If mankind evolved from ape-like ancestors, then our DNA should look messy from millions of years of trial-and-error mutations. Instead, it looks nice and tidy. Almost every cell in our bodies contains DNA. It holds much of the information needed to construct and maintain a human body by managing everyday cellular life. If all mankind came from Adam as the Bible teaches, then God must have packaged encyclopedias of coded instructions into Adam and Eve right from the start. Four amazing genetics discoveries powerfully confirm our biblical origins.
First, evolution-minded geneticists assert that our ape-like ancestors lived around three million years ago and had other descendants that evolved into modern apes. If so, then human and modern ape DNA sequences should closely match. They don’t. A comparison of whole genomes, instead of select sequences already known to be similar, shows that natural processes would have needed to add at least 360 million precisely placed, information-packed DNA differences.1 This would be like asking wind or waves to write 10,000 useful instruction manuals. The most scientific explanation requires a master Programmer with unheard-of expertise in nanotechnology who created Adam and ape kinds separately from the start.
Second, nature-only devotees used the phrase “junk DNA” to describe 95 percent of the human genome they assumed had no function. Supposedly, millions of years of evolutionary mistakes accumulated all that “junk.” But when geneticists actually investigated those DNA sequences, they discovered that cells use and need them.2 Bye bye, evolutionary junk. Hello, well-crafted Adam.
Third, studies reveal genetic “clocks” that confirm the Bible’s timeline of a recent creation. Every generation, sperm and egg cells incorporate over 100 DNA copying errors.3 These errors, or mutations, gradually build up. This means you have at least 100 more mutations than your parents, 200 more than your grandparents, 300 more than your great-grandparents, etc. Wind back the mutation clock far enough and we arrive at Adam and Eve, whose DNA was created error-free.4 At this rate, humanity wouldn’t last for even 1,000 generations.5
Finally, geneticists have found evidence for Eve in mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA). We inherit this kind of genetic code from our mothers, and it accumulates mutations like nuclear DNA does. Every person tested so far has one of three fundamental lineages, or versions, of mtDNA: M, N, or R.6 The wives of Noah’s three sons explain this intriguing detail of modern human genetics. Genesis 10:32 says, “These were the families of the sons of Noah, according to their generations, in their nations; and from these the nations were divided on the earth after the flood.” Geneticists worked out the equivalent of Eve’s mtDNA sequence by subtracting all the mutations that have occurred since its creation.7
Human-chimp DNA differences, densely packed and functional DNA information, genetic clocks, and mtDNA reconstructions clearly point to recent creation.8 Genetics strongly confirms Adam and Eve were real.
References
- Tomkins, J. 2015. Documented Anomaly in Recent Versions of the BLASTN Algorithm and a Complete Reanalysis of Chimpanzee and Human Genome-Wide DNA Similarity Using Nucmer and LASTZ. Answers Research Journal. 8: 379–390.
- Tomkins, J. 2012. Junk DNA Myth Continues Its Demise. Acts & Facts. 41 (11): 11-13.
- Thomas, B. The Human Mutation Clock Is Ticking. Creation Science Update. Posted on ICR.org July 7, 2011, accessed February 12, 2016.
- Evolutionists argue that human DNA contains more variants than the known mutation rate could ever hope to add over just 6,000 or so years. However, their argument assumes that every DNA variant arose from a mutation when God could well have encoded DNA variation into Adam. These designed variations combine with mutations to produce trait variations, like different hair colors or body sizes.
- Mankind can’t last more than about 20,000 years, assuming a generation time of 20 years and the measured mutation rate of 100 per generation. See Sanford, J. 2014. Genetic Entropy. Waterloo, NY: FMS Publications. See also Williams, A. 2008. Mutations: evolution’s engine becomes evolution’s end! Journal of Creation. 22 (2): 60-66.
- Carter, R. W. Adam, Eve and Noah vs Modern Genetics. Creation Ministries International. Posted on creation.com May 11, 2010, accessed February 12, 2016.
- Carter, R. W. 2007. Mitochondrial diversity within modern human populations. Nucleic Acids Research. 35 (9): 3039-3045.
- Tomkins, J. 2015. Genetic Clocks Verify Recent Creation. Acts & Facts. 44 (12): 9-11.
* Mr. Thomas is Science Writer at the Institute for Creation Research.
