Central American Songbird Provides Confirmation of Intelligent Design

AP | 3/31/2005 | AP

[Condorman]

Central American Songbird Provides Confirmation of Intelligent Design

Lincoln, NE (AP) - Researchers at the University of Nebraska have, for the first time, confirmed a prediction of the controversial theory known as intelligent design, or ID.  The unexpected discovery was made by Paavamanti Ashook and Jessica Aylesworth, two graduate students working under the direction of Dr. Peter Harl, a professor in the Department of Biology at the University of Nebraska, while they were sequencing a section of the genetic code for the turquoise-browed motmot, Eumomota superciliosa, a Central American songbird.

During the relatively routine procedure, the research team uncovered a gene in the turquoise-browed motmot that does not appear in any of its nearest relatives.  “It came as a complete surprise,” said Aylesworth, “when we showed Dr. Harl he went to the lab and reran the sequence himself.”

 “What we found is a gene with no evolutionary precursor,” said Dr. Harl. “There is no homologous gene in any other species of motmot. There's nothing like it in any other kingfisher that we can tell.  It looks like someone stuck in an extra gene in the middle of the genome when no one was looking.  At this point, the theory of evolution cannot provide a satisfactory answer.  ID provides an explanation that works.”

ID is the scientific theory that evolution was guided is some way by an intelligent force, and was the subject of a controversial court ruling in Dover, PA last December in which the school board was forbidden from mandating ID as part of the science curriculum.  Although the theory refuses to identify the designer, many adherents claim that the designer is God.  According to one interpretation of the theory, some animals will contain certain features without a direct evolutionary pathway, as if the designer inserted or deleted a component of the species independent of the commonly accepted forces of natural selection.

“We will need to do more research,” Ashook said, “In the meantime, this definitely causes problems for evolution. But as a scientist I have to choice but to follow the evidence.”

The team’s results will be published in the next issue of the journal The Natural World.

[CarolinaGuitarman]

"Harl, Harl, it reminds me of someone else at Nebraska ... on the tip of my tongue..."

Not sure. Dr. Peter Harl is in his later 50's, hair kinda thin on the top. He speaks with a little stammer, but he's pretty captivating once he gets going with a topic. He came to a class I was taking as a guest speaker about 10 years ago.

[ml1954]

Good idea. I had been counting on at least getting points for effort and intentions if the unexpected suddenly occurred, but this should work better.

[Stultis]

Good try, but too late. Darwin Central has already sprung into action. Dr. Peter Harl? WHAT "Dr. Peter Harl"? The entire "University of Nebraska" from the historical record too if need be. Bwahahahahahaha!

[curiosity]

There's no link to the source. What gives?

[bd476]

The researchers undoubtedly would have saved Federal grant money, time and trouble had they consulted a reputable ornithologist prior to trekking into the jungles of Central America in their Intelligent Design research.

It is without dispute among leading ornithologists that the British Bluetit preceded or, wrote the song, if you will, the creation or evolution of the Central American turquoise browed mot mot.

The British Bluetit has also been long revered for its rapturous song.


Listen to the bird sing.

[PatrickHenry]

The bird is real: Turquoise-browed Motmot.

[CarolinaGuitarman]

I did a little more research and found out that the gene that these researchers found, the BS 4u gene, may not be quite as new as this report makes it sound. It is polylitally zygometic with a gene, BS ru, found in a closely related species, Hylomanes momotula . We'll just have to see how this holds up.

[bd476]

PatrickHenry wrote: "The bird is real: Turquoise-browed Motmot."

No doubt about it, especially when you hear its song:

From the link: "The call is nasal, croaking and far-carrying."

[Condorman]

It is without dispute among leading ornithologists that the British Bluetit preceded or, wrote the song, if you will, the creation or evolution of the Central American turquoise browed mot mot.

I think they got the title wrong, though. In the picture, the motmot looks more like a kingfisher.

[Virginia-American]

In the picture, the motmot looks more like a kingfisher.

With a tail like that?

[Condorman]

The motmot looks more like a kingfisher.

With a tail like that?

I was looking at the beak.

[Virginia-American]

Darwin fixated on finch beaks, so all his worshippers still do. Glad to see some real scientists taking off their blinders.

[PatrickHenry]

I wonder what the Designer had in mind when this novel gene was slipped into this bird?

[BMCDA]

I wonder what the Designer had in mind when this novel gene was slipped into this bird?

I don't know but sooner or later he had to make a mistake ;)

[ahayes]

Yeah. "Oops! That was supposed to go in the tapir! Oh well, it'll do."

[Tribune7]

Condorman is posting a evo-skeptic story. What day can this be?

[ahayes]

The day when we finally see the light!

[CarolinaGuitarman]

Here's an article that tends to support this one, too.

elibrary.unm.edu/sora/Auk/v107n04/p0730-p0736.pdf

[CarolinaGuitarman]

Oops, bad link. Here's the correct one:

http://72.14.203.104/search?q=cache:LoBdXj48XfcJ:elibrary.unm.edu/sora/Auk/v107n04/p0730-p0736.pdf+&hl=en&gl=us&ct=clnk&cd=1&client=firefox-a

[PatrickHenry]

Yes! This is amazing!