Big or Small--Rodents Have Always Been Rodents | The Institute for Creation Research

Big or Small--Rodents Have Always Been Rodents
BY *  | 
FRIDAY, JUNE 29, 2012

Everyone is familiar with porcupines, beavers, rats, squirrels, and, of course, mice—common representatives of the order Rodentia or the rodents. They are defined by zoologists as having a single pair of constantly growing upper and lower jaw incisors. Over 40 percent (about 1,700) of mammal species are rodents.

They suddenly appear in the fossil record—as rodents. There is no trace of any ancestry linking them to non-rodent ancestors. The fossils are reasonably common, but they show no expected evolutionary progression. Paleontologist Michael Benton states, “Rodent phylogeny [evolutionary history] has been much discussed and there has been a broad range of viewpoints.”1 Edwin Colbert writes:

Dr. A. E. Wood, one of our leading students of fossil rodents, has said, “The current status of rodent phylogeny and classification is such that anyone can point out inconsistencies in anybody else’s classification.”2

Some of the latest evolutionary candidates for rodent ancestors are the Eurymylidae, from the early Tertiary of Asia. Recently, evolutionists suggested that a creature called Heomys may be the possible ancestor of rodents, although it is too advanced and its appearance is too late to be an ancestor. Other eurymylids such as Matutinia, Rhombomylus, and Eurymylus are a side branch and not directly ancestral to rodents.3

In the pre-Flood and, possibly, post-Flood world, rodents achieved massive proportions. In 2000, scientists discovered Phoberomys, an extinct rodent discovered in Venezuela.4 Nicknamed Mighty Mouse or Ratzilla, they estimate that it weighed in at over a half-ton (1,500 pounds or 700 Kg)! The largest rodent today is the capybara, weighing a modest 150 pounds. Regarding Phoberomys, Benton stated, “At the time of discovery, it was said that ‘if you saw it in the distance on a misty day, it would look much more like a buffalo than a rodent.’”5

An even larger South American creature was the formidable (and extinct) Josephoartigasia monesi, the largest rodent known.6 It could possibly have weighed 2,200 pounds to well over a ton. Meanwhile, North America had its giant beaver (Castoroides), growing over eight feet long and weighing 220 pounds (100 Kg), on par with the modern black bear. Its incisors were just under six inches long.

Fossils of mouse-size, 100 percent rodents have also been discovered in South America. They were evolutionarily dated at “41 million years old,” causing evolutionist Daren Croft to say, “This really pushes back the date of the first South American rodents.”7

Along with openly questioning the extreme dates, creationists maintain the obvious: Rodents have always been rodents—created on Day Six, just thousands of years ago.

References

  1. Benton, M. J. 2015. Vertebrate Paleontology, 4th ed. Wiley Blackwell Science, 385.
  2. Colbert, E. H., M. Morales and E.C. Minkoff. 2001. Colbert’s Evolution of the Vertebrates, 5th ed. New York: Wiley-Liss, Inc., 366.
  3. Meng, J. et al. 2003. The Osteology of Rhombomylus (Mammalia, Glires): Implications for Phylogeny and Evolution of Glires. Bulletin of the American Museum of Natural History. 275: 1-247.
  4. Sanchez-Villagra, M. 2003. The anatomy of the world’s largest extinct rodent. Science. 301 (5640): 1708-10.
  5. Benton, Vertebrate Paleontology, 386.
  6. Rinderknecht, A. and R. E. Blanco. 2008. The largest fossil rodent. Proceedings of the Royal Society B. 275 (1637): 923–928.
  7. Oldest Fossil Rodents in South America Discovered. ScienceDaily. Posted on sciencedaily.com October 11, 2011, accessed May 18, 2012.

* Mr. Sherwin is Research Associate, Senior Lecturer, and Science Writer at the Institute for Creation Research.

Cite this article: Sherwin, F. 2012. Big or Small—Rodents Have Always Been Rodents. Acts & Facts. 41 (7): 17.

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BY: BRIAN THOMAS, PH.D.



	



	Recent marketing research conducted a 24-country survey about people’s belief in aliens. They released their results just before the next widely anticipated Star Wars installment. How do biblical truths and scientific facts impact humanity’s concept of aliens from outer space? 

