points to consider:
1. Divine Guidance: Jehovah God guided the animals to the Ark. Genesis 6:20 says, “Of the birds according to their kinds, and of the animals according to their kinds, of every creeping thing of the ground according to its kind, two of every sort shall come into you to keep them alive” (ESV). This implies that God directed the animals to Noah, rather than Noah having to gather them himself.
2. Animal Behavior: Modern studies in animal migration and instinct show that many animals have innate behaviors that enable them to travel great distances. It’s plausible that under divine influence, animals could have migrated to the Ark.
3. Supernatural Provision: The Bible doesn’t detail every aspect of the Ark’s provisions, but we believe that Jehovah, who sustained His people in various miraculous ways throughout history (e.g., manna from heaven for the Israelites in Exodus 16), could have ensured the survival needs of all the animals were met. The specific mention of eucalyptus leaves for koalas or other specialized diets is not covered in Scripture, but the omniscience and omnipotence of God would encompass all necessary provisions.
4. Post-Flood Dispersion: After the Flood, the repopulation and distribution of animals across the earth could also have been guided by divine means. Genesis 8:17 says, “Bring out with you every living thing that is with you of all flesh—birds and animals and every creeping thing that creeps on the earth—that they may swarm on the earth, and be fruitful and multiply on the earth” (ESV). This indicates a divinely assisted dispersion.
5. Understanding Biblical Accounts: It’s also essential to interpret the Bible with an understanding that it focuses on conveying spiritual truths and the relationship between God and humanity, sometimes using language and descriptions suited to the time it was written. While modern readers may focus on logistical details, the central message is one of faith, obedience, and divine salvation.
In conclusion, while the logistical challenges of the Ark story are significant, Jehovah’s Witnesses believe in the power and wisdom of Jehovah to accomplish His purposes, even when they transcend human understanding. The Ark narrative is seen as a testament to faith in God’s provision and sovereignty.
This perspective emphasizes faith in Jehovah’s miraculous abilities and the importance of viewing biblical accounts through the lens of divine intervention and spiritual truths.
Convoluted ‘word salad’ to rationalize violations of the way that everyone realizes the world works. It is little different from believing in magic.
Thank you for sharing your thoughts.
I appreciate the opportunity to further clarify my perspective from a Jehovah’s Witness standpoint. Our intent is always to engage in respectful and meaningful dialogue, even when we hold different viewpoints.
Firstly, it’s important to acknowledge that discussions about the origins of life and the events described in the Bible often bring about strong opinions and deeply held beliefs. Let’s consider a few key points:
1. Faith and Reason: For Jehovah’s Witnesses, faith in God’s word is fundamental. Hebrews 11:1 defines faith as “the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen” (ESV). While it might seem like a “word salad” to some, for believers, faith bridges the gap between human understanding and divine action. This doesn’t dismiss reason or evidence but integrates them into a broader spiritual context.
2. Historical Accounts and Miracles: The Bible contains numerous accounts of miracles, which by definition, are extraordinary events that transcend natural laws. For instance, the parting of the Red Sea (Exodus 14) and the resurrection of Jesus Christ (Matthew 28) are central miracles in the Bible. Jehovah’s Witnesses believe that if God can perform these miracles, the events surrounding Noah’s Ark are within His power. While this might seem like “magic” to some, believers see it as divine intervention.
3. Understanding Different Perspectives: It’s valuable to recognize that people view the world through different lenses. For those who prioritize empirical evidence and natural laws, the account of Noah’s Ark may seem implausible. However, for those who hold a theistic view, where God is omnipotent and omniscient, such events are not only possible but consistent with their understanding of God’s nature.
4. Humility and Learning: Jehovah’s Witnesses strive to approach these discussions with humility. Proverbs 3:5-6 advises, “Trust in the LORD with all your heart, and do not lean on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make straight your paths” (ESV). This encourages believers to trust in God’s wisdom, even when it surpasses human understanding.
