Incubator Bird Evolution or Creation?
by Owen Borville
June 9, 2019
Biology
The incubator bird or megapode has a unique way of incubating or caring for its eggs that gives problems for advocates of evolutionist ideas. The incubator bird resembles a turkey and has a heavy-set body of medium size, a small head, and large feet. The megapode is found in its native habitat in tropical forests between Australia and Indonesia, while humans have transported the bird to the Pacific Islands throughout history. The megapode name for this bird comes from its large feet from the Greek words mega and poda. The megapode lays eggs like most birds and its eggs are known to hatch the most mature young chicks of any bird species. Some megapodes have been observed to fly on the same day that they hatch from the egg. This is in itself a testament to God's design and nature of creating life fully formed and not "evolving" from simpler forms. However, the megapode has a unique way of incubating its eggs that distinguishes it from other bird species.
Most birds "incubate" their eggs by sitting on them in order to produce body heat for a certain period of time, usually about 14 days until the eggs are mature and are ready to hatch. During this incubation period, the bird does not get off the eggs with a few exceptions and not more than a few minutes. The female primarily incubates the eggs but in some bird species, the male has been observed to help in the process of incubating the eggs in order to keep them warm.
The megapode, however, does not incubate its eggs like most birds. Instead, the megapode buries its eggs underneath a nest mound or inside a burrow. Megapodes bury their eggs in the sand, soil, vegetation, and debris up to one meter thick and depend on the sun along with the layers of buried material to warm the eggs. Megapodes have been observed to bury their eggs underneath volcanic sands, beach sands, soil, leaves and other biological debris. The female does little care for the eggs once hatched, and the male normally does the burying of the eggs. This lack of attention to the eggs from the female is unusual among birds in addition to the unique ability of newly-hatched eggs to take care of themselves with little or any help from their parents. The nest mounds have been observed to be unusually large, up to two meters or more in height.
Another unique fact is that the megapode uses its tongue or beak as a thermometer to monitor the temperature of the nest mound. In addition, the newly hatched chick must not only break open the eggshell itself, it must dig and crawl through the layers of soil and material on top of it to reach the surface of the mound nest. These unique observed behaviors of the megapode have been mentioned by creationists as a problem for those with evolutionist ideas. How does the megapode gradually learn how to incubate its eggs this way while virtually all other bird species do not use this method? Wouldn't it be easier just to sit on the eggs and incubate them like a normal bird? What made the incubator bird or megapode have this unusual behavior if it was not designed by an intelligent Designer? If this behavior evolved, then why is it the only bird species or type to incubate its eggs this way while 99 percent of birds sit on their eggs?
The other issue is how megapode chicks are so mature upon being hatched that they don't need any help from their parents. The megapode does not even feed its new chicks, who are able to obtain food themselves without assistance. It has been mentioned that this lack of attention to their new offspring by their parents is common among reptiles but is very unusual among birds. These unique observed behaviors are a testament to the intelligent design by a powerful and intelligent designer.
by Owen Borville
June 9, 2019
Biology
The incubator bird or megapode has a unique way of incubating or caring for its eggs that gives problems for advocates of evolutionist ideas. The incubator bird resembles a turkey and has a heavy-set body of medium size, a small head, and large feet. The megapode is found in its native habitat in tropical forests between Australia and Indonesia, while humans have transported the bird to the Pacific Islands throughout history. The megapode name for this bird comes from its large feet from the Greek words mega and poda. The megapode lays eggs like most birds and its eggs are known to hatch the most mature young chicks of any bird species. Some megapodes have been observed to fly on the same day that they hatch from the egg. This is in itself a testament to God's design and nature of creating life fully formed and not "evolving" from simpler forms. However, the megapode has a unique way of incubating its eggs that distinguishes it from other bird species.
Most birds "incubate" their eggs by sitting on them in order to produce body heat for a certain period of time, usually about 14 days until the eggs are mature and are ready to hatch. During this incubation period, the bird does not get off the eggs with a few exceptions and not more than a few minutes. The female primarily incubates the eggs but in some bird species, the male has been observed to help in the process of incubating the eggs in order to keep them warm.
The megapode, however, does not incubate its eggs like most birds. Instead, the megapode buries its eggs underneath a nest mound or inside a burrow. Megapodes bury their eggs in the sand, soil, vegetation, and debris up to one meter thick and depend on the sun along with the layers of buried material to warm the eggs. Megapodes have been observed to bury their eggs underneath volcanic sands, beach sands, soil, leaves and other biological debris. The female does little care for the eggs once hatched, and the male normally does the burying of the eggs. This lack of attention to the eggs from the female is unusual among birds in addition to the unique ability of newly-hatched eggs to take care of themselves with little or any help from their parents. The nest mounds have been observed to be unusually large, up to two meters or more in height.
Another unique fact is that the megapode uses its tongue or beak as a thermometer to monitor the temperature of the nest mound. In addition, the newly hatched chick must not only break open the eggshell itself, it must dig and crawl through the layers of soil and material on top of it to reach the surface of the mound nest. These unique observed behaviors of the megapode have been mentioned by creationists as a problem for those with evolutionist ideas. How does the megapode gradually learn how to incubate its eggs this way while virtually all other bird species do not use this method? Wouldn't it be easier just to sit on the eggs and incubate them like a normal bird? What made the incubator bird or megapode have this unusual behavior if it was not designed by an intelligent Designer? If this behavior evolved, then why is it the only bird species or type to incubate its eggs this way while 99 percent of birds sit on their eggs?
The other issue is how megapode chicks are so mature upon being hatched that they don't need any help from their parents. The megapode does not even feed its new chicks, who are able to obtain food themselves without assistance. It has been mentioned that this lack of attention to their new offspring by their parents is common among reptiles but is very unusual among birds. These unique observed behaviors are a testament to the intelligent design by a powerful and intelligent designer.