    [abstract_edit] => 

	



	



	Recent marketing research conducted a 24-country survey about people’s belief in aliens. They released their results just before the next widely anticipated Star Wars installment. How do biblical truths and scientific facts impact humanity’s concept of aliens from outer space? 

    [stage] => 

	

    [stage_edit] => 

	

    [body] => 

	Marketing research group Glocalities conducted a 24-country survey about people’s belief in aliens. They released their results just before the next widely anticipated Star Wars installment. How do biblical truths and scientific facts impact humanity’s concept of aliens from outer space?



	Reuters news summarized some of the survey results.1 Sixty-one percent of 26,000 respondents said “yes” when asked if they believe in “some form of life on other planets.” That lifeform could mean bacteria or something more intelligent. Forty-seven percent believe “in the existence of intelligent alien civilizations” out there somewhere.



	We apparently live in alien-crazed societies. Where is the evidence that has convinced so many of space aliens?



	Scripture shows no direct support for E.T.s. In fact, the Bible poses a gospel challenge to the existence of intelligent alien civilizations. Tweet: Scripture shows no direct support for E.T.s. In fact, the Bible poses a gospel challenge to the existence of intelligent alien civilizations.

Poll: Half of Humanity Believes in Aliens -
 https://www.icr.org/article/10400/

@icrscience @icrbthomas



	First, Scripture shows no direct support for E.T.s. In fact, the Bible poses a gospel challenge to the existence of intelligent alien civilizations. ICR news wrote in 2011, “Extraterrestrial life would also contradict the Bible’s claim that ‘Christ died once for all’ to pay for the sins of humanity (Hebrews 10:10), since to be fair, He would have to die as many times as there are planets inhabited with intelligent life.”2



	Since the Lord Jesus died only once before His resurrection, He could not have gone to die again on alien planets. Therefore, intelligent redeemable E.T.s must not exist.



	What about support from science? Even secular researchers have refuted intelligent aliens on the basis of a complete lack of E.T. evidence. Nobody has ever detected a single intelligent signal that came from out there.



	What about support from science? Even secular researchers have refuted intelligent aliens on the basis of a complete lack of E.T. evidence. Tweet: What about support from science? Even secular researchers have refuted intelligent aliens on the basis of a complete lack of E.T. evidence.

Poll: Half of Humanity Believes in Aliens -
 https://www.icr.org/article/10400/

@icrscience @icrbthomas



	Plus, they long ago raised a logical argument against aliens called the “Fermi paradox.”3 So many stars and planets populate the universe that even if a tiny fraction were suitable for life, many should populate the universe today if stars and planets have been emerging for billions of years. Instead it’s as silent as sound in space.



	It looks like half the world believes in aliens for reasons other than tangible or logical evidence. So, what feature do E.T.s carry that compels so many to accept the concept?



	It does fit right in with evolution’s story of a universe where nature, not God, somehow does all the creating.



	The Search for Extraterrestrial Intelligence (SETI) Institute is dedicated to the search for space aliens. ICR news quoted from a 2011 SETI website plea that said, “That’s why we’re appealing to you—someone who recognizes that the evolutionary drama that has taken place on our planet may have happened on other worlds”4 But after listening for years the SETI Institute has zero E.T. evidence.



	Cultural phenomena like the movie industry and popular evolutionary dramas may propagate widespread belief in space aliens, but so far it has no biblical or scientific legs to stand on.



	References


    
	
  1. 
		Deutsch, A. and L. King. Are Earthlings Alone? Half of humans believe in alien life. Reuters. Posted on reuters.com December 7, 2017, accessed December 8, 2017. 
    2. 
	
  2. 
		Thomas, B. Another ‘Goldilocks’ Planet Stirs ET Hopes. Creation Science Update. Posted on ICR.org December 16, 2011, accessed December 8, 2017.
    3. 
	
  3. 
		Lisle, J. Are ETs & UFOs Real? In The New Answers Book. Posted on answersingenesis.org December 6, 2007, accessed December 7, 2011. Also, the upcoming movie Alien Intrusion vividly illustrates the Fermi paradox.
    4. 
	
  4. 
		Thomas, B. 2011. SETI Funding Linked to Belief in Evolution. Creation Science Update. Posted on ICR.org May 9, 2011, accessed December 8, 2011.
    5. 




