VESTIGIAL ORGANS RECONSIDERED

ONE of the evidences for evolution put forward by Charles Darwin, and still offered in some biology textbooks, is the existence of so-called vestigial organs, which are supposed to be useless left-overs from our evolutionary past. At one time, it was claimed that human beings possessed as many as 180 of these organs, but advances in medical knowledge have slowly but surely reduced that list, revealing that such claims were evidence of our own ignorance of the wonderful workings of the human body. Some of the most commonly-suggested 'vestigial organs' are discussed below.

APPENDIX

The appendix is a small, dead-end tube leading off the main intestine.

In cases of appendicitis, the appendix has to be surgically removed, and as we can live quite happily without it, it has been claimed that it is of no use to us. In animals such as rabbits it is part of the digestive system, and evolutionists claim that because the human appendix does not function like a rabbit's it must be vestigial. However, it is now known that the appendix is part of the body's lymphatic system, and is able to sample bowel contents and form anti-bodies. In early childhood, the appendix is particularly useful in helping the body fight infection. Dr. Evan Shute has written, 'The appendix is an abdominal tonsil, set at the junction between the small bowel's fermentation and the large bowel's putrefaction, which should be as vital a point to guard against bacterial assault as that other sentry box, the pharyngial tonsils.'¹ Dr. Shute goes on to point out that whilst apes have an appendix, monkeys and cats don't, and asks: 'Does this imply that man is more primitive than the monkey and cat in this respect — since our appendix persists?'²

Monkeys have no appendix.

So, far from being a useless left-over from our supposed evolutionary past, our appendix plays an important part in the body's defence mechanism, particularly in early life when we are most vulnerable, although in later years, the body can cope without it.

TONSILS

Like the appendix, our tonsils can be removed without causing us harm, and this has led some evolutionists to argue that they are also vestigial. But these glands in our throat, like the appendix, are part of our lymphatic system, and act as a defence against bacteria and other disease organisms. Inflamed tonsils sometimes have to be removed, but this operation is not usually performed in very young children. A child born without tonsils would be in very poor shape, but later in life the body has enough lymphatic glands to allow the removal of the tonsils without affecting the body's disease-resistance. Again, these organs are not useless leftovers.

THE COCCYX

To coccyx is a triangular bone at the base of our spinal column, often referred to as the human 'tail-bone', and presented as 'proof' that we evolved from ancestors with tails. It is often claimed that it is of no use to us. The Oxford Encyclopedia of the Natural World says: 'In modern man the coccyx has no functional use, being the vestigial remnants of the vertebrate tail.'³ It is amazing to find such a misleading and misinformed statement in a scientific publication! The coccyx is an anchoring-point for several muscles important to human reproduction, childbirth and bladder control. In the embryo stage, the human coccyx is extended, but in later stages turns inwards, and helps support the weight of the intestines and lower organs — ideally suited for man's upright posture. We would certainly find life difficult without it.

SEMI-LUNAR MEMBRANE

Sometimes called 'the third eyelid', this is a small fold of tissue at the inner corner of the human eye. It is sometimes claimed that it is a remnant of the third eyelid possessed by birds and reptiles — reptiles supposedly being our distant ancestors. However, the semi-lunar membrane is far from useless. It supports the eyeball, and without it, the eyeball would sink, causing double vision. It also supports the tear-duct, preventing tears from draining over our cheeks, and it collects foreign matter, which may enter the eye. Evolutionist S.R. Scadding has pointed out: 'The semi-lunar fold of the eye is simply that portion of the conjunctive at the medial corner of the eye, and as such aids in the cleansing and lubrication of the eyeball.'⁴ Again, a well-designed and useful organ, not an evolutionary leftover.

WHY NO NASCENT ORGANS?

We could go on describing supposed vestigial organs which are now known to have a function, but this whole issue conceals a more serious problem for the evolutionist. Dr. Scott M. Huse describes it thus: 'Even if the concept of vestigial organs were valid, it still would not lend support to evolution, since it implies organs on the way out, not in. Nascent organs, those under construction into a functional unit, are completely nonexistent. This fact serves as a powerful argument against organic evolution.'⁵ Dr. Evan Shute makes a similar comment: 'Structures on the way out are not what the evolutionist needs, but structures on the way in.'⁶ Nowhere in nature do we find such nascent organs, and this fact, coupled with a growing understanding of the function of organs once thought useless, removes one of the main 'evidences' of evolution presented to biology students. It is much more reasonable to believe that all living things, including ourselves, were created by God, fully equipped to fit us for life here on earth.

REFERENCES:

1. Flaws in the Theory of Evolution, Craig Press, New Jersey, 1961, pp.56-57.
2. Reference 1, p. 57.
3. Oxford Encyclopedia of the Natural World, Guild Publishing, London, 1985, p. 355.
4. 'Do Vestigial Organs Provide Evidence for Evolution?' Evolutionary Theory, Vol. 5. (May 1961) pp. 173-176.
5. The Collapse of Evolution, Baker Book House 1963, p. 107.
6. Reference 1, p. 48.

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