5. Scientific Inquiry and Faith: Jehovah’s Witnesses respect scientific inquiry and the discoveries it brings. While they may interpret some scientific findings differently, they acknowledge the value of science in understanding the natural world. The belief in biblical events doesn’t negate the appreciation of scientific advancements but places them within a framework that includes divine action.
In conclusion, while the beliefs of Jehovah’s Witnesses may seem at odds with a strictly naturalistic view of the world, they are rooted in a deep faith in God’s power and the truth of the Bible. Respectful dialogue allows us to share our perspectives and understand each other better, even if we don’t always agree.
Thank you for considering these points, and I hope this clarifies our position in a respectful and thoughtful manner.
You do realize that every single verse that you have cited has been shown to have either been plagiarized from other sources and/or exposed as written by anonymous authors and largely disproven by historians and scientists correct? In short, you are citing a book that has been proven to be 90% lies and plagiarism.
For someone to claim they believe so much in God that evolution doesn’t exist and in the same paragraph be cruel to their fellow man is hypocrisy at its greatest. Trying to suppress information in the name of God is something of the dark ages. If you can prove something do it if not get out of the way.
@SShaunob
“If you can prove something do it if not get out of the way.”
That’s right why I commented here. So much money is spent on “studies on evolution”, for which there’s not, as I’ve said, a single proof in the fossil record. If “evolutionary biologists” would get out of the way, imagine how much money would be left for sensible scientific research.
When you say that there’s no “proof” of evolution in fossil records, you’re stating an opinion. Which, of course, is fine, except that you shouldn’t expect others to agree or even have a good opinion about you. Most people base their statements on evidence and logic following from that. Refuting those statements (say about evolution) involves refuting the evidence or finding flaws in the logic, not just stating an opinion about them.
There’s no proof for evolution? Then why does the entire credentialed scientific community 100% agree that evolution is a proven factual explanation backed by massive amounts of fossil, geological, and biological evidence? And why does the 99% majority of credentialed historians(with 1% being religious cult members that dissent) agree that the Bible is not a historical document, but is largely plagiarized and fictional stories,and what little of it is actually verifiable is limited to some ancient Israel sites vetted by archaeologists and geologists? The age of the lies of the church destroying man’s minds is coming to an end. Please try to keep up.
It’s in the 2nd verse of the Bible. And the Spirit of God moved upon the face of the waters.this is before anything else.
Pics or it didn’t happen.
Allegorical bio-geopoetry.
I learned in the nature documentary “Cobra Kai” that snakes brumate, not hibernate. And I don’t think professor Kreese can be refuted.
Pics or it didn’t happen.
Sad that all of the ‘Mature,educated, higher than tho’ evolutionists on this platform must resort to name calling
Well, in the state-licensed animal control profession, and in the DNR manuals, a group of snakes sleeping in the winter is called a hibernaculate, and the.snakes are considered to be hibernating, so there goes your argument. Bats hibernate as well and every two weeks or so they wake up and move around a little bit and then go back to sleep, so if you want to get really technical everything would be brumating, not hibernating, so the brumate definition is really a throwaway term that describes the same thing as hibernation. But if you want to use brumate and have people in every single industry that deals with wildlife laugh at you and call you an ahole, you do you.
Destroy n mix it
Amazing how an article about a snake fossil can set off the internet equivalent of World War III.
@Joe
“Then why does the entire credentialed scientific community 100% agree that evolution is a proven factual explanation backed by massive amounts of fossil, geological, and biological evidence?”
As I’ve said, no any “massive amounts of evidence”. Not a single species can be traced in the fossil record in its “evolution”. All specimens of all species are identical there. Plus uneroded dinosaur and other tracks around the world prove they lived just until recently.
Why they agree? That’s what I wonder too, as shown in my first comment, which opened this discussion.
You seem to continually mistake your opinions as confirmed facts – an arrogance not unlike your fellow Christians who sentenced Galileo to death for pointing out the obvious.
It is your job to refute the current arguments and evidence supporting evolution.
