Rehashing Haeckel

In 1868, professor of zoology Ernst Haeckel published his famous (and now infamous) drawings of eight embryos in three stages of development (image at left). The drawings gave birth to what is now commonly referred to as, “recapitulation theory.” The drawings were soon proven to be a fraud by Haeckel’s own admission. Yet, nearly a century -and-a-half later, these drawings and references to recapitulation theory still appear in modern science textbooks as recently as 2002 (http://www.evolutionnews.org/2007/05/the_textbooks_dont_lie_haeckel_1003664.html). You will find repeated references in modern textbooks to “pharyngeal pouches/folds” which once were called “gill slits.” In Feb. 2007, National Geographic published a photo essay on marine worms titled: “Hawaii’s Unearthly Worms.” The text and photography links are provided below. In slide #4 the caption reads: “More complex than a flatworm, an acorn worm…has a liver (the nubs along its body) and gill slits like those of sharks-and embryonic humans.” Apparently, those (like National Geographic) who stubbornly hold to Darwinism despite the contrary evidence, will not even abandon a proven fraud if that fraud appears to support evolutionary theory in any way. So much for unbiased scientific integrity. Interestingly, also featured in the slideshow is a marine ribbon worm which produces a toxin called ananbaseine. This toxin shows promise as a possible treatment for Alzheimer’s. So, we brilliant humans still have much to learn from even the most basic of God’s marvelous creatures. A lesson in humility, perhaps?

http://ngm.nationalgeographic.com/2007/02/hawaiian-worms/holland-text

http://ngm.nationalgeographic.com/2007/02/hawaiian-worms/murawski-photography