''Ancient'' Katydid Fossil is...a Katydid | The Institute for Creation Research
''Ancient'' Katydid Fossil is...a Katydid

A fascinating discovery of a fossil insect has recently been made by evolutionists in Colorado. The description once again points clearly to the effects of the Genesis Flood thousands of years ago.

50 million years ago in what is now northwestern Colorado, a katydid died, sank to the bottom of a lake and was quickly buried in fine sediments, where it remained until its compressed fossil was recovered in recent years. When researchers examined the fossil under a microscope, they saw that not only had many of the insect's hard structures been preserved in the compressed shale, so had several internal organs and tissues, which are not normally fossilized.1

The compressed shale was sedimentary rock laid down by running water that creationists suggest was part of the Genesis Flood 4,500 years ago. Indeed, the Colorado Formation, where the fossil katydid (family Tettigoniidae) was found, is part of the famous Green River Formation that also extends into Wyoming and Utah. This tristate Eocene formation was evidently formed by much more than just a local flood.2

Evolutionists understandably attempt to put a secular spin on this contemporary insect fossil discovery.

"Obviously, having a fossil species of a modern genus is really significant because it confirms the antiquity of this lineage," [Prairie Research Institute paleoentomologist Sam] Heads said. "Now we know that about 50 million years ago, this genus had already evolved and already had a morphology that mimics the grass in which it lives and hides from predators." The find will help scientists understand how this group of insects evolved and when they developed their unique physical structure, he said.1

The “antiquity” of this lineage is hardly confirmed! The only thing this fossil find tells scientists is this is a katydid just like the kind we find today. It says nothing about “how this group of insects evolved.” The specimen shows it had to be rapidly and catastrophically buried, “[b]ut perhaps the most striking feature of this fossil is the really exceptional, remarkable preservation of internal organs–organs that you just don’t see in fossils.”1 We do see remarkable and exceptional preservation of creatures, both of this fossil and increasing numbers of soft tissue ensconced within dinosaur fossils.3 Interestingly, original soft tissue has been found in none other than a Green River Formation fossil.4

Regardless, the public is expected to believe there has been no evolution (i.e. stasis) of this insect for 50 million years: “To double-check his analysis, Heads dissected several katydid specimens of the same genus [Arethaea] to match what he was seeing in the fossil. "They look exactly the same," he said.”1 Creationists are not surprised. Katydids have always been katydids. Paleontologists, however, cannot let go of, or even question, deep evolutionary time even when confronted with physical evidence such as this fossil.5-6

God designed the katydid, it has no evolutionary ancestors, and it was suddenly caught up and buried by the great Flood described in Genesis thousands of years ago.

References

  1. Yates, D. Ancient katydid fossil reveals muscles, digestive tract, glands and a testicle. Illinois News Bureau. Posted on news.illinois.edu June 26, 2023, accessed June 29, 2023.
  2. Tomkins, J. 2022. The Five Rules of Flood Paleontology. Acts & Facts. 51 (5).
  3. Thomas, B. Over a Dozen More Dinosaur Soft Tissues. Creation Science Update. Posted on ICR.org September 12, 2019, accessed June 30, 2023.
  4. Thomas, B. Green River Formation Fossil Has Original Soft Tissue. Creation Science Update. Posted on ICR.org May 12, 2011, accessed June 30, 2023.
  5. Sherwin, F. Physical Evidence Trumps Evolution Theory. Creation Science Update. Posted on ICR.org May 25, 2023, accessed June 30, 2023.
  6. Thomas, B. Mummified Dinosaur Skin Looks Young. Creation Science Update. Posted on ICR.org July 30, 2009, accessed June 30, 2023.

* Dr. Sherwin is science news writer at the Institute for Creation Research. He earned an M.A. in zoology from the University of Northern Colorado and received an Honorary Doctorate of Science from Pensacola Christian College.

The Latest
NEWS
Fire Sensory Capabilities of the Venus Flytrap
Fascinating discoveries have been made regarding the amazing Venus flytrap (Dionaea muscipula).1 For example, all parts of this amazing plant...

CREATION PODCAST
What Really Swallowed Jonah? | The Creation Podcast: Episode...
The book of Jonah contains the historical account of the prophet Jonah. In verse 17 of chapter 1, the text states that the Lord prepared a great...

NEWS
More Flood Evidence
Paleontologists recently discovered the partial fossils of two new species of dinosaur just outside of Casablanca. As stated in a Science Direct article,...

NEWS
New York Times Editorial: Big Bang Unraveling?
Two physicists have suggested in a recent New York Times guest editorial that Big Bang cosmology ‘may be starting to unravel.’1...

NEWS
Your Functional ''Yolk Sac''
For decades, evolutionists pointed to dozens of ‘useless artifacts’ of the human body to make their questionable case for evolution. But...

NEWS
The Beauty of Creation: Created for God’s Own Glory
Have you ever wondered why a sunset on a beach is captivating, snowcapped mountains are breathtaking, and a valley filled with wildflowers is enchanting? Scripture,...

CREATION PODCAST
Devastating, Dangerous, and Deadly Bacteria? | The Creation Podcast:...
Bacteria are everywhere! While we can't see them with the naked eye, these little critters are everywhere, even in and on your body! Some of...

NEWS
Pre-Flood Reptile Fossil Discovered With Baleen
Baleen whales (suborder Mysticeti) are amazing filter-feeding mammals of the sea. They belong to a group called the Cetacea. Evolutionists suggest they...

NEWS
September 2023 ICR Wallpaper
"If you walk in My statutes and keep My commandments, and perform them, then I will give you rain in its season, the land shall yield its produce, and...

NEWS
Is the Earth Round?
Some readers might think the answer to this question is so obvious that maybe we’re offering it as a kind of joke—but it’s no joke....