The BBC's Proof of Human Evolution

We'll quote the entire section from the BBC web page:

"The fossil record shows a gradual change from ape-like animals walking on all fours to bipedal creatures that gradually developed bigger brains.

"The first humans to leave Africa interbred with other hominin species, such as the Neanderthals. As a result, people of European and Asian descent carry Neanderthal genes in their DNA, but people of African descent don't.

"For instance, in the 1950s a British doctor called Anthony Allison was studying a genetic disorder called sickle-cell anemia, which is common in some African populations. People with the disorder have misshapen red blood cells, which don't carry oxygen around the body as well as they might.

"For those people, it was worth carrying the sickle-cell mutation.

"Allison discovered that the east African populations were divided into groups of lowland-dwelling people, who were prone to the disease, and people who lived in the highlands, who were not.

"It turned out that people carrying the sickle-cell trait got an unexpected benefit. It protected them from malaria, which was only really a threat in the lowlands. For those people, it was worth carrying the sickle-cell mutation, even if their children might be anemic.

"By contrast, people living in highland areas were not at risk from malaria. That meant there was no advantage to carrying the sickle-cell trait, so its otherwise-harmful nature had meant it disappeared.

"Of course, there are all sorts of questions about evolution that we still haven't answered.

"Stringer offers a simple one: what was the genetic change that allowed humans to walk upright, and why was that mutation so successful? Right now we don't know, but with more fossils and better genetics, we might someday.

"What we do know is that evolution is a fact of nature. It is the basis for life on Earth as we know it."

It looks like they have three "proofs" human evolution happened:

• (1) The fossil record
• (2) Mutations provided immunity to malaria
• (3) A declaration: evolution is a fact of nature

The above photo shows some of the skulls in our museum.

The Fossil Record

I've had people say to me, "Look at the skulls. You can see it right there. Humans evolved."

But, when you look at the skulls, what are you seeing? People.

Did you catch what the BBC said in their second paragraph above? Humans and Neanderthals interbred. The most basic definition of a species is that of not being able to interbreed. If they can interbreed they are the same species. Neanderthals are human. Older artist renditions depict Neanderthals as brutish savages. We now know that if you dressed a Neanderthal in the clothes you are now wearing, no one would think of them as other than a present-day, modern human.

It's the same with the others. Homo habilis, Homo rudolfensis, Homo erectus, they are all within the range of normal variation within today's human population. Why are they classified as links in human evolution? Because believers in evolution needed links.

Homo erectus, "is he a missing link? The answer must be no. Not as a being who stood halfway between the apes and modern humans--the skeleton is too human-like for that." - John Reader, "Missing Links," Oxford University Press, page 146 (2011)

"This is strong evidence that the bones commonly referred to as Homo erectus are fully human individuals who suffered from various pathologies associated with such things as inbreeding, mutation, teratogens (developmental abnormalities), etc." - Christoher Rupe and Dr. John Sanfoed, "Contested Bones," page 77, (2019)

When many of these human fossils were discovered it was not in isolation. Most were discovered with other fossils. Pigs, fish, apes (including Australopithicines), and fossils of other animals, all mixed together. As a result scientists would pick and choose which pieces to bring together to create an 'ape-man' transitional fossil.

"Habilis is a 'wastebasket taxon'--a commixture of Australopithecus and Homo bones. Habilis failed to fill the 'vast gulf' that separates australopith and man. Habilis can now be added to the growling list of falsely claimed 'ape-men.'" - Christoher Rupe and Dr. John Sanfoed, "Conteested Bones," page 173, (2019)

Sickle-Cell Anemia. Are Random Mutations Beneficial? No!

We've looked at the question of mutations extensively and learned that random mutations result devolution.

The best know antimalaria mutation is the sickle-cell gene. It prevents malaria, but results in anemia, frequent infections, stroke, swelling of hands and feet, chronic pain, and vision problems. Michael Behe writes in Darwin Devolves: "Many other antimalarial mutations break genes or control regions. As malaria researchers have noted, in addition to their helpful effects the mutations have less benign consequences, most especially 'the great legacy of debilitating, and sometimes lethal, inherited diseases that have been selected under [malaria's] impact in the past.'" (Darwin's Doubt,. page 182)

Yes, a mutation can provide protection against malaria, but it's not evolution. While it provides a benefit, overall the mutation is debilitating. The person has devolved.

The comment about humans walking upright is pure bluster. As the article admits, there is no evidence our upright stance evolved. And it's not as simple as just standing straight. Upright walking is complex. It involves unique design features in the feet, legs, hips and other parts of the body. The statement made in the BBC article is a form of the "Escape to Future" fallacy. Claiming the evidence is coming in the future, which is no evidence at all.

Finally, say this out loud with no hint of doubt in your voice, "evolution is a fact of nature." There, that's it. Evolution is a fact. No, it's not a fact. And declaring it a fact, without any solid evidence, is meaningless.

Trust Jesus, Not Darwin   Go Deeper: Mixed Up Bones