Funny though that after 34 million years of evolution, a snake is still a snake and not evolving into a rabbit
There has been more than one comment that scientists and researches are in 100% agreement with each other but that is not true. The top scientist and researchers are not in 1⁰0% agreement. So why should I be in agreement with evolution when even they can’t agree among themselves. There has also been many comments about about the bible as being incorrect and the writings borrowed from other cultures and time periods. Scientists study hard to ensure that what they believe is correct in their own minds. So what they believe are just their own opinions about what they believe also. In times past scientists have been guilty of fraud and writing books and papers to support their own views. And it makes the news also as other scientists come behind them with newer and better proof that they may be incorrect. These folks spend a lot of time, money and years to get degrees in their fields. Why not spend the same amount of time studying the bible to learn what it really means and says. I have read all these comments so far and the only one I have seen was the very respectful comments from the person and scientist who said he is a Jehovah’s Witness. I have been in the ministry for a long time and there are three types of people I’ve talked too. (1) Those who don’t read the Bible, dismiss it, don’t live by it’s standards or simply bad mouth it. (2) Those who do read it but take every single word literally. So they have a difficult time defending their beliefs. (3) Then there are real bible students who study and research what the scriptures really mean. So musch of what is there is symbolic and can actually stand for other things. For example the word “earth” can also stand for people who live on the earth. The bible also lets us know where we are in the stream of times so we can be prepared for the future. There is a lot going on all over the world that makes many folks uneasy. So if you really want to understand go to jw.org and look up what you are concerned about. This website is in over 1,090 languages and you can read what’s there in the language of your heart. Let’s see if we can have civilized conversations about the things that are important to all of us.
“Those who do read it but take every single word literally. So they have a difficult time defending their beliefs.”
If they don’t take every word literally, what is the alternative? It would seem that unless God is talking to you personally, the only alternative is to apply one’s personal interpretation to the words. There are liable to be as many personal interpretations as there are readers of the bible. How do you get agreement when there are many interpretations?
Just because scientists are not 100% in agreement on everything doesn’t mean they are not 100% in agreement on some things. Scientists argue in the newly emerging areas of science; they are in agreement in core areas. The basic ideas of evolution are in the core area. General theory of relativity is another such core area, unless you are applying it to insides of black holes in which case it is a newly emerging area with disagreements among scientists.
But you seem smart enough to know all that – you simply want to imply that there is no scientific truth so that you can push your biblical nonsense. The trouble with the bible is that its writers made specific claims about the world which turned out to be false. Bible is especially poorly written.
Bible containing errors should be embarrassing given that the author is supposedly close to the creator and should know basic facts about this supposed creation. But it is not unexpected. Our understanding is steadily improving, and the Bible – relatively unchanged for a couple of millennia – is showing its age.
What is truly galling is the attitude of Christians towards those who pointed out those errors – they were often killed. You want people to give up science to be part of this violent group that has used the inquisition to torture and kill people for the crime of disagreement.
Talking about disagreements, let’s talk about disagreements in your area – religion. What do you think a typical Muslim thinks about the Bible? Or a typical Hindu? Bible thumpers – and let’s face it, you’re a preacher doing your preaching right in your post – are popular with themselves. Ask anyone else, and you’ll find almost 100% agreement that Bible pushers are pests. Seems like there are some agreements in religion after all.
Many smart people here, but I didn’t get answer to my initial question.
Also, this forum could be made more readable.
Ag3
“arrogance not unlike your fellow Christians who sentenced Galileo to death for pointing out the obvious.”
Are you ok? I nowhere mentioned Christianity, just the theory of evolution.
“It is your job to refute the current arguments and evidence supporting evolution.”
As I’ve said, “Not a single species can be traced in the fossil record in its ‘evolution0’. All specimens of all species are identical there. Plus uneroded dinosaur and other tracks around the world prove they lived just until recently.”
Quite enough to the wise.
Aki, Thank you for your concern, and thank you for your implicit assumption that the problem is with me. How very non-arrogant of you!
