Ask a Baraminologist: Feathered Dinosaurs?

Our first question comes from Roderic, who asks, “Do you think some of the feathered dinosaurs are accurate? I wanted to see what you thought ‘cause I didn’t believe it.”

Artist Rendering of Tyrannosaurus rex

Great question, Roderic! You’re wise to be skeptical. For most theropods, there is zero evidence of feathers. For example, we have never found a fossil T. rex with anything resembling a feather. However, theropod is a very broad term. Dromaeosaurs, some of which the late Dr. Menton argued were misclassified birds, are grouped with the theropods. That is part of what makes this question so difficult. When I say that we have no evidence that dinosaurs had feathers, I am excluding many species the evolutionists call and present as dinosaurs. When someone else says dinosaurs had feathers, they include the species I exclude. If the question arises, the way to deal with it is to discuss a specific example and build from it.

Our next question comes from Zach, who asks, “What is so special about the platypus?”

Awesome question, Zach! The platypus has a lot of unique features. It is a mammal, but unlike most other mammals, it lays eggs. It has webbed feet like a duck to help it swim. It also has a bill like a duck. It has special sensors that allow it to sense electricity, much like a shark. The males also have a spur on their ankles that can be used to stab an enemy and inject venom. The venom can be deadly to small organisms, and even humans will be in a lot of pain if stabbed. So there are a lot of unique features of a platypus.

Our third question comes from Elijah, who asks, “Are mammoths related to mastodons?”

Good question, Elijah! Mastodons and mammoths are both members of the order Proboscidae. Since most, if not all, creationists agree that order Proboscidae represents one created kind, it is likely that mastodons and mammoths are members of the same created kind. Therefore yes, they are probably related to one another.

Our final question comes from Talitha, who asks, “Why are there kinds?”

Awesome question, Talitha! The short answer is because God made it that way. In Genesis 1, we are told he made everything after its kind. Therefore, to God, the kind is the foundational group of biology. However, it also makes logical sense that God would separate created groups. They needed to perform different functions, live in different environments, and eat different foods (originally all plants). By designing kinds, God created groups at least slightly specialized for living in various habitats. The whales would be very out of place in the Sahara desert, just like camels would be out of place on the Great Barrier Reef. God prepared organisms for the areas they would inhabit and the life they would live. If he did that for them, imagine how much more he will do for you, who is worth more to him than many animals.

I hope these answers help you and are a blessing to you. Please feel free to keep sending in the questions. I’ll get to them as soon as I can!