What if new species could appear in just a few thousand years? A recent study reports that many new plankton species showed up quickly after the supposed Chicxulub impact—a large asteroid event believed to have caused the extinction of the dinosaurs. Some of the plankton appeared in less than 2,000 years.1 The study claims this shows fast evolution. But the evidence fits better with rapid change within created kinds, not the rise of new life systems.
The researchers used Helium-3 in ocean sediments to estimate time, concluding several plankton species appeared at what a university press release called a “shockingly fast” pace.1,2 This sounds impressive, but it raises key questions about system limits and data interpretation. Biological systems work within clear limits. Core parts—like DNA storage, replication, and energy use—must stay stable. If these fail, the organism fails. At the same time, organisms can vary within limits. Such biological flexibility allows changes in size, shape, and tolerance to stress.
In the study, small changes in the plankton—mainly shell shape—prompted the scientists to label them as new species.1 But such differences can come from stress or changes in gene use. The study does not show new cell parts, new pathways, or new information. Instead, it reveals flexibility within the plankton’s genetic structure.
An engineering view of genetic systems leads to the same conclusion. Studies of mutation show that changes in DNA tend to break or reduce function more often than build new systems. Geneticist John Sanford explains that most mutations lead to a slow loss of information, not gain.3 Random changes in a coded system are far more likely to damage it than improve it, which limits how much change can occur. New function requires new information and coordinated changes. A simple shape change, as found in the plankton, does not meet that requirement.
The timeline of change also frustrates conventional expectations. Conventional scientists often say significant changes take a long time to evolve because life is complex. Yet here, the change is said to have happened in thousands of years.1
These points support the biblical view. Living things were made with the ability to adapt within limits. As Scripture says, “So God created . . . every living thing that moves . . . according to its kind” (Genesis 1:21).
The plankton strongly indicates design. These organisms endured stress and adjusted quickly without changing their core systems. From an engineering perspective, the system held while allowing controlled variation. Life was not only made to function—it was made to thrive.
References
- Lowery, C. M. et al. 2026. New Species Evolved within a Few Thousand Years of the Chicxulub Impact. Geology. 54 (3): 285–288.
- University of Texas at Austin. Life Rebounded Shockingly Fast After the Asteroid That Killed the Dinosaurs. ScienceDaily. Posted on sciencedaily.com March 15, 2026.
- Sanford, J. C. 2014. Genetic Entropy & the Mystery of the Genome, 2nd ed. Canandaigua, NY: FMS Foundation.
* Dr. Corrado earned a Ph.D. in systems engineering from Colorado State University and a Th.M. from Liberty University. He is a freelance contributor to ICR’s Creation Science Update, works in the nuclear industry, and is a Captain in the U.S. Naval Reserve.
