THE BOMBARDIER BEETLE..NOT A PRODUCE OF CHANCE At only half an inch long, the Bombardier Beetle may not be very big, but it helped chew great big holes in long-held views on evolution. Or, more accurately, burned them. For on closer inspection the modest beetle is a marvel of nature, a sort of six-legged tiny tank. It defends itself by mixing chemicals that explode; firing through twin tail tubes that can swivel like gun turrets. The bubbling liquid that shoots out at 212 degrees Fahrenheit is enough to deter most predators.The force of the round fired should be enough to blast the little beetle into orbit,if not pieces, and it would be if it was discharged at one time. But slow motion photography has revealed that the crafty beetle actually lets go with a stream of up to 1,000 little explosions. Together they are enough to put off would-be attackers while leaving the small defender with its feet still on the ground. Marveling at the intricate design there is simply no way the Bombardier Beetle could have evolved its sophisticated defense system over time, adding swiveling gun barrels or its repeater firing mechanism at different stages. It needed them all in one package, at the same time. A beetle that blew itself up would not be around to develop a more refined firing system. A beetle that could not keep the enemy in firing range would not survive to work on more maneuverable firepower. Theres simply no way a slow, gradual process will produce this beetle
Posted on: Fri, 18 Oct 2013 04:27:20 +0000
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