Yes, I am calling your arguments arrogant. Similar to those of Galileo’s accusers. Galileo simply trained his telescope onto the heavens and found examples of heavenly bodies that do not follow Biblical patterns. For that, he was sentenced to death. The accusers didn’t do the basic due diligence to find out whether Galileo was even at fault – he didn’t invent the telescope and he surely didn’t set the heavenly bodies on their errant paths. Discrediting Galileo was more important to them than finding the truth.
You say, that you are not convinced that evolution is correct. Ok, fine. But what due diligence have you done to check out the logic and arguments of people who came before you? This is the fifth first-level post from you on this matter. Others (including myself) have engaged with you on previous threads – but you abandon those threads and start a new one with the exact same arguments.
Have you investigated whether your questions have been raised by others? There is no evidence that you have done a simple Google search to find the current responses of evolution scientists – because, if you did, you would have known that this question has been answered many times. In that case, you could have criticized those answers, instead of asking the same question five times. If the ‘truth’ about evolution were your goal, then you would have engaged in a conversation.
You say (as I understand it) that you are unconvinced about evolution since you do not have an unbroken list of fossils tracing its evolution. Have you shown that such evidence is necessary and without that evolution falls apart? This you have not shown, and haven’t even attempted. You just assumed that your argument is self-evident. When others pointed out that it is not, you don’t listen and repeat the same words.
You also do not explain why that question of yours is the main doubt you have. Yours is the question very popular with Christian apologetics – no other religious group asks this question. You see, most of us were unconvinced about the theory of evolution when we first encountered it. But there are bigger and more obvious questions that most people ask. Aren’t you a least bit worried that evolution claims that one of our distant forefathers had tails, and we don’t? Or that tails don’t seem to have any obvious disadvantage but still we lost them? Or that one of our most distant forefathers was a one-celled organism? Your ask is unreasonable and is geared towards discrediting evolution rather than attempting to understand it. You don’t have documentary proof that your 100 levels of forefathers were humans. But do you seriously doubt that?
You arrogantly assume that your question is reasonable without doing any sort of due diligence on it and you ask it many times without responding to refutations of others who have previously responded. There are way too many resources on the internet in case you are serious about knowing the current ideas – but so far you have shown no serious intent about understanding the ideas of evolution as they stand today.
Scientist are still making discoveries and retracting what has previously been known. They study the universe, that’s it. Nothing created everything is a stretch and not wise to believe that.
Jesus is Lord ✝️👑🥳
Nothing created everything: There are two cases.
Very fine particles can indeed be created from nothing for a very short time. This can be demonstrated. However, it is unclear if Universe was created this way.
The other case – and I assume you are talking about this – is whether or not the universe was created from nothing. Science doesn’t know the answer to this. Universe or its containing multiverse may have existed forever. What’s wrong with that?
You assume that there was a creator. But there is no evidence of such a creator. Faith stops the unknowns by assuming an unverified answer for which there is no evidence. Science will continue with not knowing. Which is better? Not knowing, but still searching? Or, assuming an answer with zero evidence, and stopping the quest?
Who confirms Him as a man, male or female?
The 1st rule of physics I learned was that everything breaks down into less complicated forms and nothing gets more complicated. This is especially true in genetics which clearly proves how this works from fruit flies to man’s devolvement of dogs from other canines to the so-called races of men that clearly shows a loss of genetic material over time relative to conditions and locations on the world. Every genetic variation proves this devolution in every instance in the fossil record.
The lack of erosion and replacement sedimentation along with bending of rock layers has long bothered me with respect to the grand canyon and the time-line which requires millions of years to give evolution any kind of toe hold. Mt Saint Helen has been very instrumental in reevaluating my position with respect to the age of the earth, the interpretation of many evidences, scientific or otherwise. There are too many inconsistencies and variations with respect to all of the sciences that illustrate probabilities of such immense deviation from the possible that when taken together amount to 1 chance in infinity or what many scientists are now describing as intelligent design.
One place that I still have questions about are the ages of the ice layers in the polar regions. I vaguely remember a salvage operation in Greenland of a WWll aircraft that was 200 feet down in the ice.