SUMMARY: An analysis of newly discovered amber droplets has created a mystery. This type of amber owes its existence to flowering plants, but the droplets were discovered in a "320-million-year-old" coal deposit in Illinois. Scientists believe flowering plants didn't "evolve" until 200 million years later, hence the puzzle.The age of the amber droplets put them in the period known as Carboniferous, when swampy forests of ferns and early conifers are thought to have been growing, scientists say. Ken Anderson of Southern Illinois U. said their age was a surprise in itself, but his research team had guessed early conifers were the source of the amber. Finding amber from conifers in a coal bed is surprising, but more surprising was the discovery of a chemical signature in the amber that has been linked only to flowering plants.
The researchers believe the mystery can be solved by assuming some very old plants "figured out" how to make the type of resin that is credited to more modern flowering plants. "It is a sobering story for people who study amber," says David Grimaldi of the American Museum of Natural History who wrote a commentary on the research for the October 2 Science magazine.
When scientists looked at compounds in the amber droplets, they expected them to look like conifer compounds, but instead the molecules resembled those in amber from flowering plants. This discovery suggests chemical composition alone isn't enough to definitely pinpoint an amber's origin, and fossilized plant parts accompanying the amber are the key to definite identification. Unfortunately, no plant matter could be found near the Carboniferous droplets, so even though the amber droplets are "definitely not from a flowering plant," their origin remains unknown.
Picture of amber from Wikimedia Commons (Creative Commons CC-BY-SA-2.5)
To read the entire article click on this link to SCIENCE NEWS.
COMMENT: This article provides an excellent example of how the presuppositions of evolutionary science cloud interpretations of new discoveries that don't fit standard, accepted views of earth history.
The easiest way to solve the problem of a type of amber appearing way too early according to the evolutionary timeline is to change the evolutionary timeline. However, such a sacred piece of Darwinian theory is difficult to rewrite, so secular scientists have to come up with alternate explanations, no matter whether there is any evidence for the alternate explanations or not.
There is plenty of scientific evidence to show that there is a major problem with the accepted long ages upon which the theory of evolution depends. For instance, the volcanic explosions at Mount St. Helens and Surtsey island which occurred within the past half-century have both left suggestions of millions of years (using accepted dating methods and observations) despite their rather recent occurrences. The radioisotope dating techniques that provide the millions of years used by evolutionists to date things rely on unproven assumptions.
To be honest, Bible-based creationists assume things too, such as that the Word of God is an accurate account of the history of our planet. We don't dispute the fact that our claims to a large extent rely on faith. Still, according to the Bible, flowering plants, conifers, and all other types of plant life came into existence at the same time. Thus, we don't have to search for explanations as to how amber droplets that owe their origin to flowering plants could exist "200 million years" before flowering plants made an appearance on earth. This "mystery" is no mystery to us.
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QUESTION OF THE DAY
Are fruits and vegetables less nutritious today than they used to be?This is probably true as growers produce larger crops. Historical data show a decline in some vitamins, minerals, and protein. Also, studies indicate the larger the crop, the lower the mineral concentration
Source: Marilyn vos Savant in Parade (September 27, 2009)
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