Articles

Metamorphosis

by Anonymous

One of the most amazing phenomena in the animal world is insect metamorphosis, the change in form that occurs as an insect hatches, develops and becoems an adult. This highly complex, fantastically coordinated process seems especially hard to explain by any type of evolutionary scheme.

The insect world exhibits great diversity in the process of metamorphosis but the most fascinating type is complete metamorphosis in which the various developmental stages are amazingly different from each 'other. In complete metamorphosis, the egg hatches into a stage called the larva, a worm-like or caterpillar stage which bears no resemblance to the adult. Insect larvae often have voluminous appetites and feed on leaves, flowers, and fruits. They may do great harm to crops and other vegetation. The larvae grow and molt (change their outer covering) several times. (This in itself is a complex process involving the interplay of many different chemicals.) They may estivate (become dormant) for a period during the summer or hibernate over winter before entering the next stage. The pupa stage is a resting stage during which the larva is transformed into an adult. Often, the pupa is protected by a cocoon. Many developing insects spend the winter in the pupal stage, although some may develop in just a few days. During the pupal stage, amazingly complex changes take place, as the entire form of the insect changes. Mouthparts change, wings develop, and reproductive organs form. Whole organ systems may actually dissolve and be replaced as adult forms develop. When changes are complete, the adult emerges.

The processes that occur in metamorphosis are amazingly complex and orily partially understood. It resembles other types of embryological development, but on a delayed scale with independent stages. Metamorphosis can be influenced by environmental changes, but is hormonally directed. Underlying the whole process are the instructions encoded in the DNA. How could such an amazing sequence develop by chance?

Evolution by natural selection seems to have nothing to contribute to this type of complexity. The whole sequence must be operating in good order or it is no good at all. Just because a certain species is "fit" to survive as a larva offers no guarantee that it will be "fit" to survive and reproduce as an adult. The instructions for the whole sequence must be encoded in the DNA to begin with. The ordered complexity we see in complete metamorphosis fits well with a creation model. It speaks of intelligent design, not accidents and chance.

Source: Alpha Omega Institute