Darwin's Finches

Open just about any biology textbook and you will see pictures of what are known as Darwin’s finches. They appear in those textbooks for two reasons. First, Charles Darwin got his inspiration for his theory of evolution when he observed them on the Galapagos Islands. Second, they are used to prove evolution since there are various beak sizes on the birds.

In my book, A Biblical Point of View on Intelligent Design, I point out that the diversity of these finches really doesn’t prove evolution. One scientific study found that during a period of drought, the average beak size of these finches increased slightly. The reason cited for this is that during these dry periods, the most available seeds are larger and tougher to crack than at other times. So birds with larger beaks do better under conditions of drought.

I spent an afternoon looking at specimens of Darwin’s finches when I was in graduate school at Yale University and should point out that the changes in beak thickness is minimal. Moreover, the changes seem to be cyclical. When the rains return, the original size seeds appear and the average beak size returns to normal.

This is not evolution. It is an interesting cyclical pattern in natural history. It shows selection pressure in nature. But it’s not evolution.

If this is evolution occurring, then we should be seeing macro changes that would allow these finches to evolve into another species. But this cyclical pattern shows just the opposite. These minor changes in beak size and thickness actually allow them to remain finches under changing environmental conditions. It does not show them evolving into other types of birds.

The story is a bit more complex than I can describe in the two-minute commentary, but you get the idea. You can find pictures of Darwin’s finches in nearly every biology textbook in the country. And guess where you find them? You find them in the evolution section of the textbook. There’s one problem: they don’t show evolution. I’m Kerby Anderson, and that’s my point of view.