“Water Bear” Discovered Preserved in Amber

The third tardigrade specimen—described as a “once-in-a-generation” find—was only just discovered, preserved incredibly beautifully in a piece of amber dated at supposedly 16 million years. As many amber fossils are, this tardigrade was so well preserved that scientists could observe fine details:

Researchers say the pristine specimen is the best-imaged fossil tardigrade to date—capturing micron-level details of the eight-legged invertebrate’s mouthparts and needle-like claws 20-30 times finer than a human hair.

The lead researcher stated:

What is so remarkable is that tardigrades are a ubiquitous ancient lineage that has seen it all on Earth, from the fall of the dinosaurs to the rise of terrestrial colonization of plants. Yet, they are like a ghost lineage for paleontologists with almost no fossil record. Finding any tardigrade fossil remains is an exciting moment where we can empirically see their progression through Earth history.

Tardigrades are believed to be an “ancient lineage,” surviving since the so-called Cambrian period 540 million years ago. This specimen is thought to be, by evolutionary reckoning, a mere 16 million years old—and yet the specimen is easily recognizable as a tardigrade, with minor differences internally to place it in a new genus. But tardigrades remain tardigrades! No evolution has occurred because evolution is nothing more than a story applied to the evidence to explain life without God. But it does a poor job explaining the evidence because the true history of life is given to us in God’s Word!

This specimen is thought to be, by evolutionary reckoning, a mere 16-million-years old—and yet the specimen is easily recognizable as a tardigrade, with minor differences internally to place it in a new genus. But tardigrades remain tardigrades!

And a fossil tardigrade doesn’t “empirically [show] their progression through Earth history.” It shows a fossil tardigrade. The idea that this is part of a progression of life through various evolutionary stages, like I said, is a worldview applied to the evidence (“historical science,” in comparison to “observation science,” e.g. scanning the fossil and observing its features). The fossil is empirical evidence—the explanation for how tardigrades evolved isn’t!

Get More Answers on Answers News

I discussed this item yesterday on Answers News with cohosts Bodie Hodge and Roger Patterson and special guest Patricia Engler of Answers in Genesis–Canada. Answers News is our twice-weekly news program filmed here at the Creation Museum and broadcast on my Facebook page and the Answers in Genesis Facebook page. We also covered the following intriguing topics:

• Tax dollars once again fund Planned Parenthood.
• Should women who identify as men have to take pregnancy tests before surgery?
• Inbreeding helps rattlesnakes?
• And more!

Be sure to join us each Monday and Wednesday at 2 p.m. (ET) on my Facebook page or the Answers in Genesis Facebook page for Answers News. You won’t want to miss this unique news program that gives science and culture news from a distinctly biblical and Christian perspective.

Thanks for stopping by and thanks for praying,
Ken

This item was written with the assistance of AiG’s research team.