Are body hair, ear wiggling, and such things proof of evolution?
Question:
I was watching a video, and on it, it showed that there was a remnant of another eyelid on humans or something like that, and then said that it could have been used for sweeping dirt out of the eyes (or something like that). I think they were saying that that would have been before humans evolved. Does the other eyelid thing fit into Christianity?
There was also other stuff that I assume they were saying was related to evolution, like how 10% of humans have something on their ear that could be a remnant of something used to pivot or flop the ears (or something like that). Does that fit in with Christianity?
I think there was something about body hair or something, but I didn't finish watching that part so that part may or may not have been related to evolution.
Answer:
This is another example of people who didn't get the news that there are no remaining vestigial parts in the human body. See: Do the appendix, wisdom teeth, and tailbone show we evolved?
The formal name for the inner eyelid is the nictitating membranes. It is found in many animals, but it is rarely seen in primates. In humans, the plica semilunaris is seen to be similar to the nictating membranes, though it is structurally different and works differently -- in other words, it really isn't the same thing. "During waking hours, the moisture in the eye collects foreign objects, like dust and dirt, and the motion of blinking washes them out of the eye to prevent any damage to the cornea. However, during sleep, the blinking motion is not available, so the plica semilunaris picks up the slack by guiding the unwanted substances to the corner of the eye, where they will collect and dry during the night. It is this dried rheum that then becomes the crusty sleep in the morning" ["What Is the Sleep in Your Eye?", LiveStrong]. Removal of particles from the eye is critical to keeping the cornea from getting scratched.
Some people are able to wiggle their ears, the rest have the muscles but generally don't develop them enough to make them noticeably functional. The same muscles that move the ear are also involved when you look to the far left or far right, pulling the corners of the eye so you can see just a bit further. Wiggling the outer ear does help with pressure equalization and can help with "swimmer's ear." Yes, such can be also done with the hand, but that doesn't mean the ability to wiggle one's is purposeless. Countless children have been entertained by wiggling their ears. Worthless? But what about raising eyebrows? The motion becomes a part of our communication. Ear movement could also be a part of expression if more people learned to use those muscles.
Even the point on the earlobe that about 10% of the population has been called vestigial. Such would be similar to saying a certain color of skin, or a certain shape of the nose is useless because a greater portion of the population has something different. It merely a variation in human beings adds to our distinctiveness so we are more easily recognizable.
Body hair is involved in regulating our body temperature. In humans, it works in conjunction with our ability to sweat to keep us comfortable in a wide range of temperatures. It wicks moisture away from the skin, giving more surface area for evaporation. In cooler temperatures, it stands up giving a small gap between the skin and your clothes this helps create an insulating region. You will also notice thicker body hair in regions where two parts of the body frequently rub together. The hair cuts down on friction. Different people have different colors and patterns of body hair, which again aids in distinctiveness.
What typically is argued is that because something doesn't serve what is thought to be an important function, what can be done without, or what can be accomplished by other means is then assumed to be leftover useless functions. But this is just the arrogance of men. Better is to admire the detailed design given to man by his Creator. "So God created man in His own image; in the image of God He created him; male and female He created them" (Genesis 1:27).
Question:
Sorry for all the questions. I think the video said the vestigial could be remnants of something used to turn or flop the ears (or something like that). So do some animals have vestigials or whatever? Do some animals have something on their ears that is like the point on about 10% of the human population's earlobes? So is the point on some human's earlobes just something that adds to our distinctiveness? Is it like something on some animal's ears? Could the point on some human's earlobes actually turn or flop the ears or remnants of something to turn or flop the ears?
Also, how does the plica semilunaris guide unwanted substances to the corner of the eye? Is the pica semiluminaris or whatever like another eyelid, or does it do a different job?
Answer:
The reason for searching for vestigial organs is that evolutionary theory would conclude that every living creature should have useless features that either is being gradually removed from the species or gradually added to the species but have not yet reached a state of usefulness. The problem for evolutionists is finding a truly useless (vestigial) structure. The difference between what is truly useless and what we merely have not discovered the use for is not easily detectable. At one time the argument was that if we can survive without it, then it must be vestigial. However, this has been proven false because we have the ability to survive even when we are not at 100% potential.
My point about the earlobes is that their purpose can be theorized for their structures. We already know the earlobes shape and focus sounds so that we can both hear better and determine the direction of sounds. We also know the earlobes are distinctive on people so they help identify individuals. The fact that evolutionists conjecture that they might be leftovers is not evidenced that they are leftovers or that evolution took place. The fact that there are uses means they are not vestigial.
Every so-called vestigial organ in human beings has been shown to have a purpose. This causes a problem because random selection should leave numerous vestigial organs. Thus, they turn to vestigial structures and vestigial DNA. These too are being disproven bit by bit as we learn more about the human body and its design.
Oh, there is that terrible word: design. The scarcity of truly vestigial parts points to a designer who knew what he was doing. If we assume there is a designer behind the world, it is not surprising to find elements borrowed from one design to the next. Similar problems would result in similar solutions.
The plica semilunaris carries a few similarities of the third eyelid in some creatures, but it does not function the same and it does not serve the same purpose. The plica allows your eye and eyelids to move more freely than would happen if they were directly connected. It also manages to keep the drainage properly positioned so that it works no matter where the eye is turned. [The Conjunctiva—Structure and Function, Volume 2]. While it helps keep the drain tube in the right position, it also catches larger particles that would clog the drainage tube and sweeps them to the corner as your eye moves. Further, the plica secretes a sticky mucus that traps particles so they cannot return to the eye surface.
A good answer to many vestigial structure arguments can be found at "Badly designed arguments—‘vestigial organs’ revisited."