	*Brian Thomas is Science Writer at the Institute for Creation Research and earned his M.S. in biotechnology from Stephen F. Austin State University.



	Article posted on December 26, 2017.

    [body_edit] => 

	Marketing research group Glocalities conducted a 24-country survey about people’s belief in aliens. They released their results just before the next widely anticipated Star Wars installment. How do biblical truths and scientific facts impact humanity’s concept of aliens from outer space?



	Reuters news summarized some of the survey results.1 Sixty-one percent of 26,000 respondents said “yes” when asked if they believe in “some form of life on other planets.” That lifeform could mean bacteria or something more intelligent. Forty-seven percent believe “in the existence of intelligent alien civilizations” out there somewhere.



	We apparently live in alien-crazed societies. Where is the evidence that has convinced so many of space aliens?



	Scripture shows no direct support for E.T.s. In fact, the Bible poses a gospel challenge to the existence of intelligent alien civilizations. Tweet: Scripture shows no direct support for E.T.s. In fact, the Bible poses a gospel challenge to the existence of intelligent alien civilizations.

Poll: Half of Humanity Believes in Aliens -
 https://www.icr.org/article/10400/

@icrscience @icrbthomas



	First, Scripture shows no direct support for E.T.s. In fact, the Bible poses a gospel challenge to the existence of intelligent alien civilizations. ICR news wrote in 2011, “Extraterrestrial life would also contradict the Bible’s claim that ‘Christ died once for all’ to pay for the sins of humanity (Hebrews 10:10), since to be fair, He would have to die as many times as there are planets inhabited with intelligent life.”2



	Since the Lord Jesus died only once before His resurrection, He could not have gone to die again on alien planets. Therefore, intelligent redeemable E.T.s must not exist.



	What about support from science? Even secular researchers have refuted intelligent aliens on the basis of a complete lack of E.T. evidence. Nobody has ever detected a single intelligent signal that came from out there.



	What about support from science? Even secular researchers have refuted intelligent aliens on the basis of a complete lack of E.T. evidence. Tweet: What about support from science? Even secular researchers have refuted intelligent aliens on the basis of a complete lack of E.T. evidence.

Poll: Half of Humanity Believes in Aliens -
 https://www.icr.org/article/10400/

@icrscience @icrbthomas



	Plus, they long ago raised a logical argument against aliens called the “Fermi paradox.”3 So many stars and planets populate the universe that even if a tiny fraction were suitable for life, many should populate the universe today if stars and planets have been emerging for billions of years. Instead it’s as silent as sound in space.



	It looks like half the world believes in aliens for reasons other than tangible or logical evidence. So, what feature do E.T.s carry that compels so many to accept the concept?



	It does fit right in with evolution’s story of a universe where nature, not God, somehow does all the creating.



	The Search for Extraterrestrial Intelligence (SETI) Institute is dedicated to the search for space aliens. ICR news quoted from a 2011 SETI website plea that said, “That’s why we’re appealing to you—someone who recognizes that the evolutionary drama that has taken place on our planet may have happened on other worlds”4 But after listening for years the SETI Institute has zero E.T. evidence.



	Cultural phenomena like the movie industry and popular evolutionary dramas may propagate widespread belief in space aliens, but so far it has no biblical or scientific legs to stand on.



	References


    
	
  1. 
		Deutsch, A. and L. King. Are Earthlings Alone? Half of humans believe in alien life. Reuters. Posted on reuters.com December 7, 2017, accessed December 8, 2017. 
    2. 
	
  2. 
		Thomas, B. Another ‘Goldilocks’ Planet Stirs ET Hopes. Creation Science Update. Posted on ICR.org December 16, 2011, accessed December 8, 2017.
    3. 
	
  3. 
		Lisle, J. Are ETs & UFOs Real? In The New Answers Book. Posted on answersingenesis.org December 6, 2007, accessed December 7, 2011. Also, the upcoming movie Alien Intrusion vividly illustrates the Fermi paradox.
    4. 
	
  4. 
		Thomas, B. 2011. SETI Funding Linked to Belief in Evolution. Creation Science Update. Posted on ICR.org May 9, 2011, accessed December 8, 2011.
    5. 




	*Brian Thomas is Science Writer at the Institute for Creation Research and earned his M.S. in biotechnology from Stephen F. Austin State University.



	Article posted on December 26, 2017.

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