Scientists Repeatedly Surprised: Do we keep revising evolutionary theory, or finally REJECT it?4 min read

As a former biochemist and evolutionary skeptic, I am not surprised at how often I see news headlines saying things like “new discovery forces scientists to rethink evolution.” But you might be surprised, thinking that evolution is a fact, or “as sure as gravity.”

But constant needs to rewrite evolution beg the question: “At what point does a scientific model’s failure to predict future findings move it from merely needing revision to needing to be discarded as unhelpful and untrue?” ^{1 2}

Now I understand, lacking any other naturalistic explanation, evolutionists have no other model that seems to fit the data or predict what we would see. But their overconfident boasting about the verity of evolution stifles science and needlessly puts doubt in the minds of those who think that perhaps the amazing complexity and design of life had a divine creator. ^{3 4}

A Short List

Here’s a list I’ve compiled from just two prominent primary sources: Nature and Science.  Of course, the sensational phrase “rewrites evolution” may be overused, especially by secondary news outlets trying to grab attention, but most of these refer to real discoveries that indicate errors in many of our evolutionary assumptions. This list is not comprehensive, just a smattering to show you that evolution is a poor predictor.

1. How China is rewriting the book on human origins: Fossil finds in China are challenging ideas about the evolution of modern humans and our closest relatives. (nature.com, 2016)
2. Elephant history rewritten by ancient genomes: DNA from extinct species forces rethink of elephants’ family tree. (nature.com, 2016)
3. Ancient fossil may rewrite fish family tree (science, 2015)
4. Phylogeny: Rewriting evolution: Tiny molecules called microRNAs are tearing apart traditional ideas about the animal family tree. (nature.com, 2012)
5. Ancient sea jelly makes tree of life wobble: Fossil suggests evolutionary order requires revision. (nature.com, 2011)
6. Ancient DNA set to rewrite human history: Discovery that some humans are part-Neanderthal reveals the promise of comparing genomes old and new. (nature.com, 2010)
7. Discovery pushes back date of first four-legged animal: But controversy surrounds 400-million-year-old fossilized tracks. (nature.com, 2010)
8. Ancient Skeleton May Rewrite Earliest Chapter of Human Evolution (science, 2007)
9. Red Algae Revise Early Life History (science, 1997)

Some secondary source examples:

1. With Two New Fossils, Evolutionists Rewrite Narratives to Accommodate Conflicting Evidence (evolutionnews.org, 2017)
2. Monkeys’ human tools may rewrite evolution (newindianexpress.com, 2016)
3. The Oldest Human Genome Has Been Sequenced & It Could Rewrite Our History (collective-evolution.com, 2016)
4. A Surprise Source of Life’s Code: Emerging data suggests the seemingly impossible — that mysterious new genes arise from “junk” DNA. (quantamagazine.com, August 2015) – As it turns out, evolutionary-named “junk DNA” may not only be used for DNA repair, but for the introduction of dormant genes into “production.”
5. Fresh Fossil Studies Rewrite the History of Humanity’s Genus Homo (nbcnews.com, 2015)
6. New species of extinct human found in cave may rewrite history (newscientist.com, 2015)
7. Scientists Rewrite The Timeline Of Human Evolution (iflscience.com, 2014)
8. Does this skull rewrite the history of mankind? 1.8 million-year-old remains suggest all human ancestors belonged to the SAME species but just looked different (dailymail.co.uk, 2013)
9. Novel Scenarios of Early Animal Evolution—Is It Time to Rewrite Textbooks? (oxfordjournals.com, 2013)
10. Everything You Thought You Knew (About Early Tetrapod Backbones) Is Wrong (evolutionnews.com, 2013)
11. New Sea Monster Found, Rewrites Evolution? (nationalgeographic.com, 2013)
12. Fossils rewrite human evolution (stuff.co.nz, 2007)
13. Fossils challenge old evolution theory (usatoday.com, 2007)
14. Newly Discovered Plant c-myb-like Genes Rewrite the Evolution of the Plant myb Gene Family (Plant Physiology Journal, 1999)