> Convergent Evolution or Intelligent Design? 1
>
> When the same complex capability is found in unrelated organisms but
> not in their alleged evolutionary ancestors, evolutionists say that a
> common need caused identical complexities to evolve. They call this
> convergent evolution.
>
> For example, wings and flight occur in some birds, insects, and
> mammals (bats). Pterosaurs, an extinct reptile, also had wings and
> could fly. These capabilities have not been found in any of their
> alleged common ancestors. Other examples of convergent evolution are
> the three tiny bones in the ears of mammals: the stapes, incus, and
> malleus. Their complex arrangement and precise fit give mammals the
> unique ability to hear a wide range of sounds. Evolutionists say that
> those bones evolved from bones in a reptile’s jaw. If so, the process
> must have occurred at least twice (a)—but left no known transitional
> fossils. How did the transitional organisms between reptiles and
> mammals hear during those millions of years (b)? Without the ability
> to hear, survival—and reptile-to-mammal evolution—would cease.
>
How could hearing and jaw articulation be preserved during this
transition? As clearly shown from the many transitional fossils that
have been found (see Figure
1.4.3), the bones that transfer sound in
the reptilian and mammalian ear were in contact with each other
throughout the evolution of this transition. In reptiles, the stapes
contacts the quadrate, which in turn contacts the articular. In
mammals, the stapes contacts the incus, which in turn contacts the
malleus (see Figure
1.4.2). Since the quadrate evolved into the incus,
and the articular evolved into the malleus, these three bones were in
constant contact during this impressive evolutionary change.
Furthermore, a functional jaw joint was maintained by redundancy—
several of the intermediate fossils have both a reptilian jaw joint
(from the quadrate and articular) and a mammalian jaw joint (from the
dentary and squamosal). Several late cynodonts and Morganucodon
clearly have a double-jointed jaw. In this way, the reptilian-style
jaw joint was freed to evolve a new specialized function in the middle
ear. It is worthy of note that some modern species of snakes have a
double-jointed jaw involving different bones, so such a mechanical
arrangement is certainly possible and functional.
http://64.233.161.104/custom?q=cache:Wf1xVrBC5QkJ:www.talkorigins.org/faqs/comdesc/section1...
> Concluding that a miracle—or any extremely unlikely event—happened
> once requires strong evidence or faith; claiming that a similar
> “miracle” happened repeatedly requires either incredible blind faith
> or a cause common to each event, such as a common designer.
>
> a. “... the definitive mammalian middle ear evolved independently in
> living monotremes and therians (marsupials and placentals).” Thomas
> H. Rich et al., “Independent Origins of Middle Ear Bones in Monotremes
> and Therians,” Science, Vol. 307, 11 February 2005, p. 910.
>
> “Because of the complexity of the bone arrangement, some scientists
> have argued that the innovation arose just once—in a common ancestor
> of the three mammalian groups. Now, analyses of a jawbone from a
> specimen of Teinolophos trusleri, a shrew-size creature that lived in
> Australia about 115 million years ago, have dealt a blow to that
> notion.” Sid Perkins, “Groovy Bones,” Science News, Vol. 167, 12
> February 2005, p. 100.
>
> b. Also, for mammals to hear also requires the organ of Corti and
> complex “wiring” in the brain. No known reptile (the supposed ancestor
> of mammals), living or fossil, has anything resembling this amazing
> organ.
>
>
http://www.creationscience.com/onlinebook/LifeSciences21.html#wp1612912
