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Raptorman -> Microraptor: We have to admit it, folks (2/4/2008 9:40:18 PM)
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Some of you may be familiar with a small animal named Microraptor gui that was found in China a few years back. It is a small creature, touted by some paleontologists as "proof positive" that dinosaurs and birds are linked by genealogy. Here are a few pictures where you can see its skeleton (I apologize to any moderators if this breaches rules about posting links to other sites; feel free to remove it if it does):
Microraptor bones at DeviantArt
The evolutionists are excited about Microraptor because it looks like a small dromaeosaur (or "Raptor" dinosaur), with unmistakable impressions of feathers that so far have given no indications of being hoaxed. With fully developed flight feathers on its arms and legs, it has come to be hailed by some as a "living biplane," and to my knowledge, it is the only known vertebrate with four wings.
The species itself was involved in the infamous Archaeoraptor hoax, its tail being attached to the fossil of a bird to make the end product look like the definitive missing link between birds and dinosaurs. But this particular fossil appears genuine, by all accounts.
To be sure, some YECs, like Answers in Genesis, have immediately pounced on it and sneered at the find, claiming that Microraptor was just a flightless bird with some dinosaurian characteristics. This claim has proven severely lacking when I have taken a look at the Microraptor skeleton. Its skull and pelvic structures are identical to those of a Raptor, and perhaps the most compelling bit has come from its tail. The animal's tail is long and bony (a trait rarely found in birds), and is stiffened along its entire length by strips of bone, to make it into a stiff rudder. As far as I know, this attribute has never been found in birds, but only in dinosaurs, particularly the raptors and the hadrosaurs (or "duckbills"). If it were not for the feathers, AiG would likely just see it as another tiny raptor, like the American Bambiraptor.
Ladies and gentlemen, we must admit that Microraptor is indeed a dinosaur, despite the obvious presence of feathers. It may not look good for people who oppose the idea that dinos and birds are linked, but it has to be admitted anyway. I sent a letter to AiG, telling them this information. So far, I don't seem to have gotten any reply.
For the most part, I respect AiG, but my indignation has erupted like a Hawaiian volcano at this level of professional incompetence. They have a committee of PhD biologists and paleontologists who could have pointed this out, instead of leaving it to amateur dinosaur enthusiasts like myself. Answers in Genesis should have corrected this information long before I got to it! They have an obligation to present scientific truth, even if it might hurt their case. Being lazy and calling Microraptor a bird just because it has feathers (and paleontologist Alan Fedduccia says so) not only is a disgrace to the people to whom they are trying to minister, it is also a severe disservice to God himself, a Creator who is Truth incarnate (John 14:6), and who holds objective truth to be of great importance.
The Bible itself reveals information that could hurt its case for some people. When Jesus rose from the dead, and women were the first to see Him and the empty tomb, it would be an embarrassing situation for Christians in first-century Palestine. Women were sadly seen as second-class citizens back then (sorry, ladies [;)]), and were not considered reliable eyewitnesses. But the disciples reported it anyway.
Basically, if God did not have a problem with women being the first to witness the Resurrection (knowing full well how the culture would react to that kind of news), then we certainly should not have a problem admitting that some dinosaurs indeed had feathers. Frankly, I see feathered dinos as part of God's holy creation, being created as distinct animals which share no genealogical relationship with birds anymore than they do with elephants or squid. Dinosaurs and birds already share characteristics with birds (the more agile and smaller ones likely being warm-blooded, certain species brooded over their nests like birds, etc.), so feathers should not come as an Earth-shattering surprise. Just another trait they have in common.
Once again, I apologize for the long rant. I just hope this will help remind us that we sometimes get things wrong. Only the Bible is infallible, not the ones who follow it. And to the creationists who are asserting there never were any feathered dinosaurs, I beseech you to stop. Just admit it and get on with life. Or if you have compelling data that Microraptor was indeed a bird, feel free to share it with me, since you are as much a servant of the God of truth as I try to be.
Thank you for your time, everyone. That's all for now.
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