The Excellent Eye | The Institute for Creation Research

The Excellent Eye

“He that formed the eye, shall he not see?” (Psalm 94:9)

Animals benefit from a variety of unique eye designs, but where did eyes come from? Most vertebrates have the classic “camera eye.” It uses a transparent cornea and convex lens to bend images onto a light-sensitive layer of tissue called the retina that lines the back of the eye.

The basic design is common among many land-based creatures. For example, spineless squids and octopi use the same basic camera-eye anatomy as vertebrates—albeit with a few optimizations for life underwater. Even some jellyfish use small camera eyes. Random evolutionary accident? Unlikely!

Other life forms with an internal backbone use completely different eyes. For instance, the deep sea spookfish uses reflective mirror lenses, not refractive lenses. The chameleon has a pinhole eye design that uses concave lenses instead of convex lenses. These lenses spread out a narrow section of incoming light onto a broader retina. Similar eye designs, but unique features that “just happen” to fit the lifestyle and needs of the specific creature. Similar designs, but very different animals.

Those who do not believe in an omnipotent and omniscient Designer must speculate that the same eye designs evolved multiple times in separate organisms. And, since there is absolutely no evidence for any kind of multiple evolutionary episodes, the academic literature is full of magic words like “emerge,” “evolve,” and “appear” instead of a realistic explanation of each supposed gradual step in eye evolution. No wonder Charles Darwin wrote to American botanist Asa Gray in 1860, “The thought of the eye made me cold all over.”

“The eyes of the LORD are in every place, beholding the evil and the good” (Proverbs 15:3). HMM III

Adapted from Unlocking the Mysteries of Genesis by Dr. Henry Morris III.

The Latest
NEWS
More Soft Tissue in Archaeopteryx
Was the famous extinct fossil named Archaeopteryx a bird or an evolutionary link that led to birds? And how confident should scientists and others feel...

NEWS
The Lipstick Vine: Evidence of Designed Adaption
In their desire to validate the questionable case for evolution, conventional biologists will appeal to local adaptation, variation, and ecological...

NEWS
Biblical Giants in the News
Recent claims that an Egyptian papyrus scroll may affirm the past existence of giants have gone viral,1,2 and news outlets still reported...

NEWS
March 2026 ICR Wallpaper
"Behold, I will do a new thing, Now it shall spring forth; Shall you not know it? I will even make a road in the wilderness And rivers in the desert." (Isaiah...

ACTS & FACTS
Creation Kids: Ladybugs
Hi, kids! We created a special Acts & Facts just for you! Have fun doing the activities while learning about the wonderful world God...

ACTS & FACTS
North Cascades National Park: Assembled During the Flood and...
North Cascades National Park is sometimes called “the American Alps” for its stunning vistas that average about 5,000 feet above sea level,...

ACTS & FACTS
Engineered Genomic Changes in Adaptation
Programmed genome rearrangements (PGRs) are deliberate, genetically controlled changes in an organism’s DNA sequence and chromosome structure...

ACTS & FACTS
How Can I Know Evolution Is Wrong?
Evolution pushes Christians to doubt what our Bibles say about creation by asserting impersonal processes made everything over eons. Scripture asserts...

ACTS & FACTS
What Is a Charitable Gift Annuity?
A charitable gift annuity (CGA) is a simple, proven way to make a gift to ICR and receive fixed income for life—often at rates higher than CDs....

ACTS & FACTS
ICR in Thailand
As the unified body of Christ, we marvel when individual notes come together to form beautiful harmonic chords. Dino Dave and Dr. Brian were blessed...